My son Payne was recently nominated for an award for his work toward changing things for dyslexic students all while keeping his sanity and drive to achieve in the public school system that sometimes grossly misunderstand students like him. Of course, I thought he should automatically be the winner, but I’m biased because I’m his mom and I’ve seen the struggle he has gone through because we aren’t in the income bracket that can afford to send our children to specialized schools, hire expensive tutors or have a lawyer attend our IEP Meetings and I’ve seen him in action talking to lawmakers, mayors, parents and anyone else who he thinks he can help or those that can help make things better for students like him. Well, he didn’t win and he’s OK with that because he only allowed the nomination to be submitted at my request that he do so. When I told him about the nomination, his response to me, “Wait a minute. You always tell us that we work to change things and help people because it’s the right thing to do, not for awards, acknowledgement or personal gain but because it’s right.” BOOM! Yep, he got me. He can’t remember the fifty times I’ve told him to pick up his empty Hot Cheetos Bag but he can remember that I said that? That’s pretty awesome, guess I’ve done something right. By the way, he also has to pick up his Hot Cheetos Bags.
What my son doesn’t realize is that he’s a winner without any awards to show for it or without anyone knowing who he is or what he’s done, but I’m his mom so I’m surely going to brag on him. You know that West Virginia Dyslexia Legislation that was introduced by House Delegate Jason Barrett and signed into law by Governor Tomblin? No? Now you do. That law is because of my 18-year-old son, Payne. How proud do you think his mom is? Extremely.
This was his submission for the award. He chose to make a PowerPoint instead of writing an essay:
What my son doesn’t realize is that he’s a winner without any awards to show for it or without anyone knowing who he is or what he’s done, but I’m his mom so I’m surely going to brag on him. You know that West Virginia Dyslexia Legislation that was introduced by House Delegate Jason Barrett and signed into law by Governor Tomblin? No? Now you do. That law is because of my 18-year-old son, Payne. How proud do you think his mom is? Extremely.
This was his submission for the award. He chose to make a PowerPoint instead of writing an essay:
Take the time to watch a video (by Dyslexia Training Institute) of WV House Delegate Barrett at #SayDyslexia Rally 2016 talking about the legislation, our family meeting with him and the importance of being educated on dyslexia. Watch the whole video with some wonderful speakers or skip to 10:40 to hear about the legislation:
https://www.facebook.com/dyslexiatraining/videos/
https://www.facebook.com/dyslexiatraining/videos/
Pictures of Payne and Delegate Barrett in 2013 and at the #SayDyslexia Rally in 2016:
I’m bursting with pride that Payne has had the endurance to continue to keep pushing on in school because he has had some rough years and terrible situations in school. I mean, your governor’s office shouldn’t have to contact your son’s school because they are refusing to follow his IEP and your state senator shouldn’t have to contact the principal of your son’s new school to ask for their cooperation in making your son’s school year a success through collaboration, should they? Payne shouldn’t have had to endure the humiliation of having a teacher crumple up one of his assignments and throw it in the garbage can in front of his class because the teacher was ignorant about dyslexia and dysgraphia and thought the paper he handed in was some sort of joke and I’m pretty sure, Payne should never have been made to count to ten aloud in class because of his teacher’s frustration and lack of understanding that there are a lot of steps in scientific formulas and it takes a little bit to process all that information. Yep, that happened. The teacher asked him if he was even capable of counting to ten and then made him do it in front of everyone in class. Let me tell you, he’s been through it.
His award is going to be the feeling of accomplishment when he walks across the stage in June and grabs that diploma because a lot of students would have said, SCREW IT and quit. He didn’t. We are going to be so proud and excited to watch him cross the finish line.
Senior Picture:
His award is going to be the feeling of accomplishment when he walks across the stage in June and grabs that diploma because a lot of students would have said, SCREW IT and quit. He didn’t. We are going to be so proud and excited to watch him cross the finish line.
Senior Picture:
That's my boy!