I had the good fortune to attend Bankers, Michigan School (grades K – 8 in one room) from kindergarden through fourth grade, when it was closed. I managed to complete both Kindergarden and first grade in one year. One could take classes they were good in with the advanced grades, and work with the lower grades in areas where they were having problems without being “held back”. Of course, the teacher could not worry if your self esteme was hurt because you failed a test. Actually, that is not true. She worried enough to stop by the house on here way home, on her own time, and work with you and your parents on your problems, both academic and social. But she did not have enough time in the classroom for those things. We were there to learn, and this she made sure we did. Unlike today, the school board, which consisted of some of the parents, could fire a teacher for poor performance. These facts along with having a step-father who had served in the US Marine Corps gave me a diciplined grounding that served me well in school and my 21 year stint in the Navy.
