by Bel Kaufman
Mary
* * *
INTRASCHOOL COMMUNICATION
FROM: P. Barringer, 309
TO: S. Barrett, 304
Sylvia!
If any parents do show up, try to get rid of them fast, and meet me at the usual place––
Paul
Dear Miss Barett, I am the mother of Edward Williams but I can’t come I’ve got my hands full his father is put away he’s mental and it’s very hard without more trouble from school. There’s a lot of work for him to help out at home so can you let him out earlier?
Mrs. G. Williams
* * *
Dear Miss Barrett,
My daughter Vivian wanted me to come but I have my Monthly Social. You’re her favorite subject. She tries to copy you tho what good will it do the way she looks. My other daughter is a completely different type. Please don’t let her eat so much sweets, it breaks out on her skin and she gains and looks terrible. I keep telling her but it just goes down the drain.
Sincerely yours,
Elsie Paine
* * *
Does the Board of Education know you let our children read filthy books on the outside like Catcher in the Rye? You should teach the Bible instead, but they outlawed it.
* * *
Dear Miss Barret,
It’s not my son’s (Lou) fault he failed spelling, he comes from a broken home. When he gets bad marks it only discourages him more and he starts cutting up. He’s getting too big for the other kids in his class, so all the teachers said they’ll pass him on. After all, it’s only spelling.
Mrs. Bess Martin
* * *
My question is who is Linda running around with after school? When I ask she snaps my head off, but I know she runs around. Her father more or less beats her but she still runs around. Her two sisters went bad too after I sacrificed for them, so I’m worried. Can you do something?
Mrs. Lucile Rosen
* * *
Dear Miss Barrett,
Alice didn’t want me to come. I hoped to see your face to make me feel better. I don’t know why she’s so moody. I don’t know how I failed her.
Mrs. Marian Blake
* * *
My dear Miss Barret,
There was no time to interview you because I was interviewing other teachers. It would have been a pleasure to make the acquaintance of such a lovely teacher like you. Harry A. Kagan, my son, always talks about you very well. I hope you continue to guide him in his career.
Very truly yours,
Alberta Kagan
* * *
Miss B–
I see by my son’s work school hasn’t changed. I used to hate it too but I know they need an education. I don’t understand why Charles got only 68 so far. He needs at least an 85 average to get into the college of my choice, even though he thinks he doesn’t want to go. As a tax payer, please look into it.
Roger Robbins
* * *
Dear Miss Barnet, Thank you for the invite but I can’t come to visit you and talk about my son Jose being that I’m on the night shift at the factory besides my day job. His mother can’t come neither being dead. I hope you excuse it.
Truly yours
Raymond Rodriguez
Nov. 12
Dear Ellen,
Just got home from Open School session–and I must talk to someone!
It was a fiasco, though I did everything I was told to do. I got fresh book jackets from the library to festoon the walls with and had my wardrobe cleaned out. (Why is it only one sneaker is always left on the closet floor? And the ubiquitous, tattered notebook? I found one belonging to one of my homeroom girls, Alice Blake, full of scribbles, doodles, and chaos.) I even made sure that the little flag stuck in the radiator, which we salute each morning before singing the Calvin Coolidge Alma Mater (“Ye loyal sons and daughters”–a substitute for the unlawful hymns), was tilted at the correct angle. (The other day Admiral Ass found it drooping disrespectfully.)
I see 243 kids daily: 201 in English (after dropouts and new registers) and 42 in homeroom–but only a few parents showed up; a few wrote cards; and the rest ignored the whole thing. The ones I had particularly hoped to see never came.
I don’t know why they hold Open School so soon after the beginning of the term, before we’ve had time to get to know all our students. The Delaney Book wasn’t much help to me; it showed days absent, times late, and some checks, crosses and zeros–I’d forgotten for what. Unprepared homework? An insolent whistle? A four-letter word?
One father came, in work overalls, hands patiently clasped on the desk, out of some dim memory of his own school days. The mothers–patient, used to waiting, careworn, timid, bewildered or just curious–sat clutching their pocketbooks, waiting to plead, appease, complain or hear a kind word. A few were hostile and belligerent; they had come to avenge themselves on their own teachers of long ago, or demand special privileges, or ask the teacher to do the job they had failed to do.
And I–who was I to tell these grown-ups anything about their children? What did I know? A few clichés from the mimeographed directives: “Works to capacity, doesn’t work to capacity, fine boy, fine girl.” A few euphemisms: “Seems to enjoy school” (the guffawer); “Is quite active” (the window-smasher) …
For a moment, the notion occurred to me to try to match the parent to the child; but they were strangers, looking at me with opaque eyes.
MOTHER: How’s my boy doing?
