We don't know how good things are.
Reading about Jane's school and remembering my own, it isn't hard to be grateful for the things McFarland has. If you think this school sucks, sorry, but you need to open your eyes.
Jane wears uniforms--plain, rather unpleasant ones. Bad students are publically humiliated; classes require a higher level of dedication and hard work. The food sucks. A lot. It's cold. Your religion cannot change. The opposite gender does not exist on school grounds. Etc etc etc.
At my old school, before I moved here in eighth grade, my religion was not allowed to change (nor were we allowed to voice dissent, especially if female), we had no library, our heater and air conditioning either didn't exist or might as well have not, science was mocked, computers were old, there was only one teacher for every two grades (for all classes, whether they understood the subject or not), students took out the trash and worked in the kitchens, we had no nurse (try being a seven-year-old diabetic there with most of the faculty saying God hates you and to suck it up), tutoring was nearly unheard of, girls did not have voices, art was looked down on, our food often froze or spoiled, stereotypes were reinforced, etc etc etc... and there were only 70 to 80 kids from preschool to eighth grade. You know how McFarland is with cliques and rumors? Try that when there are only six other people in your grade.
And yet I hear people rant about McFarland this and McFarland that, often with negativity. I just don't understand. You have competent, often excellent teachers. You don't have to pay thousand of dollars a year to get a crappy education. You have not just science labs, but science classes. Your food is warm and edible. There's a library, classes of all kinds, some diversity. There are clubs. You can choose your religion, or even drop it all together. If you need new friends, you can make some. Both boys and girls can speak. Your walls aren't falling down around you.
Please, explain to me why you hate our school. I don't understand.
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If this was Facebook I’d hit the “like” button, but since it’s not I suppose I’ll comment instead. I’m sorry your old school sucked so bad, it sounds horrible (where was it by the way I don’t know and I think that’s weird and sad as you are my friend…anyway). I find; however, that I also can relate at least a little although my experience by no means comes anywhere close to yours and I was much younger. When I was in pre-k through the second grade I went to private school in South Carolina. (The public school was so horrible I only went for one day before my mom pulled me out.) It was a Christian private school, bible studies was like part of the curriculum (if I remember correctly) and we had to wear gray and white uniforms and the girls wore skirts (jumpers really). I can’t remember if they even allowed girls to wear pants. It really does suck, I can’t speak about the bad food (because I don’t remember it) or education (because it was good there) but going there was not cheap. So I have to agree with you, McFarland is a lovely school district and most of the teachers are wonderful, we are lucky to be here.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I'm sorry this comment turned out so long, I guess I rambled a bit.
I agree! I was thinking just that when we were reading about the horrors of Lowood. I thought of the mysterious meats in the lunchroom, but even that seems like king's food compared to burnt porridge.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't realized that there were still schools like that; thank you for sharing the glimpse into a harsher district. It does make me appreciate how much of a voice all students have here at MHS.
The only thing I suggest is separating the first sentence in your third paragraph only because it gets a little hard to follow the whole way through--but perhaps that was your intent, to draw out the frightful differences.
And I love your fish! ~M.J.
Stephanie, that's so weird. I had no idea you came from a school like that! I didn't even know they still had schools like that, as vain as it sounds.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't imagine a school without science, I love science. And a school without a nurse, that must have been hard!
I don't hate McFarland by any means and I do understand that even in comparision to schools around us we have a great school. I do sometimes complain about McFarland, but I really do understand how lucky I am and I'll think twice about it next time I complain about our lunch food, hahaa.