Eight years ago, when I was still working in the “Opportunity Program” at Los Angeles Christian School (LACS), a pull-out program where students with learning differences were taken out of class to work on reading and/or math, I started working with a student named Beth. She was in fifth grade, and had a lot of learning challenges at that time. She had struggled in school her whole life. Her brain learned and processed information in a different way, and she had to learn how to use different tools and techniques to tap into that unique and amazing brain of hers to learn the same things her class was learning.
I worked with Beth for four years, fifth grade through eighth grade, three hours a day. She was (and is) a hard working, sweet girl, who never gave up, no matter how difficult a task was for her. Because of her learning differences, Beth had a representative from Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) come to the school to meet with her teachers. These representatives were supposed to be a resource for us to help our students who were tested and had Independent Learning Plans through LAUSD. In the very first meeting with our representative, after looking over Beth’s files and test scores, we were told to teach Beth how to use money and how to understand food stamps because “she will most likely drop out of school so she will need to know those skills more than anything else.”
I had to walk out of that meeting. Knowing how hard Beth worked and how supportive her family was, plus knowing God was in the picture and the Holy Spirit leading and directing her, there was no way she would fall into that category of student. That was the last meeting we had with that representative, we were appointed a new one shortly after, who was much more positive and a big help and support in the process of working with Beth.
Beth is now a senior in high school. A few weeks ago I heard from her mom that she is applying to colleges! She is working toward a four-year university, and has the grades and high school achievements to get in! I am so proud of Beth and all of her hard work, and I am so thankful to God for His help in her life. I love seeing these success stories and knowing LACS is making a difference in the lives of our students.