I: What’s his name?
MOTHER: Jim
I: Jim what?
MOTHER: Stobart
I: Oh, yes. (Now, which one was he?) Well, let’s see now. (Open the Delaney Book with an air of authority: a quick glance–no help. Stobart? Was he the boy who kept drumming with a pencil on his desk? Or the short, rosy one who reclined in his tilted chair combing his hair all the time? Or the one who never removed his jacket? I couldn’t find his Delaney card; perhaps his mother would give me a clue.)
MOTHER: About that F you gave him.
I: Oh, yes. Well, he’s obviously not working to capacity. (He must be the boy who got an F on his composition, on which he had written only one sentence: “I was too absent to do it”.) He must work harder.
MOTHER: Pass him, and he won’t do it again.
I: I’m afraid that’s no solution. He simply isn’t using his potential.
MOTHER: You mean he’s dumb?
I: Oh, no!
MOTHER: He’s afraid to open his mouth. Smack him, just smack him one.
I: He should volunteer more.
MOTHER: I tried my best. (Helplessness, shame in her voice–and were there tears in her eyes?) Do me a favor–pass him.
I: Why do you think he is doing so poorly?
MOTHER: You’re the teacher!
I: He seems to be just coasting along.
MOTHER: He can’t help it, he was born premature. He won’t do it again.
I: Well, it’s a good thing that we are both concerned; perhaps, with more encouragement at home? Can his father– –
MOTHER: That son of a bitch bastard I hope he rots in hell I haven’t seen him in six years (said in the same apologetic, soft pleading tone).
I: Well (five minutes are up, by my watch), it’s been a pleasure to meet you. (But she doesn’t go.) Is there something else?
MOTHER: (Those weren’t tears; anger is filming her eyes.) What does it cost you to pass him? No skin off your hide!
I: I’m afraid his work doesn’t warrant– –
MOTHER: Do me a favor, at least keep him in after school. I can’t take it no more.
I: I’m afraid that’s impossible; you see– –
MOTHER: But you’re the teacher! He’ll listen to a teacher!
I: We can both try to make him work harder, but he has so many absences– –
MOTHER: Maybe if you made Physics more understandable to him he would come more.
I: Physics? I teach English!
MOTHER: Ho
w come?
I: What room were you supposed to be in?
MOTHER: 306. Mrs. Manheim.
I: I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding. Mr. Manheim is the man you want to see. I’m Miss Barrett, Room 304.
MOTHER: Well, why didn’t you say so?
Still, I learned a few things. I learned that the reason a student failed to bring his father’s signature is that the father is in jail; that the Federal Lunch the kids are always griping about is often the only meal they have; that the boy who falls asleep in class works all night in a garage in order to buy a sports car; that the girl who had neglected to do her homework had no place to do it in.
I have a long way to go.
In the meantime, write, write soon. You too bring me a glimpse of “real life.” One can get as ingrown as a toenail here.
Love,
Syl
P. S. Did you know that due to the “high mobility” of families unable to pay rent, some schools have a turnover of 100% between September and June?
S
* * *
NOVEMBER 13
TO: ALL TEACHERS
YOU ARE TO BE CONGRATULATED AND COMMENDED ON THE COMPLETE AND UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS OF OPEN SCHOOL YESTERDAY. IT IS THROUGH PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES SUCH AS THESE THAT CLOSER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND THE HOME CAN BE EFFECTUATED AND ACHIEVED.
MAXWELL E. CLARKE,
PRINCIPAL
Although I personally am white and therefore out of this, I believe in integration. I think we should go along with the times and be more tolerant of other races. They have just as much right to be human. After all, they are voters too. The G.O. of which I am President of, is proud to live in a democracy.
Harry A. Kagan
(The Students Choice)
1. How stuppid can you get?
A. Bussing kids to school miles away.
1. Just to juggle it around.
2. Then go back to the filthy slums.
(After school)
2. Can’t be juggle like diferent color marbles.
3. It takes time.
A. Lincoln. (Slaves)
B. Rome.
(Wasn’t build in a day)
Teenager
I’m proud to be of African decent but I can’t stand the Portoricans.
Anonimus
Good morning, all of a sudden they woke up! It’s about time! But they’re doing it from the wrong end! Well, well, it’s all in fun anyways and gives kids a chance not to do any work. They should give Boycotes every day to stay away from school! (Ha-ha, joke!)
Lou Martin
I think what they’re afraid of is if we sit close to one another in school we’ll intermarry and what about the color of the children. But that’s dumb because it’s all personal magnotism.
Linda Rosen
What’s the good of it, there still prejudice on the outside, it’s in the cards. At lease in my old school it was close to where I live so I could catch up on some extra sleep but got nothing out of it.
