The colour orange 2

So we left our heroine setting off on a new life in the lost land of Lyonesse. She went with her beloved mother to find happiness for both of them by the sea. Sadly, her mother became very ill and Miss Shakespeare had to try and keep it all together for both of them and it was hard.
But then the very tanned senior teacher rang up one day and said come back, we need you. Miss Shakespeare being naive said yes and she and her travelled to stay with her sister so they could both be there to care for and love their mother. She died not long after the move.

Miss Shakespeare was again under the spell of Mrs Krimedottir, she thought her friend had done her a great kindness. And, for the first few years all went well, except some people  would appear strained-stressed and then they would resign and the word went out that 'they had to go".
The new team were lovely, hardworking and fun to be around -Miss Shakespeare even organised a drama holiday in Greece taking along her good friend Naomi Campbell. They took some of the naughtiest years tens in the school- nobody realised until it was too late and they had a fab holiday. Miss Campbell's boyfriend came along, with a nasty stomach virus and threw up for the entire journey. When they got the students were superb and it was one of Miss Shakespeare's happiest  times.

Things began to change a little: it was now clear there was a hit list in the school and, remembering this is an allegory, it seemed to target many of the teachers who were gay, Not overtly of course but indirectly. Then a popular teacher, a science teacher who was deeply loved by all his students fought back but it took its toll. Another had been there since the school was built found she was teaching classes outside her discipline and her moral judgements constantly called into question. Another, a teacher who was loved and respected had been taken in by the siren call - promoted and forced to change from a superb teacher to the orange witch's hit man, Saddest of all for her there was no farewell, no thanks, "she had to go"

And the children - sent home for wearing trainers, jewellery confiscated, left to sit outside the head's office, one until he fouled himself because nobody listened to his requests to go to the toilet. `he was only eleven. Children were targeted if they fell below the C average - pursued, monitored and got rid of,
Sensitive kids who needed help and understanding were called unco-operative and ways were found to expel them. If any members of the staff spoke out they were taken to one side and told to get with the programme - no dissent in public and no gatherings in private. It was the cultural revolution.

Miss Shakespeare had always done with her friend, the music teacher, the school productions. Also she annually entered the school in a great anti drugs dance event taking teams of up to 120. It was a tradition and one that everyone involved felt very passionately about.

The exam results came out and Miss Shakespeare's were dreadful, really bad. Something had gone horrible wrong. Now she was on borrowed time.

The year before some of the students had joined a strike. Miss Shakespeare had been told to take out of the dance production all those who had taken  part, Foolishly and shamefully she did. she lost her integrity to try and keep her job.

Now however, she was told no dance event - she must focus on her teaching, which was "crap" and try and improve it. Mrs Krimedottir would team teach the GCSE class and observe informally to try and help improve!

Three formal observations later Miss Shakespeare was told she one more chance, another teacher would see her and if he found the lesson satisfactory she would avoid the horror of the formal support.
She failed miserably - so nervous she could barely speak. She went home and found a letter, posted before the lesson telling her she would be on formal professional support

She resigned - had a nervous breakdown and never went back to the school. She applied for jobs but was her references were not good enough. One Head even told her, because he was appalled, that a suggestion of dishonesty had been made.

Meanwhile, she had been caring for her father who had bowel cancer and he died.

Where's the moral you say? I think there are two really - beware the the orange skin and remember Karma always catches up with you.

Very short PS - when the house was repossessed the orange witch offered Miss Shakespeare somewhere to stay for three days and has refused any contact since.