We watched our son grow up, believing the audiologists were wrong about his profound hearing loss because he would turn and look when we yelled or made a loud noise. The audiologist had also said that he likely wouldn't be an honor student in school. 

I pushed all of my children to work hard and give it their best in school. I believed that each had the potential to stay above failing grades and that was my expectation.

When we went to register our son for school, it was at the same school that my parents, siblings, and cousins had attended, and I had graduated at. Many of the faculty and staff were individuals that were long-time neighbors or family friends, or classmates of my years in school. 

On day one I told the school that if they saw a reason that our son couldn't succeed at learning to let me know and I would bring him home. It was understood that he would not go to school for 13 years to exit without a diploma.