Chapter 43: Master's thesis...

"Sit down there," said Venera. "I'll be back in a few minutes..." Ten minutes later, she was back with a man in his late fifties. "Lisa Cummings ... I would like to introduce you to Henri Massé. Dr. Massé is the Dean of Education."

Lisa rose and the two shook hands.

"Ms. Cummings, Venera told me you would like to obtain your Master's. To be totally frank, I've known your name for quite a while; I've followed your disagreement with the court with much interest from last August on but I knew you even before that. Joseph Brother, your old boss, is one of my students. I was the one who recommended you for that job at the day-care."

"Venera told me as well that you are aware of the 'double blind' study with State, the School board and the University. It doesn't surprise me in the least that you found out ... your tenacity was obvious in the rigor that you applied to your term papers."

"But ... we were two to work on those term papers..."

"I do not deny that Ms. Harris worked on those papers as well, Ms Cummings, but, for the most part, you were the one who had the original idea and who directed the work ... I have a proposition for you ... Normally, a Master's degree is done in two steps, the first – class time where a particular field of study is studied more profoundly for perhaps a year and a half and second – a thesis on one particular aspect under the supervision of a counselor. For you, I would propose something completely different."

"Oh... ?" said Lisa, confused.

"Yes ... your Master's work will still include two steps but, in your case, would not require class time. To meet the requirements of the diploma, I would have you write two papers; the first, which would replace the academic portion, would be a memorandum of everything you have experienced, your thoughts, your feelings, from the time Joseph Brother hired you to the time you established your present school, including the time at your friend's place ... what is her name ... ah, yes, Ms. Hatcher, and all the steps you undertook to set up your school at Sunny Acres. I want you to justify why you chose to set up in a naturist resort and which of the resort's rules and regulations and which of Venera's arguments as described in the court proceedings played an important part in fixing your choice."

"I want you to explain why you opted for the Montessori system as teaching method. You will fully document your memorandum with appropriate references from the court proceedings, progress reports on your students, descriptions of the pedagogical activities you chose for your students, including those that were less than successful and you will analyze why one activity worked while another did not."

"You will deposit this memorandum in my hands no later than the first of September of this year. Are we perfectly clear, Ms Cummings?"

"Yes, Sir..."

"As for the second part, you will also start working on your thesis ... this is what it will be..."

"Excuse me, Sir," interrupted Lisa, "but I thought the subject of the thesis was at the discretion of the candidate?"

"Not this time but ... you will like it. Under the supervision of Dr. Crenshaw, you will prepare for me a detailed report, fully referenced, of course, of everything involved with the set-up of your high school ... financing, State requirements, classroom set-up, hiring teachers ... Don't forget that as school principal, you will no longer have the same time available to teach and that your teacher's aides, while they may be fully capable and understand the unique requirements of your school, are not qualified. You will have to see to it that they pursue their training as well."

"I want that thesis in my hands for the thirty-first of December. As soon as you deliver this thesis, you will have obtained your Master's and, by the same token, I'll see to it that your position as principal is confirmed. Will that be acceptable?"

'What do you mean, confirmed... ?" asked Lisa.

"Because ... as soon as State approves the set-up of your high school, which should happen before April fifteen, you will be named principal pro tem. Unless you'd rather not... ?"

"Oh, no, Sir ... Thank you, Sir!"

"The Dean smiled... "No, Lisa ... it is I that thank you ... You see, like Venera, I was brought up a naturist and, like her; I'm convinced of the benefits that naturism bring about. When I went into education, I made the choice to switch to a textile way of life for reasons that seemed inevitable at the time. I admire you for choosing the opposite path ... Those papers you will write will serve as important guides for the set-up of other schools like yours."