These students aren’t just bad, they’re dangerous. And then there’s the principal…
Teacher
by James Eric Riley
Genre: Fictional Biography
These students aren’t just bad, they’re dangerous. And then there’s the principal…
For Los Angeles teacher Eric Riley, summers off, holidays, and
health benefits are all that matters. Why else get into teaching in
your forties? With a wife and two young daughters, and a
mountain of debt after suffering a broken leg, teaching represents a
steady paycheck and time off he’s never experienced.
Riley
survives his rookie year as a teacher, only to be assigned a class
with a special designation: Emotionally Disturbed. He starts the new
position, after taking a mandatory training session on the latest
approved methods of physical restraint – the delicate name for
self-defense when dealing with violent students.
One day,
a student attacks Riley – and Riley puts him down hard on the
floor. The school principal orders Riley to be placed on
administrative leave. During a series of preliminary hearings
regarding his status, he realizes that the official version of the
incident is changing. When his union and legal representatives appear
to be incompetent, he secretly contacts staff members at his school.
They break into an administrator’s office and uncover statements
and records regarding his suspension that implicate the principal,
the district, and even the teachers’ union.
From classic
teaching moments to administrator run-ins to a district boardroom
showdown, one teacher finds out what he’s good at.
James Eric Riley grew up near the rust belt town of Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania. He attended Eastern Kentucky University and graduated with a degree in Theater Arts. After years of summer stock and regional theater, he and his wife Jeneva moved to Southern California where they discovered a love of snow skiing and – for Riley – ice skating. But after breaking a leg competing in a short track speed skating event, suddenly teaching seemed like a better idea. His best years were teaching high school, where he finally put his theater background to good use teaching public speaking and writing. Now retired, he and Jeneva live in Independence, Kentucky.
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Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree 