by David Barton
First published 1989
Margaret Hayes watches her classroom empty as another budget cut forces the library to close early. Twenty years of teaching have shown her how far education has fallen, but this year feels different. Parents complain about falling test scores while administrators push trendy programs that ignore basic skills. Margaret fights to save real learning in her small-town school, but the system works against her at every turn. When a promising student drops out to work at the local factory, Margaret must choose between following district mandates or risking her career to do what she knows is right. The story reveals how one dedicated teacher struggles against bureaucracy, funding cuts, and social changes that threaten everything she believes education should be.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, education, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fighting-the-system, underdog
Setting: Small Town
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
39 pages · Paperback · Wallbuilders Pr