The Secret School

Stuck at home the next day, Ida does chores, then takes care of baby Shelby. She attempts to teach him his ABCs, but he gets distracted. She takes him for a walk to the stream, where, laughing, he splashes the water with his hands. She tries to study but can’t concentrate.

She feels a tap on her shoulder. It’s Herbert. He walked several miles just to visit. Ida says he must be happy now that the school is shut down. Herbert says that’s not true, but he can’t admit he enjoys school because other kids will tease him. He says his father called him stupid, and Herbert, angry, recited the Mark Antony funeral speech to him. Ida is impressed, but Herbert says he memorized it from listening to years of students practice it. He also supposes that his recitation of the speech to his father drove Mr. Bixler to report Ida to Mr. Jordan: “I think he wanted to fix it so I couldn’t learn any more speeches” (116-17).

Herbert also hints that if there happened to be a semi-secret meeting of the school board where a vote would be held to close the school permanently, and that meeting happened to be scheduled for the following night at seven o’clock at the schoolhouse, surely Ida would want to prevent a bad thing from happening and instead “make sure the right people show up” (118-19).

Ida understands Herbert’s indirect warning and says she truly likes Herbert after all. He asks if she likes him better than Tom. She scoops up some water, throws it at him, and shoos him away.

Tearfully, Ida begs her parents to let her inform the valley’s residents about the semi-secret meeting to close down the school. They relent, and Ida and Felix hurry across the valley to Tom’s house, where she and Tom print up flyers for the meeting on his refurbished printing press. The printer doesn’t have enough Os, so the flyer ends up reading, “Meeting at School!!! School `pen 0r cl-sed? Wed. 7 pm” (125).

They divvy up the sheets: Tom will deliver his on Ruckus the mule, while Ida and Felix send out the rest by car. As she leaves, Tom says she’ll have to give a speech. She asks why. Tom says, “The teacher always talks at board meetings. And—in case you forgot—you’re the teacher” (126).

The school board meeting starts on time. All the students attend, along with their parents and another dozen valley residents. Mr. Jordan begins the meeting by asserting that Ida has been pretending to teach. Another member says the kids have been trespassing. Minister Hawkins says they did no damage and achieved what their parents wanted, which is to continue their education. He also notes that Mr. Jordan never bothered to inform anyone about Miss Fletcher’s departure, preventing them from searching for a replacement teacher. Hawkins points out that, instead, Ida has done the job for free, which gets a big laugh.

Ida asks to speak. Mr. Jordan tries to object, but another board member insists that the accused be allowed to speak. Ida explains her and Tom’s need to pass the exit exam and the other students’ desire not to repeat a school year. She recites a poem taught to the class by Miss Fletcher:

Do what conscience says is right;

Do what reason says is best;

Do with all your mind and might;

Do your duty, and be blest (131)

She adds that Miss Sedgewick will administer tests for all the students if only they can get the chance to do so. The audience applauds loudly.

The board members step outside to consider, then return with their verdict: The students may continue for two more weeks and then take their exams. The room fills with cheers. Mr. Jordan insists that the parents must be responsible for the grounds and the results of the tests, then he stalks out. Ida hugs Tom. She thinks, “We won!” but remembers that she also must pass the exam.

For the next two weeks, all the kids study hard. They practice what they’ve learned, test each other, and refuse to take recess breaks. Ida, busy helping her students, frets at her lack of study time.

On the day before the tests, Herbert is coy about whether he’ll show up for the exam. Ida says she wants him to pass because that will show everyone how smart he is. He hesitates, then winks and walks away. Tom offers to study with Ida, but she turns him down: “I have to concentrate, and I just can’t do it if I’m not alone” (135-36).

At home, she studies hard. Felix asks for help; feeling guilty, she has him ask their parents. She falls asleep studying, then wakes early and continues. As she milks the cow, she realizes she may have sacrificed her chances by helping the other kids. It was the right thing to do, but she bursts into tears. Inside the house, her mother tells her how proud she and Ida’s father are of her.

Ida changes into school clothes. She starts to pin up her hair, then realizes she’s not the teacher anymore: “I’m a student again” (138). It’s raining; as she and Felix drive to school, she goes too fast, spins out, and stalls in a ditch. She’ll miss the test.

Tom and Mary appear suddenly, and Tom offers them a lift on his mule. They arrive late to the schoolhouse, but Miss Sedgewick isn’t there yet. The room is tidy, and the kids already have a fire going in the stove. Ida sets out pencils, cleans the blackboard, and supplies it with chalk.

Miss Sedgewick arrives. Noticing that Ida is soaked, she asks if she’s been swimming again. Ida explains the spin-out and the mule ride but says she’s ready for her exam. Miss Sedgewick hands out test booklets. Portions of each test will involve reciting, so she’ll call on each student, beginning with the youngest. She rings a small bell, and the kids begin their exams. Ida leafs quickly through her booklet and groans inwardly at several questions she hasn’t studied for. She starts to panic, then reminds herself that she must pass. She turns to a question about poems that she can answer and gets to work.

The day passes quickly. At recess, no one plays; instead, they simply stretch and grab a glass of water. Felix and Mary finish first and go outside. At three o’clock, Miss Sedgewick’s bell ends the testing.

As they leave for home, Tom asks how she did, but Ida has no idea. She asks why he and Mary and Felix look so serious. Tom smiles and says, “Thought maybe you’d want us to help pull your car out of the mud” (145).

For six days, Ida and Felix drive the mile out to their mailbox on the main road but find no mail from Miss Sedgewick. On the seventh day, the mailbox flag is up, and Ida fairly leaps from the car to retrieve the mail. There’s one envelope each for her and her brother. She tears open hers to find a printed form with boxes filled in. It informs her that she has graduated from eighth grade with high honors. A second note tells her that everyone at her school passed their tests except Herbert.

Ida screams with delight. She tells Felix the good news. He asks why Herbert didn’t pass; Ida says, “I don’t think he wanted to” (148). She finds a third note in the envelope: It’s from Miss Sedgewick, who offers Ida a room in her house, free of charge, so she can attend the nearby high school.

The following week, all the students attend a final-day celebration at the schoolhouse, along with Mr. Jordan, the other school board members, and parents. The kids sing songs and take turns reciting poems and literary passages. Even Herbert, barefoot and grinning, appears and recites Shakespeare’s Caesar speech.

All the kids except Herbert receive their diplomas. Ida receives hers last, and Mr. Jordan admits she deserves special recognition. He hopes she’ll become an official teacher and return to teach at the school. Herbert shouts, “But you’ll have to pay her then!” (150). The audience laughs.

Outside afterward, food is served. Ida notices Herbert standing alone. She asks if he flunked so as not to anger his dad. He answers that he’s decided to join the Navy when he’s old enough, and he’s only telling her about it. Ida says he’s the biggest secret in the secret school.

Tom thanks her for being the teacher; she thanks him for the idea. He says the best thing about graduating is that he can call her Ida again. She says she likes that. On the way home, Ida’s folks express how proud they are of her. Ida’s dad warns her that she’ll have to work hard on the farm during summer because they’ll lose her help when she goes off to school. Felix shouts, “Get Tom up here! […]. He’ll do anything for Ida” (153). Everyone laughs; Ida blushes.

She looks out the window at the night and smiles: “Though it was dark outside, all she could see was brightness” (153).