Madison County nonprofit holds back-to-school readiness program Saturday
The Caring Link, a nonprofit, held its second annual back-to-school readiness program at Flint River Baptist Church.
The two-day event provided over 400 children from Madison County with essentials like five new outfits, socks, shoes, underwear, school supplies, haircuts and even hearing and vision screenings, free of charge.
Caring Link President Kate O'Neal said that helping kids brings her joy, but more importantly, helps set them up for success as they start the school year.
'It's really important for us to provide these resources for children because it helps them focus in the classroom, and we know that education is a cycle breaker of poverty, but it's really hard to focus on getting a quality education when you don't have your basic needs met,' O'Neal said. 'We want to meet those basic needs so they can thrive in the classroom and then beyond that.'
The event also featured several other nonprofits that offer a variety of services for families in need.
This isn't the only way the Caring Link helps students in Madison County. Throughout the year, they have care closets in different schools that help students with essential items.
To find out more about the Caring Link, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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"I Had A Parent Demand That Their Third Grader Be Moved Out Of My Class And Into A Thinner Teacher's Class": 24 Teachers Call Out The Entitled Parents That Were So Horrific, Some Of Them Literally Quit
I asked teachers of the BuzzFeed Community to share their entitled parent encounters that were so awful, it made them almost (or literally!) quit their job. I have said it once and I will say it a thousand more times: teachers! do! not! get! paid! enough! for! this! shit! And if you didn't believe that already, well, these 24 stories just might change your mind: 1."I had several students in my fourth-grade class with severe allergies. As such, I made it clear to parents from day one that we would not be having birthday parties in the class. One mom called me repeatedly to convince me to waive the rule (I refused), then called the principal, and then the superintendent to override the rule. Admin backed me up. Right after lunch on her daughter's birthday, the mom walked into my room with a huge platter of homemade cupcakes. I reminded her of the policy, and her daughter said, 'I told you, mom!' The mom called me a bitch in front of my entire fourth-grade class, then left. Her poor daughter was mortified." —Anonymous 2."I had a parent demand that their third grader be moved out of my class and into a thinner teacher's class because 'if she can't take care of herself, how can she take care of her students?' I had recently lost 15 pounds and was well into my weight loss journey, too, at the time. Luckily, the principal just laughed at her request, which was really supportive!" —25, Virginia 3."A parent once called my AP to tell her that she needed to make me change her son's grade on an assignment because SHE did it, and she's an adult, so she knows she deserves a higher grade. I said no — turns out your son isn't the only one in the family who doesn't understand ninth-grade social studies..." —33, NYC 4."I had a parent send me a two-page message because his kid kept getting in trouble at school. This was Kindergarten, mind you, so we were trying to teach them how school worked in the first place. The parent spelled my name wrong, then proceeded to tell me that respect was earned and I had not earned his child's respect. He also told me that since I didn't have my own kids, I knew nothing about teaching. And finally, he tried to blame me for the fact that his son had apparently picked up the habit of putting his hands in his pockets. I have never made students put their hands in their pockets. Kindergarten parents are a lot." —30, Tennessee 5."I am a pre-K teacher at a private school. One morning, at 6 a.m., I got a text from a child's mom that said, 'Today is my birthday. YAY! I would like to come to the classroom and bring a treat for the kids to celebrate.' Yes, it was the mother's her child's birthday. We celebrate birthdays by singing a birthday song, eating the child's favorite treat, and creating a poster that shows why they love the birthday child. I let her know that she did not need to bring in a snack, but that she could come in to eat lunch with her child if she wanted to. She then asked me if I was going to have the class sing to her and tell her what they love about her. It was ridiculous..." —Anonymous 6."An art teacher once had to stop class and make a class colors t-shirt smaller because the mother of a freshman had ordered the wrong size on the order form. She demanded that another shirt be given to her child, but the shirts were made to order, and there were no extras. Then, she demanded that the Home Ec teacher alter the T-shirt. There haven't been Home Ec teachers at this school for over 10 years. Finally, she demanded that the teacher who had designed the t-shirt, the art teacher, alter the shirt. She stopped class, got out the sewing machine, and made the shirt smaller." —40s, Indiana 7."A parent emailed me about the bad grade her child got on a speech project. It was half the required time, filled with 'ummms' and 'uhhhs', and they read off index cards with no attempt to memorize it. Mom