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#Post#: 6337--------------------------------------------------
Andy Jackson
By: Jack Date: June 11, 2018, 4:19 am
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I was going to title this thread Bloody, Bloody Andy Jackson,
but I thought only Kier - and maybe Leti or Wil if she ever
shows up again - would get the joke.
I've actually already introduced Andy, but not by name. Here's
what I said about him before:
quoted from 4 June 2018 - Last Day on 7 June 2018
My favorite was a young man (actually 27, looked generic 20s)
who... matriculated (?) with his masters this spring. He's been
teaching five years now in southern Louisiana. He likes the
city, but hates the heat and humidity. He's from the Shreveport
area, and he was looking for a job somewhere closer to the
latitude he's used to (further away from the Gulf).
The thing I like about him is that he specifically stated that
he supports corporal punishment. He feels it's as important to
set and enforce limits with consequences as it is to set goals
and rewards. Too often, I see people start talking about
discipline, and all they ever offer is advice on what to do when
a kid is well-behaved.
I talked to him probably twice as long as I did any of the
others, probably because he was willing to talk. He's the
oldest of five kids, and his closest sibling is a sister about
three years younger than he is. He doesn't remember his parents
living together very much, but his mom re-married when he was 7.
His next (half) brother is 8 years younger than he is. He was
ADHD growing up (still has a few symptoms, but says he's learned
to compensate for them and isn't on any meds), but both his
younger adopted/half brothers had it worse than he did. His
step-dad was a strong believer in the carrot and stick approach,
and he feels it did a lot to help him, and he helped raise the
younger two boys. His final and youngest sibling (actually an
adopted cousin, I think he said) was thought to be severely ADHD
for a while, thought they finally decided he had ASD (I think it
would have once been called Asperger's Syndrome).
Anyway, I liked him on a personal level (not just because he's
just on the handsome side of cute), I liked what he had to say
about discipline and goals, and I liked some of his ideas for a
classroom with a large percentage of ADHD students, as well as
for mainstreaming ADHD students into regular classrooms. My
problem is that he has no experience as a vice-principal, so I
just wasn't able to recommend him. However, I know BCA is
looking for new teachers, especially with the background and
education he has, so I've recommended they hire him, even if
they have to offer a bit more to get him here.
Apparently, as soon as I said I didn't think he had the
experience for a principal, but highly recommended him as a
teacher, they called and made him an offer (remember, they'd
already vetted his application, so they knew everything checked
out, and he passed all background checks and everything). From
what I understand, he'll be making a decent amount more here, he
was offered his choice of the open positions, and he jumped at
it. When they talked to him, they told him they felt he didn't
have enough experience with discipline in a school environment,
but that he could get that with them. They did tell him that
I'd highly recommend he be hired as a teacher, which is why he
called me to let me know he'd taken the job.
I like talking to Andy, except wishing he'd quit calling me Mr.
Wells all the time. We talked for a while again yesterday, and
I learned several interesting facts that made me decide to post
this now.
Andy lives with his mom. She's divorced, and her three younger
sons (who are all at home) are all challenged to one degree or
another. Andy lives at home both to make his own money go
further, and to help with the kids.
Carter is 18, with a fall birthday (actually 8.5 years younger
than Andy). He had adolescent onset ODD, and had to repeat his
8th grade year, so he'll be a senior this year. He's on some
medication, but apparently he's doing much better now. Andy
does use CP with him simply because it works better than
anything else. He will take Carter's phone from time to time,
but both of them seem to see that as much worse than getting
paddled (at least according to Andy).
Russell is 14. He's also both adopted and autistic.
I'm going to digress here to talk about autism for a moment. I
took a special education class when I was getting my degree. At
that time, autism was considered almost completely disabling.
In the 90s, they came up with Asperger's, but a few years ago,
they changed the diagnosis in general, so that someone is now
'on the autism spectrum', and it can include people who are
almost completely disabled by it, but it can also include people
who are bright and verbal, which apparently includes Russell.
When I mentioned this to Andy, he e-mailed me a couple of
articles, so I have a slightly better idea what's going on, but
I will say that 'mild autism' includes problems with reading
cues, vocal intonation, and body language.
Apparently Russell has trouble with communicating detailed
information, he doesn't make friends easily, and that's mostly
because he tends to have restricted but intense interest. Andy
does use CP with him, but fairly mild and only in very limited
circumstances.
