Being your child's advocate

I am the mother of 2 girls and step-mother to 4. In our home we have 5 girls! Our one and only boy lives a hard life. I'm protective of all of them like most mothers. And I can say "most" because I volunteered in my girls' elementary school for 6 years. There are more parents out there than you could ever imagine who just use the school as a baby sitter. I digress.
One of the 13 year-old girls ( we have 2!), K, used to her cell phone to text her father she was ill back in December and was caught by a teacher. She broke a rule. No use of cell phones during school hours. I understand why she broke the rule but it was broken..end of story. She received detention. Two Days...I felt that excessive but I told her to do the "time" and move on. My actual words were "You may meet some interesting people in D Hall so look at it as a learning experience." Unfortunately, She because she was ILL, she was home the next three days with a virus and missed D Hall. Now the vice principal has decided she was skipping and has given her 4 days as punishment. I've written her a strong letter and I have told K not to go to more than 2 days of punishment.
Moms, you need to know you can and must stand up for your child if you feel a punishment is "overzealous". There are people in our schools who do abuse their power and must know you are not going to be pushed around. They are jaded. They are at a point that they see all children as liars. It is truly sad. I feel pity for them. They are in a position to be role models and they screw up because they don't care anymore.
My girls had the most wonderful man over their elementary school. Mr. G. I love this man. He is balanced, thoughtful, fair, humorous and always polite. He did not prepare me for the Middle School Nazis who think children should be treated as adults and punished as reform students. It's very sad to go from the best to the worst.
Three years ago, I was told by the principal at the Middle School that I was irresponsible as a parent because my having cancer was affecting my daughter's attendance. I won't lie about her attendance. She was sick a lot due to a mold issue in the portable classrooms she had 90% of her classes in and because she made a lot of trips to Cleveland Clinic with her Mom. I told him off. I didn't curse but I was strong and I never heard another word out of him. H made straight A's all year (even with all that was going on) and had missed 23 days. I would never trade those trips to Cleveland with my kids. My husband and my girls kept my faith up over a long road that year. They still do. So, I will always be there for them and I will always be their advocate with those who would crush their faith and their idea of what is fair. God gave them to me to raise and nurture their faith and I won't let HIM down either.