said the speech was fantastic, and she would know, because she was in the classroom watching it. Reader, she was NOT in my classroom." "While I was trying to come up with a response to this unhinged email, Mom emailed me again to call herself out about claiming to have been present. I deleted my draft response and pretended the whole exchange never happened. I just wanted it to stop." —46, United States 8."My first year as a high school graphic design and printing teacher, I had a student who was awesome. He was a super positive, engaged, and hard-working kid who was genuinely interested in my class. Sometimes he came in before school or at lunch to work on projects and make products in the print shop. In my eyes, he was a perfect 'A' student. About halfway through the year, I received an email from his dad asking for a meeting with me and the principal. When we met, he proceeded to tell us that his son was failing most of his classes, but had an A in my class." "He went on to explain he came from a family of educators, so 'he knows how it all works.' He looked me dead in the eye and said, 'So I want to know what YOU aren't doing as a teacher that my son has an A in your class, but not the others… you must be doing something wrong.' I was speechless. Don't know what you want me to tell you, dude." —Anonymous 9."On the day of graduation, a mom of one of my students sent an email DURING the ceremony, blaming me for her son losing his scholarship because he received a D in my class and not a C. She sent a novel of an email, so I won't go into details of her angry accusations, but it made me realize that instead of checking the parent portal and seeing WHY he got that grade, it was easier for her to blame me rather than see all the factors involved." "He was a great student and worked hard all year, but due to 'senioritis,' he chose not to do the last two projects that were required of him, which resulted in a poor grade. Had he committed and just turned partial work in, his grade would've been higher. This was a personal choice, but instead, she decided I did this purposefully and ruined her son's future." —Anonymous 10."Their daughter did not get elected to the homecoming court. Mother demanded to recount the votes, even though four teachers had counted them together. Her votes were not even close to the three winners. We had not kept the votes because we foolishly thought that everyone would believe us. She went to the principal and the head of the school. When she didn't get her way, she said she would sue." "I heard that several lawyers laughed her out of their offices. She took her daughter out of the school that year and enrolled her in public school. This was October of her senior year. I heard that in her freshman year in college, when she didn't get into the sorority she wanted, her mother sued the sorority. The girl dropped out of college." —Anonymous 11."At the end of the year, I'd give out easy, optional homework for extra credit (or, if students could use a boost to their grade, it would go home highly recommended). One sheet I gave out to my third graders was a teacher report card. Students could fill it out, draw a silly picture, and turn it in for a bonus. Some kids actually gave valuable feedback. One particular student's grade really needed a boost. He didn't participate in class and rarely did homework. I sent the teacher report card home with him, along with some other bonus work." "The report card was the only one that came back. His parent had filled it out, drawn a rude picture, and 'failed' me for 'never' calling on their child to answer a question, even though, as he told them, he'd raised his hand to answer every question. They wrote that I was the worst teacher and that if they saw I was still at the school the following year, they'd make a formal complaint to the principal. That was my last interaction with a parent before I left education, and I feel incredibly secure in my decision whenever I think about it. Admin is often not supportive, but parents can be the most thankless part of the job!" —30s, AZ 12."A parent demanded a teacher's desk for her child during an IEP meeting. When the principal said no, she then stated that the students' desks didn't hold enough for her child, and then had it written into the IEP that her child could have a bucket beside his desk for 'overflow.' I tripped over that bucket, and so did all of my students. The only thing in the buckets was the few papers that the parent originally put in there. The kid was referred to as 'bucket boy' by his peers. Deep sigh." —Anonymous, Indiana 13."I once had a kid who was incredibly disruptive and had severe learning disabilities. She couldn't finish tests in second grade that the rest of her peers could, and the parents would claim that she was given no notification of tests, despite the fact that it was in the homework for a week in advance. She would roll around on the floor instead of doing work, play with slime, run off from teachers, go down the stairs to look for her lost toy, etc. The parents would refuse to come to meet the teacher at night or to conferences. We (my administration) eventually told the parents they needed to go to conferences, or the kid would be kicked out of school. We also suggested that while we were not fans of medicating 7-year-olds, the parents should look into ADHD meds for the child. The mother then replied, 'We pay good