The youngest is Dashiell - Dash, who is 12, but very small for
his age. He's also 'extremely' ADHD, to use Andy's terms.
He's also, also coming to visit us today.
I 'met' all three boys on Skype last week, after doing the
interview with Andy, largely because we were talking about his
brothers as his only real CP experience. That's not the same as
meeting them in person, though, so I'm not going to try to
describe them further at this point.
The trustees are having a meeting today to decide on whom will
be offered the new principal's position. Andy wants to have a
short discussion with them and the other principals, before he
decides for sure which position he wants. He would enjoy a 6th
grade class, where he'll be with the same kids most of the day
(except Math and literature, probably), or he could take the
secondary science position (what he's actually trained for) with
an all ADHD home room. He wants to use his new degree and help
kids like his brothers, so he wants to discuss that before he
makes his decision.
That's not the only reason he came up here. Apparently he and
his mom have been saving for a house, and, while BCA didn't
offer him a premium, as I suggested they should, they did offer
him a signing bonus to help with his move. While he's here,
he's going to connect with a realtor to see if they can afford
to buy a home, or if they need to rent.
He told me he intended to set his alarm for about three this
morning, and he'd probably be on the road by about 3:30, just
pausing to grab a shower, dress, and throw Dash in the back
seat. He did ask if I could recommend a decent, but cheap motel
around here, and I countered by offering them a room for the
night, which he accepted. I told him he could come last night
instead of having to wake so early, but he explained that a long
drive with Dash is always miserable if he's awake, but that Dash
is a very heavy sleeper. Andy said he would pack a bag for them
both last night, then throw some basketball shorts, a tee, and
some shoes in the car for Dash, and the odds were good he
wouldn't even wake up when Andy carried him to the car.
The best part is when he said, "I'll make a quick stop at the
Golden Heinie's drive through..."
"The WHAT?!?" I asked.
You could almost hear him blushing over the phone. "Sorry,
McDomald's."
"Don't apologize," I told him, "I'm luvin' it."
He had the courtesy to laugh.
If he kept to his schedule, he's already finished his Egg
McMuffins and coffee, and is probably getting close to
Alexandria by now. He was expecting to be here between 8 and 9,
so it won't be long before I get to really meet them.
He's bringing Dash with him because - in his words - Carter
isn't as mature as a lot of older teens, but you can trust him
to take care of basics, and he'll keep an eye on Russ and make
lunch for him. The problem is, if Carter hyper-focuses on
something, Dash can destroy the house before he even notices...
And that Dash would wonder why everyone was mad at him. "Not
that he's a bad kid...."
"I've raised ADHD before, Andy. I can already here, 'but I was
only playing.'"
He laughed and agreed.
Bridgette Henderson is taking her boys and Jake and Ryan Tucker
to Hurricane Harbor tomorrow, so I'm going to have them change
their sheets this morning, and I'll tell all three of them to
make their beds and leave the room looking decent. Devon can
sleep in with Kenny and Colt tonight, and Andy said he and Dash
can share a full-sized, so a couple of bunk beds should work
fine for them.
#Post#: 6338--------------------------------------------------
Re: Andy Jackson
By: Zyngaru Date: June 11, 2018, 9:37 am
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WOW! It sounds like Andy has his hands full with just his
brothers. I am so glad that he is being given a chance at BCA.
He sure has ADHD experience. Much better having real life
experience to go with intellectual knowledge.
Interesting to see what Andy does with Dash while he has his
meetings. Take Dash to them. Ask you to watch him? Let him
hang out with your boys? Taking him to the meetings would have
both pros and cons. BCA would see him in action with an ADHD
boy, would be a pro. Con could be Dash going hyper intense on
something during the meetings. Of course that could be a pro
also, as they would see how Andy deals with the situation.
I am happy for Andy. I am sure he is happy to have been
accepted. This gives him the chance to advance in life.
As for him still calling you "Mr. Wells." He sees you as an
authority. You interviewed him. You recommended him. The
Trustee's listened to your recommendation to hire him. So of
course he is going to call you Mr. Wells. It shouldn't take too
much time to relax once he meets you and you two get to know
each other on a personal level, not just a professional one.
#Post#: 6340--------------------------------------------------
Re: Andy Jackson
By: Jack Date: June 11, 2018, 3:46 pm
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He called me about 9am.
"I think we found your house..."
"Are you driving a blue Honda Civic?"
"Yes, sir...."
"See the guy in the orange polo and black cap waving his arm -
that's me. Pull in here."