Edward Williams, Esq.
A lot of feeling is flying around loose and they’ve got to pin it down. It just let’s off steam.
Doodlebug
This school is about 65–35 in favor whites but if the score was 50–50 and with more colored teachers then maybe it would tip the scale the other way, but if it gets to 35–65 in favor us then we got to start all over again to get it back on a even kiel.
We had a knifing on this subject on our block. It only makes us lose respect for school more and brings out more fuly words like nigger kike and spick which are not a good vocabullary.
The world is too complicated and my whole future is a mess. You should see our kitchen. Going to a different school is no use. Pairing us off like buddies in the water for swiming. Suppose you don’t care for that type of a person, why should you sit with them? They just want their name in the papers.
Stander
Why are there no Puerto Rican teachers? Why is there no Puerto Rican President? (the G.O.) Or Principle? The answer is Integration!
An American Citizen
Non whites
Also have rights
But not with fights.
Poet
People are inborn with hate for certain people and you can’t force people to be more tolerant by legal laws, only by wishes. This country is a melting Pot with many opportunities to win respect from the class.
Jose Rodriguez
With the “bomb” going up and our “morals” going down what’s all the fusst?
Charles H. Robbins
I think all whites blacks and browns and yellows should get together and intergrate against the reds (Commies) and pinkos.
Dropout
The trouble starts with where we live and not where we go to school. I mean crumby tennements.
Frank Allen
G.D. (a Negro in our Home Room) was huging J.N. (a White on the stairs) and C.B. (a Porto Rican) with C.R. (a White). I don’t mind but my parents are against it.
Guess Who
Intergration is a Big Joke, who they think they kidding? What about Jobs? As far as the Future, forget it!
Minority
God made us all alike inside. It’s only the skin that counts. We can all try to look better in spite of obstickles. Some races are more thinner than others. That’s where a teacher comes in, to make us feel equal by looking up to her. The above is my reason for being an English teacher.
Vivian Paine
It’s not up to me, I have enough problems without it.
Rusty
I have this colored friend Betty well, I never thought about it one way or the other until one day I went over her house for the first time and her father opened the door and I was surprized to see he was colored. Because, to me I was so used to her she always looked normal.
Lazy Mary
Compared to the school I came from which was Un-intergrated it’s like night & day here. We have teachers here that really try to teach you whenever they can and books they give out we can take home with us. And the classes in different rooms to go to, all the comforts of home.
Transfer
If they just leave it up to kids it wouldn’t even arise.
Carole (used to be Carmelita) Blanca
They should keep themselves to themselves. We don’t need them. We have our own life to live. We did without them for a long time, why should we change now? They only cause trouble.
A Negro Student
In Social Stud. we discust it to death, I’m sick and tired of the whole thing. Last time I’m writting!
Personaly I got intergrated a long time ago by swaping homework with all the kids in my class.
Failing
Can you guess by my handwriting if I’m white or not?
A Bashful Nobody
NOTE BOOK
Alice Blake Calvin Coolidge High
Home Room Teacher: Home Room–304
Miss Barrett
Keep all material in note-book. Write neatly, in ink. 1½ inch margins.
“I’m a stranger and afraid
In a world I never made”
How true, how true! How did the author know? …
Correct the following for Fri.
1. Rowing on the lake the moon was romantic.
Correction–While rowing on the lake the moon was romantic?
Or–Rowing on the lake, the moon, was romantic?
2. Looking out of the window was a tree.
Correction–Looking out of the window a tree appeared in view.
3. I found a pencil loitering in the hall.
Correction–A pencil loitering in the hall was found by me.
Active vocabulary–Use three times to make the word yours.
Passive vocabulary–Don’t use three times.
Bring in own sentences illustr. vocab. words:
enigmatic–She was very enigmatic.
vindictive–She was ver
y vindictive.
vacillating–She was very vacillating.
Hand in tomorrow–History & Math
Look up and memorize dates & events leading up to war
Chapt. 14 Ans. quest. 1–10 back of book
May have test tomorrow. (Be absent! )
“April is the cruellest month mixing something and desire …”
Note to myself–Memorize all poetry lines Barringer reads.
His voice … the way his eyebrow goes up … the hair on the back of his hands … it is too much … too much to bear …
Have Ma sign this–
Carole–Did you read Fanny Hill yet? Alice
I read Topic of Cancer, nothing to it. Carole
Let’s see your Math. Alice
I didn’t do it. I’m 4 days late and Frantick! Carole
Who you kidding? You’re only a virgin! A.
That’s what you think! Is this a long Home Room? C.
I can’t make out your handwriting … whisper instead of marking up my note-book. A.
