[metacyclic]

I went to high school in Belmont MA in the early 90's. For extra credit in our drafting class, we could volunteer to help build a playground at one of the elementary schools. The adults that were also "participating"? Prisoners. Nobody told us, and when I offered my pocket knife to one of the adults, he laughed and said "I don't think you want to give me that!" I learned weeks later that they were inmates.

Nice job, teacher.

[dsfyu404ed]

Generally speaking you never want to make enemies who are richer than you are and for teachers in rich school districts that is all the parents. Some parents will not like it if their kids come home talking about how they worked with prisoners. Considering that wealthy suburbs have basically the highest density of "can I speak to a manager" types there's no way that can end well for the teacher(s).

Your teacher was right in deciding that keeping their mouth shut had the best risk:reward. Blame here lies on parents for getting bent out of shape over dumb "my kid isn't old enough for that information" type stuff too often. Sucks but that's the society we live in.

Considering the demographics most of HN is apart of I don't expect this to be well received here but the reality is that teachers are "disposable" to a school district on an individual level and the people who last in wealthy suburbs (ie. "good" schol districts) tend to be the ones that do not create any controversy among the customers.

Edit: I used to work developing software for education. I am very aware of the workplace dynamics that govern how these people do their jobs (gotta understand that in order to actually build products that they can use).

Edit2: Ask any teacher. Rich suburb jobs are coveted because they pay well but the customers are very demanding.

[asark]

> Ask any teacher. Rich suburb jobs are coveted because they pay well but the customers are very demanding.

In my mid-sized midwestern city, the notoriously-bad inner city schools pay the best, by far. The pay's not why most teachers prefer to work in the better suburban schools.

[PhasmaFelis]

They're not blaming the teacher for keeping their mouth shut, they're blaming the teacher (or administrator) responsible for putting kids and convicts together on a work project.

[jacquesm]

> when I offered my pocket knife to one of the adults, he laughed and said "I don't think you want to give me that!"

What did they use for tools then? Pocket knives are rather low on the scale of damage one could do with what's in the average toolbox. A chisel or a hammer would be more of a problem. Or were they concerned with them smuggling the stuff back into the prison?

[futureastronaut]

Yes, it's more difficult to conceal a hammer in your rectum.