money for our child to go to this school so YOU can deal with her.' "'She doesn't need to do well, she just needs to pass until she graduates high school and then she can get married. Also, I had the same issues as a kid and I was fine,' she continued. Turns out, the mother's father had paid tutor after tutor to do the work for the mother so she'd pass as a child. The parents eventually came to conferences and said, 'There's nothing we're going to do about our child. Just let her do whatever she wants.'" —Anonymous 14."I had a very strong middle school student shove another student clear across the room. When I asked both boys what happened, the one who got pushed admitted to instigating it, but per school policy, both got a referral. When I emailed the mom of the student who pushed the other and explained what happened, she responded back to my email and said, 'I could shove the referral right up my ass.' All the while, her child slept every single day in every single class they were ever in. But right, I'm the problem." —31, Florida 15."A 24-year-old parent/co-worker whose lifespan was the same age as my career in teaching demanded her child be removed from my classroom because I had rules and consequences which she claimed caused her child to cry all day. The reality was that I told her child no and refused to give in to his demands, while enforcing his listening, along with redirecting his inappropriate behavior. Apparently, this was bullying for a 3-year-old. After the school's owner gave in to her demands, this parent put a target on me. I was legit scared for my safety, so I quit." —Anonymous 16."My school had the ex-wife of an MLB player's children enrolled. She was a tall, fit brunette with a Barbie-mom attitude and thought she was better than everyone else. She was a stay-at-home mom with a full-time nanny who wouldn't stay longer than a few months, a big SUV she couldn't drive, and expensive clothes for both her kids and herself. She bragged about her wealth whenever she was given compliments, and she made people feel as small as possible. I really think she believed the world revolved around her — she would send her kids to drop-in care without asking if there was room and would pick them up late (such as fifteen to twenty minutes after closing)." "One day, she went off on my boss because her child misplaced an expensive coat. 'I don't have to work, unlike you,' she said to my boss, who apologized numerous times for the coat. 'I can afford a $500 coat, and obviously you can't,' she said, smirking. My boss was ready to lose it. The next day, the coat was found. A few weeks later, said-parent 'got her head taken off' by some kids in our school-age program playing soccer in the gym. Parents had to walk through the gym to get to their child's classroom. When she complained about it, my boss brushed it off. We got a good laugh about the karma." —Anonymous 17."I'm a pre-K teacher at a private school, and I had sent a note home to let parents know that they would need to send in a sack lunch because we were going on a field trip. I also included that the more low-maintenance the lunch, the better and easier it will be for the child and teachers, because we would not be near a refrigerator. That next morning, a mom walked up to me carrying what looked like an incredibly small (approx. 2 inches tall and wide) rotisserie chicken. She said, 'This is octopus for my daughter's field trip lunch today. I am going to need you to put it on ice until she is ready to eat it.'" "Octopus? Put it on ice? I started laughing and let her know that I was not planning on carrying a bucket of ice for her daughter's octopus lunch." —Anonymous 18."I had a parent who refused to potty train her child before starting kindergarten, so after several days of accidents, she took her daughter to the doctor and got a note handwritten on an Rx pad telling me how to potty train a child. I was made to follow the doctor's orders. The child did not have any medical conditions, BTW, just a lazy mother." —Anonymous 19."I had been in a quite traumatic car accident the previous school year. I had broken my arm, which required multiple surgeries due to infection and my bone not growing back. That next school year, I was still dealing with the issues with my arm and had some high-maintenance parents (in their eyes, their son never did anything wrong; I'd disagree). One day, my arm was in excruciating pain. I went to the doctor, who confirmed my bone was infected and I was going to have to go in for immediate surgery or I'd lose my arm. Finding a sub last-minute is difficult, let alone a consistent one that my students would know. I had about an hour to get my class ready and find a sub, and I was unsuccessful. I went into surgery and was then admitted to the hospital for several days. Then I started getting the emails." "They were attacking me for not being prepared and for getting a terrible substitute for this student, and complained that the subs were changing every day. Once I returned to work (soon after, because I was out of sick days), I had to have a meeting with the parents and principal to 'discuss my incompetence.' I was going to have another surgery, which I put off as close to Christmas break as possible, so as not to miss work, but I was going to have to miss some. The parents looked at me in the principal's office and, speaking to me like a child, said, 'Since this one won't