Old School

Growing up I didn't go to your average school. Instead I spent my entire life going to a french american school. All my classes were in french, except U.S history and of course english. The classes were incredibly small and yes this was a private school. I was friends with not just the people in my class but people in grades below and above me, as well as the teachers. One teacher even to this day I consider one of my closest friends.

While I may have gotten a good education in the end it was no sweet picnic. I had bad teachers and I had some really awful students in my class. One girl I was public enemy number one simply because I didn't bow down to her.

I had a chance this past week to visit with my friend the teacher who gave me the latest gossip on the school. I am one of those people who love gossip, but I never spread rumors about people, and never pry into friends business, I just like hearing it.

Anyway since I left the school about five years ago the school has gone straight down the tubes. Now if you're not a student there then it's almost hard to explain just what is wrong with the place. But I'll do my best to explain.

The problem is and always has been is that there has never been anybody there who knows just how to run a school. They have some semblance but no real game plan. The founder of the school who was beloved by just about everyone passed away when I was in the ninth grade and things haven't been the same since. I think she ran the school fairly well, she may not have been perfect but a lot of the stuff that goes on today would never happen if she were still alive.

Since the school has been around the people who run have never fully decided just what kind of school it should be. Meaning first it's a french school only, then it's a bilingual school, then they tried to make it more american, and now it's back to being a french school.

Another great thing that they do is that they hire people for positions that they have no prior experience. Back when I was there the vice principal was someone that everyone hated and never seemed to do her job, she would focus on things that weren't important. It turns out that she used to be the assistant librarian. Now how does someone go from librarian to V.P?

My favorite was this one guy where to this day I have no idea exactly what his job actually was. His only goal in life I think was to coach and play soccer. In that area he was good. I'll give you an example of his stupidity.

I was on the yearbook and my father was the editor, my job was liaison between my dad and the school. Students and faculty began to hate the sight of me, however, I digress. My dad was not only the editor he was also the photographer, because the other staff couldn't be bothered to do it.

The man whom I am talking about who shall be called Bart decided to help by taking pictures of our sports games. I don't know if we asked him or he volunteered. Well Bart would take the pictures he just wouldn't give them to us. I swear to God when I asked him for them he said "you want them now?" or "you need them?" Yeah I need them! They are not going to magically go from your memory card to my computer! Of course I never said that. And if he did get around to taking the pictures and sending them to us, the students would never be identified. We once had a picture of the soccer team but no names, so I gave is back to him along with some other pictures and told him to say who the students are. He gave back the picture a few days later and there were still no names, labeling it the "soccer team." Well duh! I wasn't born yesterday. When I took it back to him yet again he responded with "oh you wanted the names!"

The latest development in this long history of stupidity, is of one guy who is a geography teacher but for the most part is stuck working in the office. He went to the principal aka the Witch and asked if he could be an english teacher when a position opens up. The man actually has a degree in english and so is qualified for the job. Well instead of making him an english teacher the Witch decides to make him a history teacher. The Witch's philosophy is since he taught geography he can teach history it is almost the same thing. The problem is that he has never taught history and has no background in it. Needless to say he's not doing too good right now.

The Witch, my friends have come to realize is a sociopath, I at first thought she was bipolar. She finally managed to get her PH.D, in what I can't remember it only took her 2o years to do. Since she's gotten this PH.D she suddenly thinks she knows everything and uses it to justify her decisions. She's not only the principal but her mother was the founder.

Since graduating many of my friends who were still there but have since graduated themselves all told me how much they hated the school and that it just seems to be getting worse. The latest is that the Witch seems to be forcing out all the teachers that have been there for years. She fired the art teacher who has been there for 10 years, she's trying to get rid of the biology teacher who has been there since I've been alive. Basically all the decent people. My take is that she's doing it so she can build a new regime. An empire in her image. Too bad she hasn't gotten the memo that most students hate it there and a large number of them transfer or that most teachers she hires never stay longer than 3 years.

I could go on but I think you get the gist of what goes on. For me it's really sad, a school that used to be good is now just a pale image of what is used to be. I don't think things will ever change it's only going to get worse.