Thanking Mr. Marcy

When I started this blog it was because my son was being bullied at school. I was at my witts end and my son was entertaining thoughts of suicide. Meetings with teachers, parents, and social workers were taking place all the time. Strategies were being implemented but none were really having an effect because parents of other children refused to take responsibility for their children and even more important, they refused to make their children take responsibility for their actions. Mr. Marcy was as distraught as I was at my son's suffering and the apathy that other people had displayed in meetings. How could anyone not care that their children were inflicting harm to a student with disabilities? Through the whole process, I remember Mr. Marcy's genuine love and care for not only my son but my entire family.

I remember the sadness in Mr. Marcy's eyes as we determined that my son would be better off being homeschooled the last few months of 6th grade. Now that I am a public school employee, I realize the depth of caring that he had for my son. Genuine love is visible in a principal's face.  There was nothing more to be done. The reality of my son being a danger to himself and others was growing, and a violent outburst after being trapped by three students had finally taken place. I believe Mr. Marcy was genuinely sad when my son walked out the doors for the last time. 

5 months later my son started 7th grade. 13 months later we bought a new home and moved to Mayville schools. Six years passed. We never had the chance to follow up or express in depth our gratitude for all the things that Mr. Marcy tried to do during the last few years our son was at Central. What I never had the chance to say was "Thank you for believing in James, and for loving him enough to try to help".

Life can carry us so many places. Last year my now not so little boy, at six feet five inches, graduated from an alternative ed program. I started subbing in Tuscola County for teachers and my son decided that he wanted to be a substitute paraprofessional. His experiences with learning difficulties and physical difficulties have made him a class "A" parapro. Mr. Marcy now works in our local district. My son and I were working one day when he saw James with a badge and stopped to ask if he was really seeing "his James". There was pride there and a few short hellos before James had to get back to work. I made sure that this time those words didn't get away. I'll say them again here. "Thank you, Mr. Marcy, for all that you have done. Thank you for being genuinely concerned about your students, and for the blessings, you have brought to your students by just being you".

Amen.