The Forgotten Room Quotes

“Ms. Bates is the best partner I've had”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Ms. Bates had many photographs displayed around the room. In one, she hugged her two teenaged children. Another photo, from her days in Arkansas, showed her shaking hands with Governor Bill Clinton.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Mr. Owens told Danita more about Thomas Jefferson. “He was a farmer and a politician and an architect who designed his own home. It was called Monticello, and it had a dome. Look at a nickel, and you can see it.” Several kids pulled out nickels and examined them. “He was an inventor,” Mr. Owens said and described some of Jefferson's inventions. “He also slept with Sally Hemings,” Danita pointed out. “That's right,” said Mr. Owens, “and he fathered many children.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Figure 5. Isolation Cubbies in Special Education.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“I started to read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever aloud to Jarrod, reminding myself that sometimes the best you could do was help one kid.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“I thought Jarrod liked the books because they featured some really bad kids called the Horrible Herdmans who created chaos. The Herdmans could easily be kids at Peachtree Alternative School.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“The superintendent had referred to the old administrative building as “the sick building.” Whether it was lead paint, asbestos, or rodent droppings, something was not right, and it made me worry more about our own building.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“That's great, Vanessa, you're a good reader,' I told her, thinking that every book an at-risk kid read was a victory.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Ms. Hackett handed me a copy of the poem. “Miss Mary, why don't you read it,” she said. “You might have a different inflection in your voice." I read the poem, as clearly as possible, and tried not to cry. It was a powerful piece about the violence against protesters in Birmingham, Alabama, and a mother's decision to send her child to church rather than participate in a march. It was the wrong decision, and the daughter died in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing. One boy knew the poem by heart and recited the words as I read them aloud. “Wow,” I said, when I finished the poem. “As a mother,” said Ms. Hackett, with her hand on her heart, “that gets me every time. It gives me chills ” She raised her sleeve to reveal goose bumps on her forearm, and I revealed mine. The boys looked for goose bumps on their own arms.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Miss Mary, why don't you read it,” she said. “You might have a different inflection in your voice." I read the poem, as clearly as possible, and tried not to cry. It was a powerful piece about the violence against protesters in Birmingham, Alabama, and a mother's decision to send her child to church rather than participate in a march. It was the wrong decision, and the daughter died in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing. One boy knew the poem by heart and recited the words as I read them aloud. “Wow,” I said, when I finished the poem. “As a mother,” said Ms. Hackett, with her hand on her heart, “that gets me every time. It gives me chills ” She raised her sleeve to reveal goose bumps on her forearm, and I revealed mine. The boys looked for goose bumps on their own arms.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“She's nice,” a boy said about me, although I was sure he was trying to butter me up.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Ms. Hackett prepared to lead a discussion on The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963. The boys had read the entire book and were surprised to learn that I had, too. I told them that the author, Christopher Paul Curtis, was a big man with dreadlocks, or at least he had dreadlocks several years ago.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Ms. Pearl looked pensive.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Mr. Owens recapped the tragedy,”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Figure 10. Crime Scene Tape in the Gymnasium.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Soldiers usually just buttoned the top button,” Mr. Owens said. “You can look at old photos of men sitting in front of the Franklin courthouse, and you can tell who was a Civil War veteran by the way they buttoned their coats.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Students, naturally, wanted to know what movie and he told them Andersonville. “Were you a star?” asked Mr. Eyelashes. “An extra,” said Mr. Owens. “Last year, I offered fifty points to any student who could find me in the movie. I knew all the scenes I was in but couldn't ever find myself. If it was in wide screen, you would have seen me but, on TV, I was cut off. Last year, a student fmally found me.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“If Mr. Owens could get permission from the school superintendent, he'd bring a bayonet and musket to show the class. “We'll go through how you fire a musket. I like to have students handle it because it's heavy. It really gives you a sense of how hard it was to be a Civil War soldier." Mr. Owens was being the kind of radical teacher that Martin Haberman, author of Star Teachers of Children in Poverty, would approve of. He was willing to fight for a special project because he knew it would enhance learning. Demonstrating weapons in a class filled with alternative students who'd been labeled “dangerous” and “disruptive” was radical, indeed.