The Academy Read Online Free PDF

employees!”
     
     
    “Yes!”
     
     
    “We will purchase new textbooks and new computers for every classroom!”
     
     
    “YES!”
     
     
    “We will make sure that parents become more involved!”
     
     
    “YES!”
     
     
    “Parents will be required to donate either time or money to their students’ classrooms!”
     
     
    “YES!”
     
     
    “Ten hours or a hundred dollars!”
     
     
    “YES!”
     
     
    “Each quarter!”
     
     
    The fervent chanting reminded Linda of an episode of Amy Sedaris’ subversive TV show Strangers with Candy, where Sedaris’ character, Jerri Blank, was brainwashed by a cult whose identically attired members sang the song “Welcome Table” at the drop of a hat. That’s what this felt like to her, a cult meeting, and she imagined herself suddenly jumping up, stompingher feet, clapping her hands and singing at the top of her lungs: “I’m going to sit at the welcome table! I’m going to sit at the welcome table! I’m going to sit at the welcome table one of these days!”
     
     
    Linda giggled.
     
     
    Unfortunately, the chanting stopped just at that moment.
     
     
    From behind the podium, the principal frowned at her. To her right, both Janet Fratelli and Ken Myers leaned around Diane to give her disapproving looks. That made her giggle all the more, and suddenly she couldn’t stop. Like a little kid in church thinking about boogers and poop, she found herself convulsed with laughter that was far out of proportion to the situation, the setting and circumstances amplifying the humor far beyond what it deserved to be.
     
     
    Diane hadn’t caught her giggles, but she was smiling in support, as were several other teachers. The principal decided to ignore them all. Jody spoke more loudly into the microphone, announcing that everyone had had time to go over the charter and related materials and should, by this time, have formed an opinion about the way in which John Tyler High School ought to proceed. “Are there any questions before we go on?” she asked.
     
     
    A slew of hands went up.
     
     
    “I don’t have time to answer all of your questions,” Jody said. “But I’ll try to—”
     
     
    “Why don’t you have time?” Diane asked. “It seems to me that if we’re to make an informed decision, we should have all the facts at our disposal. Unless you’re too busy and have something more important to do than convince us that your charter proposal is worthwhile.”
     
     
    Jody’s face tightened.
     
     
    There was a murmur of agreement from the audience.
     
     
    The principal smiled stiffly, trying to put her best face forward. “Of course,” she said. “I will be happy to answer any and all questions you may have.”
     
     
    Unfortunately, the questions were almost uniformly bad: softballs that made Jody look good and that she easily hit out of the park. There were a few legitimate concerns brought up but not many, and for those inquiries the answers were consistently vague. Diane asked whether tenure would be affected by a changeover, and Linda asked whether teachers could be fired without recourse. The principal informed them (smugly, Linda thought) that those issues would be determined at a later date. The way she phrased her response allowed people to think that the decision might be voted on and decided by majority opinion, but Linda had a sneaking suspicion that that was probably not going to be the case.
     
     
    When there were no more hands raised, Jody smiled. “Very well, then. We will now vote on whether to accept or reject the charter. Raise your hand if you are in favor of becoming independent from the district and ratifying the charter as presented.”
     
     
    “I thought we were supposed to turn in written ballots—,” Steve Warren began.
     
     
    “There will be no secret ballots,” the principal announced. “I want to know where everyone stands.”
     
     
    Linda looked around at the teachers nearby. There was surprise and confusion on the faces of several, but not the defiance she