When McDougal became my fourth principal
she was introduced at a staff meeting
half way through the year. On her third day,
she summoned me to her office
and directed me to a chair
without a word of welcome—
then proceeded to inform me
$2,000 was missing
from the yearbook account.
She further asserted
I embezzled the money,
and demanded I pay it back
or have my paychecks garnished.
I stared her straight in the eye
with the intensity of a Star Wars light saber,
and told her calmly as if I was Obi-Wan Kenobi,
“No, I don’t handle any of the money.
All the yearbooks are paid for
through the school store and its bookkeeper.
If I have a bill for anything, I have to submit
a purchase order, so it can be approved
by the principal, and paid by the district
out of the appropriate account.
Still wanting to put a notch in her gun
and look stellar to her bosses at the district office,
McDougal continued, “So where’s the money?”
My second principal ordered 100 books.
I gave him the bill and he never paid it.
It’s not my job to tell my boss that he’s a deadbeat.
I told my third principal what had happened,
and she didn’t pay for the books either.
If you don’t believe me, call them up.
I walked out of the office,
already late to teach my next class.
McDougal and I didn’t talk to each other
for two years.
Other teachers claimed she was like a saw.
Run your hand along the top and it was smooth.
Run your hand along the bottom and bleed.
If someone was a minute late in the morning,
McDougal would call them out for being tardy.
It didn’t matter if their child was sick
or they were caught in traffic.
Never mind all the hours staying late
and not getting overtime.
She drove a gold Lexus, an accessory
to match her necklaces, ear rings,
and bracelets.
When time came for my evaluation,
she never walked into my classroom
to see me teach. The district’s rule
was every teacher must have three observations.
Instead, I received a generic summary
with medium to high marks.
