All principals back then were men and just about all the teachers in grade school were ladies. Our principal lived right next door to my home. We had one male that taught 6th grade science and took care of the boys for flag football. He had a really cool Allis-Chalmers tractor and raised wonderful black diamond watermelons in the summer selling them by the roadside. I can't remember that man ever appearing unhappy or less than friendly. He was married with children and a stay at home wife. A lady teacher took care of the girls PE.
We had the standards of reading, writing and arithmetic. Starting about 3rd grade we began to rotate class rooms for subjects with a math teacher, one for language and then science, social studies, geography, art and music. We had recess twice a day and at lunch. Short breaks but enough to blow off some steam. Seldom did anyone get hurt. If they did a parent came to get them when necessary. Every morning just like clockwork the Cub Scouts raised the flag and the principal came out of his office and stood on the steps of the front porch and saluted the flag with the rest of us. We also stayed outside until the bell to start school rang never mind the weather unless it was just downright storming then we got to go to our home room and wait. We had these big coat closets with massively heavy panel wood doors.
Home was just three blocks away and I went there for lunch. Lunch in the cafeteria was not bad though and was clean, tasty, ample and inexpensive at 25 cents a day. Much of the food was from commodities. The cheese was good as was the ground beef. Milk was from a local dairy. There were few busses, only for the kids that lived way out of town, the rest of us walked to school or rode our bikes that were kept in big rows of bicycle racks, sturdy galvanized steel pipe affairs. I will always recall how well built they were.
There may have been a nurse that rotated amongst the various schools in town. There was no assistant principal, no counselor, no resource officer, nothing else. Just a principal and his secretary.
After school we walked home, walked to Cub Scouts and Brownies, walked or rode a bicycle to piano lessons, walked or rode to baseball practice and the same to go downtown to get a haircut or sneak into the slot car place. My best friend and I threw the paper on each of two streets very early in the morning from the time we were in 4th grade and we threw the little Grit paper on the weekend. We would also ride our bicycles out south of town to the airport and go by the stockyards for a hamburger on Saturdays.
I think we got a good education. We didn't have LGBTQRSTUVW, Furries, gender dysphoria or any other crap to worry about. We were happy and well occupied just being children. I am all but absolutely certain no body ever gave a thought to the possibility of someone coming into the school and shooting any of us.
Wish I knew what happened to US and how we could go back. I really do think children and people would be much happier.
“”Every morning just like clockwork the Cub Scouts raised the flag and the principal came out of his office and stood on the steps of the front porch and saluted the flag with the rest of us.””
Yes, we did that also. EVERYONE was proud and grateful. When the Olympics were happening, we made large displays and kept track of all the USA Gold.
“”no body ever gave a thought to the possibility of someone coming into the school and shooting any of us.””
In high school we had a gun club. Students would walk to school with their rifles (unloaded of course). I imagine any wacko crazy enough to consider shooting anyone witnessed all the guns and ran like a girlieman.
bkmk
One thing that is different than 60 - 90 years ago, is the respect for standards and codes of conduct that was - relative to today - much greater back then.