Camino Nuevo’s Burlington middle school campus is around the corner from where Blanca Ruiz works long hours at a nail salon.
Since she came here from Mexico years ago, she often felt she was barely keeping it together. She was sharing an apartment with her two kids and several roommates. Sometimes the stress would overwhelm her kids.
“I’m a single mother who came here with very low self-esteem, very unfocused, and with severe economic problems,” she said in Spanish. “If I was insecure, my kids would feel the same way.”
Her son Luis acted out. He got bad grades. He refused to do what his mom said and that enraged her.
“She screams because I don’t want to listen to her,” he said.
In class, sometimes Luis would stare off at his desk, checked out; other times he’d become disruptive, start talking, get up and walk around. He expressed no interest in learning and made it difficult for other students in class to stay on task.
“Sometimes I forgot, or sometimes I would decide not to do my work,” he said flatly.
In fifth grade, he was sent to the principal’s office for ignoring his teacher’s instructions. The principal suspended him from school.
Since she came here from Mexico years ago, she often felt she was barely keeping it together. She was sharing an apartment with her two kids and several roommates. Sometimes the stress would overwhelm her kids.
“I’m a single mother who came here with very low self-esteem, very unfocused, and with severe economic problems,” she said in Spanish. “If I was insecure, my kids would feel the same way.”
Her son Luis acted out. He got bad grades. He refused to do what his mom said and that enraged her.
“She screams because I don’t want to listen to her,” he said.
In class, sometimes Luis would stare off at his desk, checked out; other times he’d become disruptive, start talking, get up and walk around. He expressed no interest in learning and made it difficult for other students in class to stay on task.
“Sometimes I forgot, or sometimes I would decide not to do my work,” he said flatly.
In fifth grade, he was sent to the principal’s office for ignoring his teacher’s instructions. The principal suspended him from school.
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