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“The alternative kids said nothing so I chose Holes, whose author was renowned for his quirky sense of humor. I started to read aloud with gusto. A girl listened for about two minutes then asked if she could read aloud. “Sure,” I said, handing her the book. I watched her struggle to read aloud and helped her pronounce a few words. She read several pages before losing interest and wandering off. In fact, all of the kids had wandered away while we were reading. They were out in the hall and in doorways of other classrooms. Deputy Rodriguez arrived and herded kids back inside my room, and I was embarrassed to have literally lost them. When a majority of kids returned, I closed the door, trapping them, and kept on reading.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“She was completely unprepared for the shock of discovering that there was a solitary confinement cell located in the rural alternative school she was documenting. It was hard for her to grasp that the teachers whose compassion and restraint she had noted in their dealing with the students would allow for such a practice. Since then, Professor Hollowell has become active with other educators and parents in condemning these solitary confinement cells. They have joined together in working toward the elimination of these confinement cells in public schools, wherever they exist in states across the country.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“The solution to chronically disruptive youth is, ironically, the exact opposite of confinement. It is freedom. It is freedom of choice and movement (within certain boundaries) that is guided by creative, compassionate, healthy adults who facilitate last-ditch learning.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Outside the gym, Tom rode a bicycle that he claimed was his own. He steered it through the doors of the gym and onto the basketball court, where Ms. Pearl took it away. The bathrooms smelled so bad, that afternoon, that most people hunkered on the far side of the gym. Some boys scrimmaged and Vanessa, Ms. Pearl, and I sat high in the bleachers.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“A student reminded Mr. Owens of the American submarine that surfaced into a Japanese fishing vessel, killing nine people. Two immature boys in the room snickered, but Mr. Owens didn't hear them. He explained that the accident was caused by civilians, who were “blowing” the submarine steeply to the surface. “I've done it a hundred times, myself,” Mr. Owens said. “What angle is it?” asked a boy. “Almost straight up,” said Mr. Owens. “It would be so steep that your hand would be on the floor.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“The special education department chair thanked the parole and security officers. All of the men from the sheriff's department were wearing casual uniforms, and they looked nice in khaki pants and olive polo shirts. “They're considered tough guys,” the department chair said, “but we see beyond that. We see them in action: giving smiles, pats on the back, and high fives. They're respectful, honest, and really care about kids.” The table of officers received a hearty round of applause.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“The principal gave another lighthouse award for Outstanding Service to Ms. Hackett for organizing field trips, fundraisers, and the goodbye luncheon. “She always gives 500%,” said Ms. Henderson. “She works well with our exceptional students and is a liaison with our partners.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Speaking of fundraisers, another special educator had a suggestion. She wore a black leather belt with metal studs that was at odds with her slender frame and long brown hair. She was the chair of the special education department at Peachtree Alternative School. “At my son's school in Tucker,” the chair said, “the principal stood on the roof and did hula dances in a grass skirt. She also let students throw pie pans of shaving cream at her." The idea did not appeal to Ms. Henderson. “You've got to remember our population,” she said. “If our students threw pans of shaving cream at me, it would hurt. I've had to suspend eight kids, today, and did it alone because I don't have an assistant principal. I'm not very popular.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“It was a big book fair sponsored by a major publisher, and there were many good titles. I enjoyed talking about literature with Ms. Hackett. She had run the book fair for three years in a row and, last year, she earned $5000 for Peachtree Alternative.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Ms. Bates accompanied me on my search for the special ed. department chair. She looked at the crowds of students in the halls and said she was ready for school to end. “Especially since it's the last year,” she said. “There's a different feel in the air.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“Behind them was a long row of kindergarteners, in private school uniforms, with battery-operated toys that lit up and spun around.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth

“I'd read in Greg Goodman's Alternatives in Education that The Talking Heads’ “Road to Nowhere” was a good field trip theme song so I listened to it on my way to school.”
― Mary Hollowell, The Forgotten Room: Inside a Public Alternative School for At-Risk Youth