My Teacher Bullied Me To Make Her Own Daughter Look Better. She Didn’t Realize My Mom Was Her Boss. How Fast Can Someone Pack Their Desk?

Mrs. Holloway’s Fate

Mom mentioned during dinner one evening that Mrs. Holloway accepted a teaching position in a different district. She was starting fresh at a school where her reputation wasn’t damaged. The new position came with requirements for additional professional development and regular evaluations.

Mom explained that the district wanted to give her a chance to learn from her mistakes if she took genuine responsibility. Part of me wished she’d been blacklisted from teaching entirely. I didn’t think she deserved another opportunity to potentially harm students.

But mom said people deserve chances to learn and grow if they acknowledge their errors and work to change. She believed in redemption and second opportunities when someone showed real commitment to improvement. I wasn’t sure I was that forgiving yet.

The hurt and humiliation were still too fresh. But I appreciated mom’s perspective on growth and change, even if I didn’t fully agree with it. The AP exam was scheduled for early May.

As the date approached, I felt genuinely prepared rather than anxious about sabotage or unfair grading. Kathy’s teaching had reinforced my skills and knowledge over the past months. She filled in gaps that Mrs. Holloway’s bias created by withholding proper instruction and feedback.

We spent weeks reviewing literary terms, practicing essay structures, and analyzing sample passages. Kathy held review sessions after school for students who wanted extra practice. I attended every session and worked through practice exams.

The preparation felt thorough and supportive. I walked into the exam confident in my abilities and grateful for teachers who actually helped me learn. The test lasted three hours with multiple-choice questions and essay responses.

I finished each section feeling good about my answers and analysis. The external evaluation would provide objective proof of my skills regardless of any teacher’s personal bias. Nicholas and I celebrated finishing the AP exam by getting ice cream at the shop near school.

We sat outside in the warm May sunshine and talked about how relieved we felt. He mentioned that watching me handle the Mrs. Holloway situation inspired him to stand up to his own father. His dad had been pressuring him to apply only to engineering programs at specific universities.

Nicholas wanted to study environmental science at a school with strong field research opportunities. He said seeing me advocate for myself showed him that respecting authority doesn’t mean accepting mistreatment. He told his father he was applying to the schools he wanted regardless of his dad’s preferences.

They had several difficult conversations, but Nicholas held firm on his choice. He said sometimes challenging unfairness is the right thing to do even when it’s scary. I felt proud that my experience helped him find his own courage.

The Score

We finished our ice cream and walked back towards school talking about our college plans and summer jobs. The AP exam scores arrived in July through the College Board website. I logged in early on the release day and clicked through to my results.

A five appeared on the screen, the highest possible score. I stared at the number for a full minute letting it sink in. The objective external evaluation confirmed what I always knew about my abilities.

Mrs. Holloway’s grades reflected her bias rather than my actual performance. I had concrete proof now that couldn’t be disputed or questioned. I took a screenshot of the score report and sent it to mom.

She called immediately and congratulated me. She said she never doubted my abilities but knew the external validation would feel important. I printed the score report and bought a simple black frame at the store.

I hung it on my bedroom wall next to my desk. Every time I looked at it, I remembered to trust my own assessment of my abilities regardless of others’ opinions. The score became a reminder that truth and merit eventually reveal themselves even when someone tries to hide or deny them.

Mom picked me up from the school that same afternoon the score report arrived and drove us to this Italian restaurant she’d been wanting to try. We sat at a table by the window with the summer sun streaming in and ordered pasta and garlic bread.

She raised her water glass and said she was proud of me for more than just the test score. She said watching me navigate that whole semester taught her things about being both a mom and a principal. She admitted she struggled with wanting to fix everything immediately when she saw me hurting.

But following proper procedures showed her that systems work when you use them correctly. She said creating the anonymous reporting system and the grade audit policies came directly from realizing problems need to be caught earlier. We clinked our glasses together and she said we both survived something really hard and came out better for it.