Stories from the Field
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The Team in Intervention Assistance Team
I remember one Intervention Assistance Team (IAT) meeting where we were considering what to do with a student who had arrived at our school in the middle of the week in the middle of the school year, with no supplies, not much documentation, and with no spark of life in his eyes. He soon proved to be behind in his grade level, uninterested and unmotivated. He was quickly referred to the team to see what could be done.
Our process was to invite all interested parties to the IAT meeting including the parent. Although we shared the school social worker with several other schools, she was a part of our IAT meetings as often as possible. Since there was some question as to the legitimate address verification, the social worker attended this meeting.
The mother came to the meeting and after listening quietly to all of the “educational-ese” about her son’s lack of progress, she very quietly told us that she and her son were living out of the local women’s shelter. She told us how they had had to flee in the middle of the night from an abusive boyfriend with not much more that their pajamas. She was trying to do the best that she could.
The school social worker stepped up to the plate and asked if she could meet with the mother and child. We agreed to table the educational intervention conversation until the next time. The social worker took the mother and son away to her favorite social agencies to get the much-needed assistance for them. The assistance included finding some clothing including a winter coat for the boy.
The student came back to school better dressed and a little more trusting of our school. Unfortunately, when their housing came through, they moved on to another location. I often think about that student and his mother. I was so appreciative of the school social worker that day and how it really does “take a village to raise a child.”
