Simmons High School

Hollandale is not a good environment for students or teachers. Based on the people I have talked to that have been here for many years, this is a recent development. Across the board, everyone involved here is partially to blame. The administration placates to parents to a degree that is unacceptable, refusing to confront issues with students for fear of setting the parents off. Which is almost reasonable given how irresponsible, hostile, and uncommitted most parents are. Teachers are not unified, organized, or driven, in part because of the amount of nonsense and skirting done by parents, the administration, other teachers, and students. Most teachers here have long ago given up—some are in it for the long haul to collect a paycheck and retire, while others are actively hunting for different jobs. Because of the failures of every adult involved in the school, the children are unbehaved, unreasonable, and unwilling to learn. They do not act like children. Children who come to Hollandale from elsewhere get bullied relentlessly until they start to act like everyone else—with disrespect and violence. Attempts to changes things for the better are always well intentioned but half-hearted and based on fads, so it never lasts, throwing every student, parent, and faculty member into constant upheaval. They will do anything to stay in the good graces of the state (because they have no choice), even if what they are doing is unethical. There are many environmental reasons why all of these problems exist, but in the end, they’re just excuses. Excuses that everybody loves to lean on at every possible moment. Are there exceptions to these rules? Sure. There are great faculty members, sweet and driven kids and parents, but they are too few and far between. Even the exceptional kids would be just normal at almost any other school. It’s just that getting out of Hollandale adequate and normal is an accomplishment all its own.Please, parents and teachers, stay far, far away.

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