Vice Headmaster Catherine Blackwood stood in the doorway with a stiff posture that made it clear she would rather be anywhere else right now. William stopped for a moment to really look at her instead of just seeing "angry authority figure" and going about his day.
She was probably in her early thirties. Her dark auburn hair was pulled back into a tight bun that looked like it was trying to strangle her scalp.
Behind her thin-framed glasses, her sharp green eyes looked out. She wore the formal instructor uniform perfectly, with every button lined up and every crease ironed to mathematical perfection. The overall effect was that someone was trying very hard to look like they were in charge while also looking like they hadn't slept well in about six months.
"Right," William said as he stood up from the instructor's chair and mentally prepared for the bureaucratic nightmare that was about to happen. "Let me guess... the rich parents are threatening to stop giving money if their kids have to breathe the same air as poor people?"
Catherine's eye twitched a little at how casual he was, but she didn't say anything, which William took as proof that he had hit the nail directly on its expensive, aristocratic head. "Things are a little more complicated than that, but you're not completely wrong."
"Several powerful families are worried about the makeup of the class and want the academy's leaders to explain themselves."
William said, "And by academy leadership, you mean you had to deal with angry rich people while the headmaster was busy with other things."
For a moment, the vice headmaster's professional mask slipped, showing real anger underneath before she quickly pulled herself together again. "Headmaster Albert is taking care of other things at the academy. As the vice headmaster, it's my job to deal with parents' concerns."
"That's a very polite way to say yes," William said as he pointed to the empty classroom. "So, what's the plan?"
"Should I beg and promise to split the classes, or are we really going to stand up for this clearly helpful way of teaching that I planned on purpose and didn't just happen to find?"
Catherine looked at him in a way that made it seem like she wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic, honest, or a mix of the two. "The parents are coming in about thirty minutes for an emergency meeting."
"You will need to provide a clear explanation of your teaching methods and demonstrate that the mixed class structure is effective by presenting measurable results."
"30 minutes?" William looked at the clock and saw that he had been sitting in this class longer than he thought. "That doesn't leave you much time to get ready for what sounds like a corporate presentation to angry investors."
Catherine said, "That's why I'm here to help you get ready." She stepped fully into the classroom and closed the door behind her. "Even though you might think so, Instructor Wade, I'm not here to make your job harder."
"The headmaster has made it clear that you should have a fair chance to show what you can do."
William looked at her for a moment and saw that her shoulders were tense and that she kept fidgeting with a pen she had taken out of her pocket. There was more going on here than just him or the way the class was set up. She was more stressed than usual about dealing with frustrated parents.
"Okay, thanks for the help," William said, deciding to believe her for now. "What do these parents really want to hear?"
"I don't think 'your kids need to learn humility and teamwork' is going to work."
"They want data," Catherine said as she took a tablet out of her briefcase and scrolled through what looked like enrollment records. "Anything measurable that shows their kids aren't being held back by less experienced students, like academic performance metrics or improvements in combat skills."
William said, "I've taught one class. How am I supposed to have useful data already?"
"You don't," Catherine said, her anger showing through more clearly now. "This is why this meeting is unfair at its core and politically motivated."
"But that's the way things are, so we need to make an argument that is good enough for them to buy you time to get things done."
William leaned against the desk and thought about this in terms of strategy. Rich parents didn't really care about education because they cared about their status and how they were seen as having an advantage. If their kids were in a mixed class, it meant they weren't in the elite track, which hurt their social standing.
"How about we look at it differently?" William said slowly, thinking about what he was saying as he spoke. "We don't call it a mixed class, but we call it an experimental advanced integration program."
"The students were chosen because their skills worked well together to make the best learning synergies."
'Elite students get to show off their leadership and teaching skills, which looks great on their academy records."
"Struggling students, on the other hand, get help from their peers, which is sometimes more effective than traditional teaching.
Catherine stopped scrolling and looked up at him with real shock. "That's not too awful, actually. It turns a punishment that people think is unfair into a chance to do something wonderful."
William said with a smile, "It's complete marketing bullshit, but it's the kind of bullshit that rich people love because it makes them feel special and forward-thinking instead of punished."
"I was trying to be polite, but yes," Catherine said.
William saw a hint of a smile on her face before she pushed it back down into professional neutrality. "Parents might see this as their kids being chosen for a new program instead of being put in a remedial class if we present it the right way."
For the next twenty minutes, they worked on the pitch, with Catherine giving information about how teaching has changed over time and William making up educational theories that sounded just real enough to be true. By the time students started walking by the classroom on their way to other things, they had something that might work.
"One more thing," Catherine said as they got ready to go to the meeting room. "Some of these parents can be very pushy."
"If they start to attack you personally, try to stay professional. Academy politics are tough, and we can't lose the backing of influential families, even if they're unreasonable."
"So smile and take the abuse?" William said flatly.
"I didn't say that," Catherine replied carefully. "I said remain professional. There's a difference between being a doormat and being diplomatic."
"Good, because I'm terrible at the doormat thing," William said, following her out of the classroom.