The Principal Connection / Rekindling Our Energy for Neglected Children

I think about my former student Deidre often. She would be grown now, and I often wonder where she is and whether our care for her made a difference in her life. Deidre's 1st grade picture stands clearly in sight on my office bookcase, her curly red hair accented by her deep blue eyes. Deidre was classified as a special education student. As is true of most students, her learning problems did not fit into any predetermined category. Deidre's mother physically and psychologically abused her. Despite our reports of the abuse, Deidre fell through the cracks in the local child and family services system. Each morning, she came in delighted to be in school—surrounded by people who cared deeply about her. We cringed at what Deidre might face when she returned home each afternoon.