MY TIME in HELL: Teaching in an Award Winning District

by George Bailey

These are the real-life adventures of educators in a highly respected Texas district. I've had to change names to get this book published and avoid possible litigation, but the events and representations of the actual recorded occurrences are accurate. I am compelled to this action because I shamefully lived a professional lie for years. I believe the field of education to have once been a haven for the admirable, noble, and altruistic souls who wanted to "make a difference." As idealistic as the previous statement appears, I still believe it even after the depravity and lunacy I've experienced during my career. Once, I too, aspired to belong to that benevolent band of teaching do-gooders, but I instead morphed into an amoral minion controlled by a deranged administration. I live with the shame that I sought job security - for years - despite realizing, at some point, that education had transformed from an enlightening, nurturing environment intended to positively affect young minds; into a monstrous aberration existing only to feed political platforms, and enable non- classroom educators to perpetuate their prestigious positions. I was completely immersed in it - I know ---I witnessed evil unleashed upon some of the finest teachers and human beings I have ever known. I live with that. Every day during my last few years at Holly Elementary, my stomach twitched and convulsed as I pulled in the parking lot. Although I needed the job, I worried every minute of every day there how could I protect the decent, often wonderful people, and outstanding - for the most part - employees from the morally bankrupt Holly Principal, Betty Faker. You see, we were a high performing campus and that meant Queen Betty had free reign to treat her "subjects" any way she chose. As with all amoral authority figures, Betty elected to treat those who could propel her career as aides, and those she viewed as even a temporary hindrance, as a life form unworthy of respect, dignity, decency, or a future. It is that single-test accountability standard formed out of the NCLB act that enabled Betty's sadistic, corrupt and cruel administration.to exist - and even thrive. It is likewise the reason why the completely incompetent, in my opinion, district Superintendent, Wanda Goofmeyer, maintained her position. Yes, as long as our scores met state expectations, they couldn't be touched. I was there, on the inside, and can tell you that it was all despicable all the time.

242 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2015