Walker Vs. Lowell

In the last few years of elementary at Potter, I was afforded the opportunity to go to a special program across town at Walker Elementary.  On Mondays, I would ride a bus to the school and participate in some unique classroom experiences.

Each quarter, we would all gather in an assembly room and a half dozen teachers would present their class subject for the quarter.  We would then make our first, second and third choices for which classes we would prefer to attend.  The classes I remember taking were astronomy, television production, kite building and backpacking.  The school was very hands on and allowed the students to choose their course of study.  As a result, we were eager to go to class, we were invested in our subject matter and we sought to excel.

The education process is far more successful when the student is allowed to choose their field of study and play to their strengths.

Our sixth grade year, we were taken to the junior high school that we would be transferring to.  When I was a boy (said in my best Foghorn Leghorn voice), elementary was from kindergarten through sixth grade, junior high was seventh and eight grades and high school was ninth through twelfth.  Lowell was the junior high for our area.  We were loaded on buses and driven for a tour of the school.  When we walked in, the students were in between classes.  They saw our group of sixth graders as fresh meat and took the opportunity to put the fear of God in us.  Kids were slammed against lockers and the smell of weed was in the air.  Our tour gave the group the opposite intended feeling.  Instead of showing us something to look forward to, no one I knew wanted to go.

As I pondered the torture that my junior high years would be, good news suddenly came my way.  There was another special program available to me.  Across town a seventh through twelfth grade academy was something I could apply for.  If my grades and citizenship score were high enough, I would be accepted and dodge the nightmare I was facing.

Two things happened as a result.  One, it turned out that anyone who could fill out the application was accepted.  Two, nightmares weren’t just reserved for Lowell.

Sadly, Walker is empty and up for sale.  Lowell is completely abandoned and has become the home of graffiti artists and urban explorers.  Flint Academy was torn down years ago.