Sometimes...
45
I finished getting ready and saw Ben leant against the door frame, "Come on lets get going" he grumbled throwing me the keys and as we stopped outside a big building. "Okay so look like you at least like this place" he suggested as we walked out the car and into the main reception area to see a woman sat behind a big ornate desk, "Hello how can I help?" "We have a meeting to see the principal" Ben answered her and she nodded "I'll go and fetch her, sit down and welcome to our school" she smiled walking off as I sat down on the chairs with Ben.
"Can you atleast look like you want to be here, try enthusiasm" Ben whispered and I looked at him "Like normal or cheerleader?" "Cheerleader! I mean we can get you a uniform and everything" he said quietly smirking and I smacked his leg "Benjamin! Hey don't you find it weird she introduced us to the school like that? And she welcomed us at the end?" I asked as someone shut a door. "Hello Mr and Mrs Roethlisberger" a woman grinned and Ben shook her hand standing up.
She showed us around the school as I asked questions "So you classify students via testing at the age of 4?" "We test all our students from the start of their first semester here and all the way through, we test at the start and end of every semester to ensure our students are in the correct groups" she explained and I nodded.
"Do you not think at 4 children are too young to be tested at all?" I pushed as she held a door open for us and we walked through "We believe in giving our students the best possible opportunities in life and providing them with the best education possible. We can't do this without knowing their levels and pushing them further" she smiled at me and I nodded.
"So nobody knows who's child is in which group?" "Yes that's the idea. We develop this system so we can push the children to their best abilities but so that they are with peers who are as capable as them, that way we don't under educate them. Also the lack of people knowing which level is the highest it stops competitiveness in the relatives etc" she answered me looking very pissed off with my constant questions.
We got back to the main reception and Ben smiled at her "Well it's been lovely to look around your school, can I ask if there are any other children here who have parents who are in the public eye?" "Yes sir, we pride ourselves on being Pittsburgh first choice of education for those from privileged backgrounds and those who are famous" she admitted and Ben nodded. "Well the school building is lovely and it was nice to meet you" I cut in as we left and we drove to the other school across town.
As soon as we got there it felt better, the kids were running around outside playing and the principal met us at the door shaking our hands, he took us around the school and the children waved at him as he walked past and he knew their names himself. "So I'm sure there must be a million and one questions you have to ask me" he said and I nodded. "How do you put students into classes?" "Our children are put in classes according to age and we also like to put them with friends, school is scary for those who have never been before so a friendly face is often enough to keep them feeling content and secure in school whilst mommy and daddy aren't here" he explained and I smiled at him.
"So do you test children?" "Not until it's needed to, tests don't help our child learn at such a young age. There's the basics to learn before we get to testing, a child learns when it is ready to learn at such a young age" he smiled and I nearly wanted to hug him. "Do you want to come back with your child one day and look around again?" "Oh she's already been once with us and she loves it here, her friends are going here as well so this is where she wants to be" I answered him and he seemed lovely.
We got home and Ben collapsed on the couch "So I know what you're going to say, you hated the posh school didn't you just because it's..." "Ben it's ridiculous, she cares more about her reputation and her figures than she does those kids" I ranted at him and he grinned "Then it's a good job I don't like it either, the principal at the other school seemed really nice" he reasoned and I stared at him as he nodded.
"Plus I spoke to Jahmene's dad, he's starting there as well and well Bryony likes him" he reassured and I beamed at him "I thought you didn't like Jahmene because he pushed your baby over" I teased and he laughed, "Well she cried and she cries over everything sometimes! She cried before because Monty barked louder than normal, plus I was thinking maybe it'll be nice for her to have someone who's dad is involved in the same sort of thing as her own daddy" he replied and I laughed"Plus I just think it'll be really nice for her to keep her friends so if people are all 'Whoa your dad's a football player' they'll all go 'What Ben? He's just weird'" I laughed and he nodded.
I smiled at him as I sat next to him "So she goes to the school down the road?" he nodded "I just feel like she won't get all these brilliant opportunities" "Ben we went to normal schools, nothing bad happened to us! The first school I ever went to was awful, I felt like I didn't belong and I couldn't do things most kids my age could. Look at us now, you're doing what you love and I'm..." I trailed off.
