The little girl who barely spoke until November. The little girl who didn't know her name when she started kindergarten. The little girl who could finally write her name in January. The little girl who had so many ear infections she needed tubes in her ears. The little girl who's parents put off getting those tubes in her ears for three months before getting it done.
I can't stop thinking about her.
The little girl who can hear again. The little girl who suddenly talks so much she needs to be told to stop. The little girl who never learned appropriate times to talk and when to listen because she never talked anyway. The little girl who came to school knowing little to nothing about anything. The little girl who only counts to 7. The little girl who recognizes 6 numbers.
I can't stop thinking about her.
The little girl who needs extra help to learn but who's parents refused interventions for math. The little girl who has ELA interventions and is still hardly improving. The little girl who is scoring the same on all the March classroom assessments as the student who has special education services.
I can't stop thinking about her.
The little girl who smells like smoke so strongly it's like a slap in the face. The little girl who's parents can afford cigarettes and cell phones but can't afford to send in a snack for the class or a $5 field trip. The little girl who's parents miss their parent-teacher conference three times before attending one. The little girl who's parent sends two texts and answers a phone call during that conference.
I can't stop thinking about her.
And now we'll be thinking about her. Keep thinking about her. I have to believe that somehow it will matter and someday things will change for her.
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