The Academy Read Online Free PDF Page B

would have expected nor the sense of outrage.
     
     
    She stood. “If our school is really going to be a democracy, if we are all to have a say in what goes on here and vote on issues that concern us, then we should have a secret ballot.” She fixed the principal with a level stare. “This implied threat that anyone who does not vote the way the administration wishes will be remembered later and possibly retaliated against is antithetical to everything you claim this move is supposed to accomplish.”
     
     
    Antithetical. That was a good word, and she was impressed with herself for coming up with it on the fly. The way it flowed smoothly off her tongue made her reasoning that much more effective, gave intellectual heft and legitimacy to her argument.
     
     
    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bobbi writing down information—her name and the nature of her transgression, no doubt—and Linda started through the crowd toward the secretary, pushing her way between various teachers’ legs and the backs of the seats in front of them. “What are you writing there?” she asked. “Let me see.”
     
     
    Bobbi quickly bent over, hiding her clipboard with an encircling hand like a smart student attempting to protect test answers from the prying eyes of less-prepared classmates. “No!”
     
     
    “I want to know what you’re writing.”
     
     
    “That will be quite enough!” Jody thundered from the stage.
     
     
    A collective intake of breath issued from the mouths of faculty and staff, a sound of shock, and the principal seemed to realize instantly that she’d gone too far. The look on her face was now one of blanched comprehension. Linda moved back to her seat, fixing her with a calm, level stare. “So much for democracy, huh? And you’re right, Jody. That will be quite enough. Let’s vote.”
     
     
    The principal appeared flustered, was not able for several seconds to formulate or express her thoughts. Finally, she cleared her throat, adjusted the microphone and repeated her initial call for a show of hands.
     
     
    “Let’s fill out our ballots, ” Linda said, still standing.
     
     
    There were nods all around, murmurs of agreement. “I need a pen,” Steve Warren announced loudly. He kept his eyes on Jody.
     
     
    “Very well.” The principal smiled in an effort to be accommodating, but Linda could sense her frustration and hostility, and she only hoped that it was equally obvious to everyone else. At Jody’s behest, Bobbi retreated for a moment to the rear of the room, returning with a box of pens. The secretary walked down the right aisle and passed them out to each row. The teachers, office staff and other school employees immediately filled out their ballots and folded the sheets of paper.
     
     
    “Pass your ballots to the right,” Jody said. “Bobbi will collect them and tabulate the votes. You may keep the pens.”
     
     
    Linda stood again. “I think we need two pairs of eyes, just to make sure there’s no cheating.”
     
     
    “This is why I wanted to have a show of hands,” Jody said sweetly. “Transparency.” She smiled. “You can help count ballots, if you like. And, of course, we will double-check them just to make sure there have been no errors.”
     
     
    Giving Diane a significant look, Linda made her way to the end of the row and helped Bobbi collect the sheets of paper. The two of them then carried the ballots to a table at the back of the room and, as everyone crowded around to watch, began to count.
     
     
    Linda finished tallying the results of her pile and then switched off with Bobbi. She and the secretary calculated their results independently and came up with the same numbers. Just to make sure, they did it again. The results were the same.
     
     
    The ayes had it.
     
     
     
    Three
    “So what does this really mean for us? More work? More money? What?”
     
     
    The janitorial staff—three full-time employees and two part-timers—stood in the empty cafeteria facing Enrique, the head custodian,