Outside evaluators make an appearance in Esme’s life and teaching, in both good and bad ways. First, a board-ordered “educational chiropractor” arrives to align teachers’ work to the state regulations. Esme is initially judgmental then becomes more feeling towards one teacher who cries when told that her teaching methods (which Esme admires for their dedication and effectiveness) do not meet the state regulations, curriculum-wise. Privately, Esme decides that the only real course of action is to seemingly agree to all the mandates that are forced on teachers. In the private space of her classroom, however, she resolves to do what works best for her students, regardless of what the powers-that-be think of her methods.

More pleasantly, Esme learns that she won the Dr. Peggy Williams Award for outstanding new teacher in the field of Reading and Language Arts, a coveted prize offered by the Chicago Area Reading Association. The prize comes with a few hundred dollars compensation, which Esme decides to spend on new books for her students. She also learns that she will be honored at an award dinner and is told she can bring her principal with her. Esme laughs at this suggestion.