Charlie at ALE

The Alternative Learning Environment, you may remember from Samantha's experience a few years ago, is a classroom setting for kids who are not surviving in the traditional school.  By not surviving, I mean that you can be sent to ALE for fighting, for being bullied, for being pregnant, for bringing drugs or alcohol to school, or for any behavior which the school believes qualifies you for direct one on one supervision all day, every day.  The kids at ALE are sometimes pretty troubled.  They are all there for a reason.  Samantha had her reasons for being sent to ALE and it turned out to be a positive experience.  Charlotte was sent to ALE this year, and she was sent for a different reason altogether.  Her experience was equally positive.

At ALE the kids have classes as computer worksheets.  They read, they test, they move at their own pace.  They have a teacher over their shoulder constantly and the student to teacher ratio is really low.  Lots of talking, lots of nurturing.  Charlotte was sent to ALE at a time when that was just what the doctor ordered.  She was the darling of her teachers, charming them with her sweet compliments and blunt comebacks.  She is not afraid of anyone and she shines with one on one attention.

Next time you have the pleasure of talking to Charlotte you can ask her yourself why she was sent to ALE.  She may or may not tell you and I will leave that to her.  As a matter of fact, she purposely did not tell any of the students she went to school with why she was sent to ALE, just to see on social media what would happen.  Rumors flew, and she had the sad satisfaction of watching the people she once called friends belittle her and tear her down.  It was sad to watch, but, she did it that way so that she could see how people would react.  She was disappointed in almost everyone.  Kids are very cruel.  Those who held her up are still her friends, and while that was a painful lesson, she has grown and she has learned. 

You wish so much for your kids.  You want to shelter them.  Then, when they are hurt, you want to heal them.  The beauty of it is, that they have to grow.  I am proud of Charlotte and how she has handled her trial.  She is a strong young lady.  She won and she will continue to shine.