be an emergency, you'll be better prepared and you will find us a good, consistent substitute?' I told them I'd try my best. However, they're never happy; they badmouthed me to younger grade parents and told them not to put their children in my class. They even reported me to the superintendent. That was when I decided I was done with teaching." —Anonymous 20."I had a parent ask me if I could pick up her child each morning and bring her to school with me. The school didn't open until 7, and she had a new job where she had to be at work at 7. Trying to be nice, I explained that I had two little ones of my own, and we could barely get ready and get to work on time as it was. She then asked for my address and offered to drop her daughter off at my house on her way to work. I declined and suggested the bus. She made it clear she was not happy with me." —Anonymous 21."I had a student not get into a well-known honor society because they cheated on one of my assignments, and at least one other teacher recommended against admitting them. The mom went to the principal and single-handedly blamed ME for the student not being admitted. The principal decided the honor society needed grievance procedures for events like this. The student ended up being admitted." "I am also the sponsor of a different, content-specific honor society. The student did not apply during their first year of eligibility. This past school year, we provided a month-long application window. Once again, no application from the student. Keep in mind, the application was on a Google form, making it totally verifiable that we had no application from this student. When the student asked me about getting in, I let them know there was no application submitted by them. I had the Google form set so they had to use their district credentials to even open the form. The student went to their mom, and the mom proceeded to criticize me, not just to my sponsor, but also to my principal, claiming I 'lost' their child's application two years in a row and basically accused me of having a personal vendetta against this kid. So. Much. Fun." —37, Texas 22."I had a ninth-grade boy who constantly acted out in class and never did his homework, and his mom was POSITIVE it was my fault. One day, the woman showed up in my classroom because the assistant principal gave her permission to observe my class without even telling me first. Name one other profession where someone could just stand there and watch you do your job without a valid reason to be there. Of course, her son wasn't bright enough to be on his best behavior in front of his mother— he pulled the same crap he always did. The mom at least had the decency to be embarrassed and apologize for not believing me. —jenniferj32 23."I once had a student whose behavior was horrendous — shouting, swearing, coming into class twenty minutes late, disrupting everyone, the works. They were 15, and this was my first year of teaching. When the kids were given a negative point, the parents were notified. This kid's mom must have been on the app 24/7, because whenever this kid got a negative from me, she would then email me and ask for specifics about why, then get annoyed when I was too busy teaching to reply to her." "I'd end up with a series of six or seven emails a class, plus messages from the office to call her back when I had a moment. Admin eventually told her to arrange meetings with me instead of emails, and 'surprisingly' it stopped!" —Anonymous finally, "My dad works at the high school I go to, and there was one student (super super nice kid, super smart, but very quiet) whose parents tried to make the school reschedule GRADUATION because the family would be on vacation. The same student's family would have my dad and me give him rides home from school after club meetings, and BOTH of the parents' cars would be in the driveway. They would come out to thank us for giving him a ride. Like GIRL, you live not even ten minutes away, get your ass over to the school and pick your kid up." —claireclaireclairebearbearbear Alright, now it's your turn. Teachers of BuzzFeed — in the comments below or via this anonymous form, tell us about the wildest, most unhinged encounter you've ever had with an entitled parent. You never know, your submission just might end up in a future BuzzFeed Community post. 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When do Shasta County students go back to school? Find your district, start date
Pack up those laptops and No. 2 pencils. Shasta County students go back to school in August after their summer vacation ends. Some greater Redding districts reported students will have a short "minimum" day on the first date they attend school. Those schools will dismiss students earlier than usual that day, usually resuming a full schedule the next day. Most schools start classes on Wednesday, Aug. 13, but not all. Check the date of your school district's first day of class, provided by district office staff, in this alphabetical list of Shasta County's 25 districts. Anderson Union High School District First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-378-0568 Online: Bella Vista Elementary School District First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-549-4415 Online: Black Butte Union Elementary School District, Shingletown First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-474-3125 