The Report Card

Nora and her mom arrive at a meeting with even more people than the last one, including Stephen and his parents, Merton Lake and his parents, and the school superintendent, Mrs. Tersom. First, Mrs. Noyes explains how all but two students received zeroes on that day’s quiz (excluding, ostensibly, Merton Lake). Nora tries taking the fall for Stephen, but Mrs. Hackney presents incriminating evidence: a flier calling for all students to fail their next test, signed by Stephen. Additionally, Stephen and Merton had a physical “skirmish” that morning. Mrs. Hackney and Mrs. Tersom are prepared to handle the situation as quickly and effectively as possible. Mrs. Tersom addresses the room: “Every student in our schools must always try to do his or her best to earn excellent scores. That’s what education is all about—excellence” (151). As the meeting continues, Nora’s classmates sit locked in the library, distanced from the other students, until the administrators make an action plan. Mrs. Hackney’s first step is a two-week suspension for both Nora and Stephen.

Mrs. Byrne comes to their defense, arguing that while they didn’t make the wisest decisions, they have noble intentions, and they don’t deserve suspension. Describing unhealthy mindsets surrounding the CMT scores, Mrs. Byrne says, “Nora has experienced these issues firsthand, and she’s intelligent enough to have noticed the problems, and she and Stephen have been brave enough to try to do something about it—braver than some of the rest of us have been” (154-155). After finishing her speech, the room is silent before everyone erupts in chatter. Mrs. Hackney finally quiets everyone after several attempts, and Nora has a new idea—one that feels different from the others. She raises her hand, and then she politely requests to speak to her classmates before Mrs. Hackney distributes punishments; after she speaks, she will accept any consequences handed to her. Stephen also asks to address the class, and the adults agree to this arrangement.

Unlike most assemblies, students in the whole-class meeting aren’t restless and snickering. Nora thinks, “It felt like a funeral—my funeral” (162), and Nora questions whether Stephen will help her resolve the situation or incite further rebellion. Mrs. Hackney gives Nora the floor, but nerves choke her words, and Stephen steps in to help her gain momentum. Nora admits that she was wrong to expect big changes in a short amount of time, and she regrets making grades into a joke. She never intended to undermine the importance of education; she only wanted to show that grades and scores don’t mean everything. Finally, she apologizes for the way she chose to act. Stephen speaks after her, admitting that he became too excited when Nora suggested that his grades didn’t matter so much, and he abused that enthusiasm.

To Nora’s surprise, Mrs. Hackney ends the meeting after Nora and Stephen speak. With Nora and her parents, Mrs. Hackney raises the matter of Nora’s transfer to the gifted program. Even though she just narrowly avoided suspension, she resists this change. She doesn’t want to reach her “full potential” the way the adults urge her to; instead, she wants normalcy: “What if what I really want is to be normal? […] I want to use my intelligence the way I want to use it” (168). The adults are silent. When Nora asks if she can go to lunch, Mom dismisses her.

After school, Nora thanks Mrs. Byrne and asks about the best universities for library science. Mrs. Byrne laughs, but Nora’s question is sincere. On the bus ride home, Stephen asks Nora if she went through all that trouble for his sake. She says yes, but she also did it for herself. They only have a short conversation, but Nora reflects on how their simple exchange embodies the normal life that she’s always wanted.