How Ann Johnsons journey through Private and Public school changed her viewpoints
By: Josh Kruger and Denzel Rollman
Ann Johnson started off with access to great schooling and teachers when she was a kid. She had good and bad influences that shaped her overall experience with private schooling. Ann Johnson could accomplish her goals and gain a new view of the world with her experience attending a private catholic school and then a public school.
“As a little 5-year-old in a plaid jumper and white-collar shirt, with hair too short for pigtails, I started my school journey at a private catholic school my father had attended many years before.” Very early on into my academic experience I learned that I was not going to win any rainbow ribbons for spelling bees or reading awards.” She realized that she had developed flawed viewpoints from her private catholic school. “ Most of my coaches, teammates, and classmates all generally fit the same pattern.”
In her private school they mostly shared the same mannerisms when speaking and everyone spoke Standard American English. Students and teachers thought that what they knew and believed was always right and other groups of peoples viewpoints didn’t matter as much or were incorrect. “This can lead to a bigger problem of believing that if it is not happening to me, then it is not happening at all, which separates individuals and forms riffs in the groups of diverse people.”
She had lacked the ability to find her own passions because her private school was very single-minded and it was tougher for her to find her own path. After eighth grade, she needed to switch to a public school because the private high schools were far and they didn’t have the sports she wanted to play.
Ann had come from a majority race family that was well off socioeconomically. “Because of this standing, I had access to a private education, materials to solve any problems that may arise, and a teacher that would work one on one with me to form better skills in any area or subject that I needed.” The majority of her schooling took place in her catholic school which revolved around faith teachings.
When Ann started attending a public high school, she noticed there was more diversity and she could be around people who had varying viewpoints. “In catholic school we had the same type of assignment over and over it was boring.” During the Interview she mentioned that she was not a popular person but had very close friendships.
It was also a vast change in the curriculum because her private school was strictly based on religion with public schooling taking a step away from that. “…my 1 period English teacher Mr. Green gave us an assignment to write a story about ourselves.” All he did was give us a word count and told us to write, that assignment was one of the first ones I wanted to write and enjoyed.”
One intriguing story she told was when one of her teachers switched up their lesson for the day and said they could play board games instead. Ann never experienced this with her previous schooling as they always taught by the book and the curriculum felt very repetitive. Her English teacher inspired her to grow into new writing styles and allowed her to enjoy writing instead of feeling forced to write for a grade.
Ann found other perspectives of the world other than some viewpoints from her isolated environment with no varying options. An engaging part of the interview is when she mentioned her family’s history with the catholic religion. I noticed during the interview that she was excited to start a new experience and it was very enthusiastic.
Her English teacher inspired her to grow into new writing styles and allowed her to enjoy writing instead of feeling forced to write for a grade.
Her parents and grandparents were catholic and her dad attended the very school that she went to. Ann took the fundamentals from catholic schooling; it made her feel a stronger bond with her family. Even though catholic school was strict she mentioned in the interview how her family was easy going and let her do most things as long as it was legal we then all chuckled.
The catholic school was strict, when it came to expressing herself she found that her family was more lenient. Ann figured that this private institution wasn’t for her but that it varies between people and what experiences they want to take away from the academy. Johnson and her three siblings all went to the same place but all had different experiences.
“I didn’t honestly enjoy catholic school that much, it wasn’t a good education and I felt pushed and it was rigorous.
Her middle sibling didn’t graduate from that school because “it wasn’t for him” but in contrast to their experience, her oldest sibling enjoyed it more. When asked to reflect on her catholic education experience, Johnson explains in a compassionate tone “I didn’t honestly enjoy catholic school that much, it wasn’t a good education and I felt pushed and it was rigorous.”
The catholic school was strict, when it came to expressing herself she found that her family was more lenient.
She found something special in the summer of 2020 she saw the demonstrations and heard the voices of the suppressed. These are strong and far strides coming from a person who was so sheltered by the drapes of a private school. Ann now attends a college that has wide diversity amongst its student and faculty populations. While Ann still carries some values like discipline, She has grown substantially from the place where she felt somewhat isolated. With the acknowledgment of her past along with the shared experiences, Ann now looks to her promised future for a successful career.
