Well, before I go off on a rant, let me say that I have some very, very good students from nice, nice familes. Adorable little ladies and gents for whom I'd take a bullet. Their parents come to open house night and I have nothing to say to them except, "Rocio is an angel. If I had 30 Rocios my life would be bliss."
It's Maribel, whose father wants to be absolved of legal responsibility for her (she's 12) because she roams the streets all evening and he has no control over her.
It's Ramiro, whose parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents have all neglected to pay their phone bills and the phones are disconnected and I can't get hold of anyone to help me manage the little psycho.
It's Ismael, whose father is obviously baffled because his daughter turned out fine but his son is a budding sociopath and he asks ME what he's supposed to do. I'm thinking "Sh*t, you were my last hope and you don't know what to do??"
It's Karla, whose mother is as creepy and psychotic as she is. I have no idea why.
It's Antonique, whose mother is the one who GAVE her the idea that no one has the right to tell her anything.
It's Sandra, the most frighteningly beautiful and precocious 12 year old I've ever seen, whose mother seems to be only about 25 herself so I can see where Sandra's heading.
It's wild, feral Gabriel and sadistic Jose, whose mothers tell me "I'm a single mother, I can't control him either, what can I do?"
It's Crystal whose mother is so angry at the world I can see why Crystal's a f*ck-up.
It's Erick's father who, rather than simple help the kid with his homework, made him write "I am a disobedient child" in his notebook 500 times (which he now does instead of his homework.)
It's Andrew whose father is too busy battling the mother in the ugly divorce to notice that his fat little boy is turning into a real weirdo.
It's Max, incredibly intelligent Max, whose mother is busy explaining why that drug gang shot at her, and she reeks of alcohol at parent-teacher night (as soon as I got home, I started drinking too).
I would say I don't know how to start, but it's obvious I've started. I guess I don't know where to quit and give up.
There's no way I could do what you do without winding up in jail.
I just read your "About Page", and believe me I really do wish you luck.