Frustration, Disappointment, Anger

Since I began my teaching career, there has been one issue that causes lots of unrest in my mind. Because of confidentiality issues, I'm unable to go into depth about what the problem is, but it's something I never stop thinking about...with that said...

I have a student in my class who is not progressing like she should. She rarely turns in assignments (done in class or homework), she often gets distracted (it doesn't matter what we are doing), and she is tardy almost daily and absent semi-frequently. Most of her difficulties stem from these problems. I've done lots of investigating and pushing to see what else could be done by the school to get her interventions, but nothing can be done until we talk to her parents. Unfortunately, dad is on a different schedule than we are (nights) and it is very hard to get in touch with him. She is already receiving the interventions that are available to her.

As a teacher, it's hard to see how hard this child's life is and attempt to help her with no success. I see the sadness in her eyes each day and it hurts me to know there isn't much I can do on my own. I give her the support she needs while she is in my classroom, but once she walks out that door, she forgets what I've said/done. I've tried talking to her about how she can care for herself (make breakfast) at home, but it seems it was unsuccessful. Even while she is in my room, I find it very difficult to connect with her because she is often "off in space" or playing catch up. My goal as a teacher this year will be to try and "save" this child from a school career of struggle and disappointment.