By Sarah Colburn
|
Photography by John Linn
Every morning, six year-old Amy Nolan begged and cried not to go to school, even locking herself in her mother’s car. In the classroom she was withdrawn, almost mute, clinging to the playground monitor at recess and shunning her best friends. She melted down into frequent tantrums at home, crumpling and throwing her schoolwork as her grades plummeted. This was not the Amy her family or her teachers knew. But they all knew the reason why. In 2006, Amy’s father was suddenly arrested on assault charges and eventually sentenced to prison. Afterward, Amy virtually shut down. “Everything was too hard, too frustrating,” said her mother, Jolene Howard. “No matter what you did to encourage her, it was just too overwhelming.” Howard contacted her daughter’s teachers for help and explained the arrest. They started journaling back and forth about Amy’s day, but the situation didn’t improve. Though Howard said she couldn’t have asked for more understanding and caring teachers for Amy, no one could provide the right advice or resources to turn the tide. “Maybe the supports were there,” she said, “but the dots didn’t get connected for us.”
Growing Trend?
Tracking kids who are impacted by parental incarceration is currently more of an art than a science. There are no mandatory reporting requirements, and parents often think withholding embarrassing information is in their child’s best interest. Often times, educators aren’t aware of the problem until students act out of character or mention something in an honest and vulnerable moment. Elizabeth Rogers, executive director of student services and special education for the St. Cloud Area School District, said parental incarceration issues seem to be becoming more prevalent. Effects include emotional distress from changes in home addresses, school districts, or pri-
28 Initiative Quarterly Magazine
IQmag.org