Jaylen Evans

Meeting

Lena pov
Stef: what time is the meeting?
Lena: 11:30
Stef: okay I'll meet you at the school
She gave me a kiss and took the kids to school. Jaylen didn't have to go in today until after the meeting.
Lena: Jaylen!
Jaylen: what!
Lena: come downstairs
He ran down the stairs jumping the last few steps
Lena: you wanna go out for breakfast?
Jaylen: can we get pancakes?
Lena: sure go get ready
Jaylen: yayyyy
He ran up the stairs.
Lena: Jaylen you ready?
Jaylen: I've just started getting dressed
Lena: you've been up there for half an hour. Any longer and we won't have time for breakfast
Jaylen: I'm just looking for my AirPods
Lena: they're down here
He ran back down the stairs and grabbed his AirPods
Lena: take your meds before we leave
I watched him take them
Jaylen: you don't have to watch me you know
Lena: I just wanna make sure you take them. This is an important meeting.
Jaylen: boring meeting more like
Lena: and we want no seizures today either
Jaylen: yeah yeah
Lena: right come on Stefs gonna meet us there
Jaylen: this is gonna be pointless
Lena: no it's not I'll make sure of it
Jaylen: I've had so many of these meetings and they never work
Lena: this is gonna be different. We're not gonna promise things we can't provide
Jaylen: we'll see I guess

We got in the car and made our way to school
Jaylen: can I put some music on?
Lena: sure
I put on some 50 cent
We arrived at school and I suddenly felt really anxious
Jaylen: can I just wait out here?
Lena: what's going on?
Jaylen: I can't just sit there and listen to them tell me how bad I am or how I've just joined and I'm already failing
Lena: the meeting is going over ways we can support you in school to help you get to the same level as others in your grade
Jaylen: okay
Lena: if it gets too much you can leave and sit outside

We walked into the meeting room and principal Sanchez, Stef, Mr Peters and a few other teachers I had seen around
Principal Sanchez: thanks for coming please take a seat
I sat down and was looking at the other teachers
Principal Sanchez: this is Miss Honey she is a SEN teacher she works in the LSU, this is Mr Kenny he's the school SENCO and lastly this is Mrs Daniels she's a support teacher
I just nodded

Lena pov
Lena: when he visited the school I mentioned that if he's finding mainstream to be too much then possibly moving into the LSU
Jaylen: No
Lena: Jaylen?
Jaylen: no
Principal Sanchez (Karina): right so we'll sort out this plan and we'll give you a 4 week chance and if you're still struggling then we'll have no choice but to move you into LSU. You'll also be on behaviour report which has to be signed by all your teachers and Miss Kenny
Jaylen: ain't got a choice
His foot tapped frantically against the floor with frustration building. He was tapping his hand against the chair. Miss Honey (Jasmine) gave him a fidget toy to play with
Jaylen: thanks
Mr Peters (Adam): right so Jaylen you're smart, creative and for the most part teachers enjoy having you in your class. When you're engaged you show real potential. We just need to work on the silly things that get you into trouble like not keeping your hands to your self or making silly noises
Jaylen: are we done?
Stef: Jaylen
Adam: it's clear that he struggles with focus especially in reading and writing. His dyslexia makes it difficult to process written instructions and his ADHD makes sustained attention almost impossible without the right support. That leads to frustration which sometimes escalates.
Karina: Jaylens only been here for just over a month and we're already had several incidents

Jaylen clenched his jaw fingers gripping the hem of his hoodie. I put my hand on his and he looked up at me so I mouthed 'calm down'
Stef: what kinda incidents?
Karina flipped through a folder
Karina: Disrupting class, refusing to do assignments, walking out without permission, and just yesterday he threw a chair in the hallway
Jaylen: It wasn't at anyone
I turned to him
Lena: Honey what happened?
Jaylen shrugged hard,his leg bouncing under the table
Jaylen: I don't know. I got mad. The words were moving around again the supply we had said I wasn't trying hard enough and some kid laughed and kept calling me stupid. I wasn't thinking, okay? It just happened
Stef: Alright so what are we doing to support him?
Karina: Jaylen needs to control his emotions
I knew this wasn't gonna end well
Jaylen: Oh yeah? You think I want to be like this? You think I don't try?
I reached for his hand but he pulled back too wound up to be touched.
Lena: Jaylen we know you're trying
Jaylen: Then why does it never matter? Every school says the same thing! 'Jaylen needs to control himself. Jaylen needs to focus. Jaylen needs to stop being a problem.' But no one actually helps me!
Stef: Hey. Breathe
Jaylen squeezed his eyes shut, jaw clenched.
Adam: I've been working with Jaylen since his first fight which was a couple days into starting.
He doesn't just need discipline. He needs accommodations. He needs tools to manage his frustration before it escalates. We need to get him an IEP with the right supports: extra time, a reading/dyslexia specialist, and structured breaks to help with emotional regulation.
Karina: That takes time and Jaylen needs to show that he can be responsible.
Jaylen: You mean perfect? You want me to prove I deserve help by acting like a kid who doesn't need it? That makes so much sense.
Mr Kenny (Thomas): What if we met him in the middle? A temporary 504 plan until we can get the IEP in place?
Stef: And what does that look like?
Thomas: Modified assignments, access to audiobooks for reading and a quiet space when he gets overwhelmed. He also needs structured breaks not just punishment for acting out.
Lena: That's a start
Jaylen: I'm going outside

Jaylen got up and walked out
Karina: And what about the behavior issues?
Lena: His 'behavior issues' come from frustration. If we reduce the frustration, the reactions will lessen
Stef: He doesn't need another school that gives up on him. He needs a school that works with him
Karina: Fine. We'll implement the 504 and monitor his progress but Jaylen needs to meet us halfway
Lena: Jaylen can you come in please?
Jaylen walked in
Lena: we're gonna put things in place but you need to meet us halfway
Jaylen: I'll try
Stef: try what?
Jaylen: I'll try not to throw stuff. I'll try not to walk out. I'll try to I don't know breathe first but I can't promise I won't mess up
Lena: No one's asking for perfect honey
Jaylen: can we go home now?
Karina: yes we're done for today. We'll draw up the plan and it will be effective as soon as possible
We left and got in the car

Jaylen pov
I was sat in the backseat with his head resting against the window
Stef: So that could've gone worse
Jaylen: Could it?
Lena: Yes actually. No one gave up on you today. That's a good thing
Jaylen: They think I'm a lost cause
Stef: no they don't
Jayken: Principal Sanchez does
Stef: She doesn't know you
Jaylen: No one ever does
Lena: You will get the help you need Jaylen. We're not letting this school write you off
Jaylen: That doesn't mean I won't screw it up
Stef: So what? You make a mistake we figure it out. That's how this works
Jaylen: can we get maccies?
Lena: sure
We went to McDonalds and ordered our food then headed home.
Jaylen: I'm going to my room
I took my food and went upstairs. I was just playing video games for the rest of the afternoon.
After dinner we all had to get on with homework. I was sat at the kitchen table staring down at my English homework like it was written in another language. I pencil tapped furiously against the wooden surface, the words shifting and jumbling no matter how hard I tried to focus.
Lena walked over and placed a hand on my back.
Lena: Need help?
Jaylen: I can't do it
Lena: Okay. Let's try it a different way
She sat next to me
Jaylen: There is no different way. It's just words and I can't read them
Lena: What if I read it out loud?
Jaylen: er I guess
As she read my mind calmed just a little. I eventually finished my homework
Lena: good job honey. Go put this in your bag