Online: Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Shasta County graduation ceremonies: Class of 2025 celebrates high school graduation in the Redding area. See our photos Cascade Union Elementary School District, Anderson First day of school: Aug. 13 (minimum day) Phone: 530-378-7000 Online: Castle Rock Union Elementary School District, Castella First day of school: Aug. 14 (minimum day) Phone: 530-235-0101 Online: Columbia Elementary School District, Redding First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-223-1915 Online: Cottonwood Union School District First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-347-3165 Online: Enterprise Elementary School District First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-224-4100 Online: Fall River Joint Unified School District First day of school: Aug. 18 Phone: 530-335-4538 Online: French Gulch-Whiskeytown School District First day of school: Aug. 13 (minimum day) Phone: 530-359-2151 Online: Gateway Unified School District First day of school: Aug. 12 Phone: 530-245-7900 Online: Grant Elementary School District, Redding First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-243-0561 Online: Happy Valley Union School District, Anderson First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-357-2134 Online: Igo-Ono-Platina Union Elementary School District (Under Redding School District) First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-396-2841 or 530-225-0011 Online: Junction Elementary School District, Palo Cedro First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-547-3274 Online: Millville Elementary School District First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-547-4471 Online: Mountain Union School District, Montgomery Creek First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-337-6214 Online: North Cow Creek Elementary School District, Palo Cedro First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-549-4488 Online: Oak Run Elementary School District First day of school: Aug. 14 Phone: 530-472-3241 Online: Pacheco Union School District, Redding First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-224-4599 Online: Redding Elementary School District First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-225-0011 Online: Shasta Union Elementary School District, Old Shasta (Under Redding School District) First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-225-0011 Online: Shasta Union High School District, Redding First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-241-3261 Online: Shasta-Trinity Regional Occupation Program First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-246-3302 Online: Whitmore Union Elementary School District First day of school: Aug. 13 Phone: 530-472-3243 Online: See a list of contacts for all 25 Shasta County school districts at Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal , Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding's Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Back to school for Shasta County districts: Get 2025 start dates Solve the daily Crossword
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Mobile apartment complex overrun with trash and critters
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) —Garbage piling up, safety hazards, and wildlife roaming the grounds have all become commonplace, a tenant from the Crossings at Pinebrook says. Residents wake up to find Jubilee in Fairhope Residents say their complaints have been ignored, but News 5 was able to get some answers. Management blames the problem on a broken trash compactor and says they are working to resolve the problem. One resident who did not want her name or face shown said the trash problem is out of control. 'Mattresses, tires, like bags of like, seafood boils everywhere. So it smells, it smells bad, but think about it. It's so hot, and then you've got trash down in the sun,' she said. She said the garbage is also attracting some unwanted visitors around the apartment. 'We've had vultures, raccoons, possums. People think I'm joking, I say, no, no. They literally fly over the trash. This isn't a zoo,' she explained. While the area by the trash compactor has the largest amount of garbage, this resident said it's not her only concern, as there are a number of other trash bags, littered items, and food scattered throughout the complex. 'You see how filthy this is? I hate to say it, but this is a good day for this apartment,' she said. The garbage isn't the only complaint she's had that's gone unaddressed by the apartment. There's a number of safety issues including downed stop signs, huge potholes, and exposed wires throughout the complex. 'There's supposed to be a stop sign right there. And this is a safety issue because, again, not just kids, but people walk through here all the time,' she continued. Residents say they just want basic upkeep before conditions get any worse. Foshee Residential is the management company for the Crossings at Pinebrook. A spokesperson shared a message with us that was sent to residents today. 'We understand that the recent issues with the trash collection have been frustrating for everyone, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused,' the statement read. Correctional officer trainee arrested on drug charges in Monroe County: ADOC Foshee asked the residents for patience until the problem is fixed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
