What Do We Do About the Rodent Problem

Breakfast in your rooms, the unknown suited lady says with pride. She has written a grant, and the school district is happily clapping it into our buildings. Miss J, an older teacher who is always dressed to the nines raises her hand. “What do we do about the rodent problem?” she asks. There are shrieks of dismay from those who had been avidly clapping for suit. “There will be no problem like that,” the unknown suit lady admonishes her. “You will teach your children how to clean the rug thoroughly after spills.” Miss J, teaches thirty-six kindergarteners. “We did this about twenty years ago,” she says, “and there were mice everywhere.” There is laughter now. What does she know? She is old. “You will assign a different student the task of cleaning up spills properly,” Suit said. “Then you will have no problem.” That was three months ago. Mice now make us teachers walk on the third square down the hall and in silence.