I showed him where to park, and he pulled in, then climbed out.
We formally introduced ourselves, but there was a very cute boy
who had my attention and was trying to get Andy's.
"I'm hungry, Andy!"
"Mr. Wells, this is Dash. Can you believe he didn't wake up
until we pulled off the highway here? I even had to stop at a
rest area and he slept through that. He does need to eat,
though, so he can take his meds."
"Hello, Dash," I said, when Andy took a breath, reminding me
that he had mention he still took medication for ADHD himself.
"You ready to eat?"
"Hey," he said, nodding in response to my question.
I led them into the back yard, with both of them looking back
over their shoulders at everyone in the side yard, who were
either playing a running game or doing conditioning runs.
Ryan, Mickey, and the twins were setting up some snacks, but we
still had some breakfast stuff ready, and Ryan took Dash inside
to find something he liked.
[hr]
Dash did stay here, while Andy went to meet the trustees. After
he'd had something to eat and drink, and had his pills, he
seemed in a much better mood, and it took him about 10 minutes
after that to make friends with all the animals and most of the
boys.
Dash really is small. I think he's about 12 1/2, but he's the
same size as Glenn, who's not much past 10. I think he's about
4'7" or 8" and weighs maybe 62 pounds or so - small and lean,
but with a lot of energy. His hair is kind of a nondescript,
light brown, with eyes that I'm pretty sure are hazel, an a ton
of freckles. He's also uncircumcised and not shy at all.
Marcus and I left the kids with Chris and the college boys, and
we met David Warren, Bobby Witte, and Andy, and I took them to
lunch at the Continental (which I'll talk about elsewhere).
Andy was happy to meet some other teachers, especially those who
are knew to BCA and his age more or less.
After (a long) lunch (and a great conversation), Andy followed
me to a realtor's office. I've known this guy forever, since I
used him to find our last house before this one, then he helped
us sale the homes we built here. Andy called not too long ago
to check on how Dash was doing (which boiled down to 'Andy who?'
on Dash's part). The realtor had two, 5-bedroom houses that
might be within their price range, and since Dash was all right,
he was going to go look at them.
#Post#: 6341--------------------------------------------------
Re: Andy Jackson
By: kalico Date: June 11, 2018, 4:22 pm
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Aww dash sounds like a cutie....
Happy he was feeling comfortable and Andy was able to leave and
get things done..
Can’t to see more of this family.....
What did Andy think when he seen your crew? I always love when
you describe people’s reactions about first meetings.. lol
Thanks for sharing jack
Hugs kal
#Post#: 6342--------------------------------------------------
Re: Andy Jackson
By: Jack Date: June 11, 2018, 4:45 pm
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[quote author=kalico link=topic=628.msg6341#msg6341
date=1528752145]
What did Andy think when he seen your crew? I always love when
you describe people’s reactions about first meetings.. lol
[/quote]
"Do all those kids always hang out in the park so early?"
"After they finish breakfast and do their chores."
"How do you know they do their chores first?"
"I check."
A few minutes later, I was less than assuring when I told him,
"No, they're not all mine. Only about 14... Well, 24 with the
college kids, Jake and Ryan Tu... Oh, well, and Marcus and
Chris... and then their kids are my grandkids... And Ryan's kids
and Jason's kids are here. Those are my cousins and my grand
nephews...."
His eyes had already glazed over by that point, so I just
stopped.
#Post#: 6351--------------------------------------------------
Re: Andy Jackson
By: kalico Date: June 11, 2018, 11:50 pm
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Love it!!!
Thanks jack
Hugs kal
#Post#: 6357--------------------------------------------------
Re: Andy Jackson
By: Jack Date: June 12, 2018, 4:40 am
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Andy came in a bit before 6pm last night, and he had a lot of
news. Other things happened later that evening, but I want to
get this at least partially caught up before I fall back asleep.
Andy is going to be teaching one of the boys' sixth grade
classes. The class will not be made up only of ADHD students,
but it will be mostly boys who either are ADHD or who will
benefit from a different approach to education. It looks like
Andy will be teaching everything except math and literature,
with students broken up by their level for those classes. They
are looking at ways to get him another free period (besides his
lunch break), because they'd like him to take one of the other
math classes, but that's not the top priority right now. It was
his suggestion that he even coach their P.E. class, with the
idea of not just helping them burn off energy between other
classes, but using it to help the boys learn physical coping
techniques, as well as health and how to keep their body in
shape.
