How would you feel if school officials did not want you to switch from a certificate track to a diploma track? A certificate is given to special education students who finish high school and meet their IEP goals. A diploma is given to kids who meet the high school’s requirements. I was attending a special education school that only issues certificates. My mother decided to register me at a differant high school to be on a diploma track. That school felt that their school was too difficult for me and I should transfer back to my special education school.

My mother and advocate scheduled a meeting with the high school and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) officials. My mother and advocate were very angry with the high school’s decision to have me transfer back to a school for special education students. I do not have a mental disability; I do have a physical disability from birth. My disability is called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a brittle bone syndrome. My bones are fragile and easy to break.

In the meeting, I sat in the center of a long, white table. My mother is to the left and my advocate directly seated to my right. Across from the table were officials from DCPS and the High School Assistant Principal and the special education coordinator. The room was a small office with bright lights hanging from a low ceiling.

My advocate is a tall black man with a powerful African accent. He was wearing an all-black suit that matched his shiny bald head. The meeting started off with each person introducing themselves and stating their titles. My advocate just wanted the meeting to get started. He seemed annoyed at the officials. He stared directly at the DCPS official and then at the Assistant Principal, the woman responsible for us being at this ridiculous meeting. I don’t know who spoke first; all I heard next was them discussing my school records. The special education coordinator was grumbling with my advocate, trying to tell him that I’m mentally challenged. He refused to take that from the special education coordinator. Then, he reached into his brown suitcase lying on the floor next to his leg. He pulled out my past education records, which were more records of old test scores. He waved it in the air like a victory flag and placed it in front of the special educator’s seat at the table.

He told them that by looking at my records, there is no way Antwon should be denied his rightful place at the high school. I then shouted at the top of my lungs, “I am not a special needs person and I refuse to be held back from getting my diploma!” Everyone looked at me with a shocked look, like they had seen a ghost. Then, my advocate asked his biggest question of all “Why are we even in here arguing if a child should get a diploma or not?” Finally, after all the fussing and debates, my advocate and I won the argument. I’m now on a diploma track. From this journey in fighting to get on a diploma track from certificate track, I have learned that sometimes it’s good to fight for what you want.