“Oh, you go to Watkins Mill?”

“Yeah.”

“Good luck.”

Most students and even teachers at Watkins Mill have had a variation of that conversation because other people assume Watkins Mill is a horrible school, usually without having even set foot in the building.

Modern world history teacher James Torrence has been working at The Mill since 1998. Before he arrived, he heard Watkins Mill was a great school, but things got sticky once he started work.

Torrence started hearing negative comments in his neighborhood about Watkins Mill, such as “It’s a bad school,” and “It’s not a good environment to teach in.” But, Torrence said, “I don’t really see the behavioral problems, and I don’t reconcile what the community says with what actually happens here.”

“I heard it was a rough and bad school to work at, but I think it’s only rough if you look at it that way,” social studies teacher Brian Lanham said.  “So I always try my best to help each student.” This is a common trend in the rumors around Montgomery County, but it seems that it wasn’t always this way.

Head football coach and Watkins Mill alumni Michael Brown has worked at Watkins Mill for six years as a paraeducator. “The atmosphere is more cultural than when I went here,” Brown said. “People would always tell me it’s [bad], it’s [rundown], but I work here but have never felt that way.” 

However, the honesty about Watkins Mill may be seen in a student’s eyes rather than in a teacher’s. As a teacher, you may choose to see the best in your workplace environment. But as a student, you don’t necessarily get to choose.

“Before I came here, I was always told that it’s a [negative] environment. There are a lot of fights and people do drugs in the bathrooms,” senior Isai Flores said. “But I don’t see that.  I feel safe here.”   

“People always told me the students were rude and disrespected the teachers, but I feel it is so different,” freshman Emily Zu said. “I really like high school. The teachers have made a big impact on me and the students are so much nicer than I expected.”

No single school is perfect. There are flaws everywhere, but Watkins Mill has amazing opportunities and so much to offer. Yes, there are occasional fights, but every school has those.  And it’s important to remember that Watkins Mill always comes together as a school when there are bigger problems that need addressing.