"A housewife?" he finished and I looked at him "What?" "Well you are a housewife aren't you? One child ready to go off to school now so you can have a real life job" he replied and I shook my head "Hey Ben? Fuck you!" I growled storming out the house slamming the doors behind me.
"Can you atleast look like you want to be here, try enthusiasm" Ben whispered and I looked at him "Like normal or cheerleader?" "Cheerleader! I mean we can get you a uniform and everything" he said quietly smirking and I smacked his leg "Benjamin! Hey don't you find it weird she introduced us to the school like that? And she welcomed us at the end?" I asked as someone shut a door. "Hello Mr and Mrs Roethlisberger" a woman grinned and Ben shook her hand standing up.
She showed us around the school as I asked questions "So you classify students via testing at the age of 4?" "We test all our students from the start of their first semester here and all the way through, we test at the start and end of every semester to ensure our students are in the correct groups" she explained and I nodded.
"Do you not think at 4 children are too young to be tested at all?" I pushed as she held a door open for us and we walked through "We believe in giving our students the best possible opportunities in life and providing them with the best education possible. We can't do this without knowing their levels and pushing them further" she smiled at me and I nodded.
"So nobody knows who's child is in which group?" "Yes that's the idea. We develop this system so we can push the children to their best abilities but so that they are with peers who are as capable as them, that way we don't under educate them. Also the lack of people knowing which level is the highest it stops competitiveness in the relatives etc" she answered me looking very pissed off with my constant questions.
We got back to the main reception and Ben smiled at her "Well it's been lovely to look around your school, can I ask if there are any other children here who have parents who are in the public eye?" "Yes sir, we pride ourselves on being Pittsburgh first choice of education for those from privileged backgrounds and those who are famous" she admitted and Ben nodded. "Well the school building is lovely and it was nice to meet you" I cut in as we left and we drove to the other school across town.
As soon as we got there it felt better, the kids were running around outside playing and the principal met us at the door shaking our hands, he took us around the school and the children waved at him as he walked past and he knew their names himself. "So I'm sure there must be a million and one questions you have to ask me" he said and I nodded. "How do you put students into classes?" "Our children are put in classes according to age and we also like to put them with friends, school is scary for those who have never been before so a friendly face is often enough to keep them feeling content and secure in school whilst mommy and daddy aren't here" he explained and I smiled at him.
"So do you test children?" "Not until it's needed to, tests don't help our child learn at such a young age. There's the basics to learn before we get to testing, a child learns when it is ready to learn at such a young age" he smiled and I nearly wanted to hug him. "Do you want to come back with your child one day and look around again?" "Oh she's already been once with us and she loves it here, her friends are going here as well so this is where she wants to be" I answered him and he seemed lovely.
We got home and Ben collapsed on the couch "So I know what you're going to say, you hated the posh school didn't you just because it's..." "Ben it's ridiculous, she cares more about her reputation and her figures than she does those kids" I ranted at him and he grinned "Then it's a good job I don't like it either, the principal at the other school seemed really nice" he reasoned and I stared at him as he nodded.
"Plus I spoke to Jahmene's dad, he's starting there as well and well Bryony likes him" he reassured and I beamed at him "I thought you didn't like Jahmene because he pushed your baby over" I teased and he laughed, "Well she cried and she cries over everything sometimes! She cried before because Monty barked louder than normal, plus I was thinking maybe it'll be nice for her to have someone who's dad is involved in the same sort of thing as her own daddy" he replied and I laughed"Plus I just think it'll be really nice for her to keep her friends so if people are all 'Whoa your dad's a football player' they'll all go 'What Ben? He's just weird'" I laughed and he nodded.
I smiled at him as I sat next to him "So she goes to the school down the road?" he nodded "I just feel like she won't get all these brilliant opportunities" "Ben we went to normal schools, nothing bad happened to us! The first school I ever went to was awful, I felt like I didn't belong and I couldn't do things most kids my age could. Look at us now, you're doing what you love and I'm..." I trailed off.
"A housewife?" he finished and I looked at him "What?" "Well you are a housewife aren't you? One child ready to go off to school now so you can have a real life job" he replied and I shook my head "Hey Ben? Fuck you!" I growled storming out the house slamming the doors behind me.