They ended up looking at three houses yesterday. One of them,
he fell in love with, but it was way outside their price range
(basically, it had two master bedrooms, with one of them close
to his the other three, and one a bit more private for their
mom). On the other hand, the second was a two-story. It was
pretty similar to the first, though not as big overall. It's
just outside his price range, but he seems to think it would be
doable. The biggest problem is that one of the rooms, which
would probably end up being Dash's, doesn't have a closet for
some reason. The third house is actually better than the second
in a lot of ways, including bigger rooms. The thing is, he not
only wouldn't have a walk-in closet, he'd have to share a
bathroom with one of his brothers. Still, that one is actually
within his price range. He called his mom last night, and they
talked a bit, but I'd swear he changed his mind at least a
half-dozen times about making an offer.
Oh, and his mom is a pharmacist, so she's already sending her CV
around this area.
#Post#: 6359--------------------------------------------------
Re: Andy Jackson
By: Journey Date: June 12, 2018, 5:48 am
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So just to clarify - he made an offer on the third house?
Glad you're helping him settle in, Jack!
#Post#: 6361--------------------------------------------------
Re: Andy Jackson
By: Zyngaru Date: June 12, 2018, 8:08 am
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The house with the missing closet isn't a problem if the room is
big enough to lose 2 feet. 2 x 4 framing. a few sheets of
drywall. A little mud and some sanding. Paint. You have a
closet. Hang whatever type door you wish or use a curtain, or
leave it open.
Why did the realtor show him a house outside his price range? I
so hate when they do that. I know they are paid on commission,
but I just think it is irresponsible of them to tempt someone
with something they cannot afford. The shows on tv do that all
the time. I always wonder how many people lose their home later
because they chose the expensive house and couldn't pay the
mortgage.
Does he have to make a decision on a house right away? I'm sure
there are more than just three houses available that he likes.
Maybe check around some more. Try multiple agents. I realize
time is short, school will be starting again before we know it,
but better to wait and get what you want, even if it means
renting at first, than to get something you are not happy with
or you can't afford.
Yes the house with 2 masters would be ideal. But if you can't
make the mortgage, then it isn't realistic.
#Post#: 6367--------------------------------------------------
Re: Andy Jackson
By: Jack Date: June 12, 2018, 3:59 pm
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[quote author=Journey link=topic=628.msg6359#msg6359
date=1528800480]
So just to clarify - he made an offer on the third house?
[/quote]
No, but he recommended to his mom that they do make an offer on
it this morning. He sent pics to his mom, and she likes the
property. It's fairly close to here, which isn't exactly close
to BCA, but it's not a long or hard drive either.
I took him out right after what passes for rush hour around
here, and we looked at some of the places closer to BCA. The
thing is, that's an older neighborhood, so the houses are a bit
smaller than he'd prefer or more expensive. This afternoon, he
did look at couple of four bedroom homes, but nothing where he
thought there'd be room for everyone. They also checked a
couple of the other newer areas, and he found a couple of more
houses he really liked, including one he said was 'almost
perfect'.
The great thing is, because of rising gas prices, our real
estate market has been soft here for a few months, so it looks
like they're definitely going to be able to get a good deal. He
and his mom bank with a nationwide bank, so they're going to
talk with their local branch tomorrow, and there's a good chance
he or they will be back up here this weekend to give his top
choices another look.
[hr]
There were a couple of things that happened last night I'm going
to have to write about, but I don't know if I have time just
now. Instead, I want to make a couple of quick notes.
Remember that Russel (aka Rusty) is adopted? That means that, in
birth order from oldest, the boys are Andy/Andrew, Carter, and
Dash/Dashiell. Yes, he has a sister who's younger than him, but
older than the other boys. Her name is Beatrice. I haven't
really said anything about her, after mentioning her, I think,
in my initial post. From what he's said, she lives in the
Shreveport, LA area, and is involved in casino management (or
hotel management at a casino - I'm not positive which, or if
there's a difference).
Also, when Andy mentions 'Dad' or 'his dad', he's not talking
about his biological father. When he was 7, his mother
re-married, and her second husband adopted him and Bea before
Carter was born. He doesn't really remember his biological
father, though he has met him as an adult, and it's his adopted
dad he means when he says 'dad'. His dad was also involved with
the adoption of Rusty, so -legally - they are all full siblings.
It turns out that this man lives in the DFW area, which is
another reason Andy was looking to move here.
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