Chapter 1

After binding to the Master Teacher System,

I could see every student's knowledge gaps, and I could match each of them to the study plan that fit them best.

So two months ago, when Principal Dickerson asked me to take over Mingde's elite class, I said yes without a second thought.

The class that should have held first place in the grade

had lost its head teacher to a serious illness, cycled through three substitutes in half a year, and slid all the way down to ninth.

I spent three days building learning profiles for all forty students, then burned through an entire summer break patching their gaps one by one.

On the placement exam at the start of term, the elite class fought its way back to first in the grade.

The System pushed a notification too.

【Stage task complete. Please continue leading the class to a breakthrough level of progress.】

So when the dean pulled me out of my first class of the new term and sent me to the principal's office,

I actually thought my permanent-position paperwork had finally come through.

Until I pushed the door open and saw Principal Dickerson sitting in the corner, his face gray.

The president of the parents' committee held a cup of coffee, looking me over from on high.

"Ms. Pruitt, the parents' committee is unanimous. You aren't suited to lead the elite class. We'd like you to resign on your own."

……

I blanked for a couple of seconds.

"The elite class just scored first in the grade and second in the city. May I ask exactly where I'm unsuitable?"

Glenda Fox let out a scoff and read the complaints from the parents' group chat, one by one.

"You force the students to nap and won't let them do practice sets."

"You assign different homework to different students. You treat them unequally."

"And most of all, you actually refused to recommend my son for the state math winter camp."

Now I understood.

There was only one slot for the winter camp.

Her son, Paddy Mason, ranked third in the class overall, but only seventeenth on the math competition test.

The System's assessment showed he was suited to the college admissions track. Force him onto competition prep, and three months later his overall score would drop at least a hundred points.

So I gave the slot to Wyatt Swanson, who placed first in the math competition.

"Paddy isn't suited to competition." I pulled up the data. "Keep his current plan, and his math on the college admissions exam should hold steady above a hundred forty."

Glenda's face darkened at once.

"My son has had the best education since he was little. He's not suited, but that Wyatt Swanson, the one going to school on financial aid, he is?"

"Suitability comes down to ability, not what's in the family's bank account."

The room went instantly, painfully tense.

"A fresh intern who just graduated, and you dare call yourself an expert?"

Glenda pointed at the middle-aged man beside her.

"We've already brought in Mr. Whitney. He's led five graduating classes. He can get Paddy into the winter camp, and he can push the whole class to first in the city within three months."

Patrick Whitney flipped through my learning profiles and tossed them back onto the desk.

"Knowledge trees, error-cause categories, fatigue indexes… all bells and whistles."

"Top students should be up at five and studying till ten, three test sets a day, rankings twice a week. Whoever falls behind stays for extra drills."

The words had barely landed when the System flared red.

【Major change to the study plan. In seven days, twenty-three students will be mismatched with their training.】

【In thirty days, the class average will drop by ten points.】

I looked straight at Principal Dickerson.

"You can't use one uniform high-pressure method. The elite class looks even on the surface, but their knowledge structures are completely different."

"Cut the naps, drill competition papers blindly, and grades will fall within a month. Guaranteed."

But he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Mr. Whitney has more experience than you. Since the parents all support him, the school should respect the choice of the majority."

The last flicker of hope in me went out.

Two months ago, he'd said I was the only one who could save the elite class.

Now that the grades were back, he wouldn't say a single fair word for me.

Seeing me go quiet, Glenda assumed I was scared.

"If the elite class drops out of the city's top three after Mr. Whitney takes over, I'll apologize to you in front of every parent in the school and ask you back myself."

A parent beside her laughed out loud.

"These kids fly on their own. Put a dog in charge of the class and it still couldn't fall out of the top three."

Looking at the head teacher resignation letter on the desk, I didn't argue anymore.

Since they were so sure the kids had simply, suddenly caught on by themselves,

then I'd wait and see how long that spark lasted in Patrick Whitney's hands.

I picked up the pen and signed my name.

"Fine. I resign as head teacher of the elite class."