Bidding Adieu to M. French

December 31, 2025

Bidding Adieu to Monsieur French: Brief comments to a retiring colleague

Martin, as I told you yesterday, I believe it is always better to write out one's thoughts ahead of time to avoid stumbling over one's words. Ever since my first big meeting with the Christian school parents when I couldn't decide whether to say that "I felt as though I'd already met everyone" or "I feel as though I'd already met everyone" and came out with "I feel like I already felt everyone," I knew that prewritten comments were the way to go.

“Lobby to French.”

“Go for French.”

“You’ve got a resident here for testing?”

“I’ll be right there.”

How many times have we heard that? The hiss and squawk of the two-way radios. The voice from the lobby wasn’t always the same, but the message was. Until 2014, inmates were coming from CCF for GED testing. Then it became Minimum Side residents for the HiSET exams. I’m curious to know how many GED and HiSET graduates this Hill has seen since Mr. French became the CEO (Chief Examining Officer)? He keeps good records; 454 GED/HiSET diplomas have been issued over the last 21 years.

A quiet, unassuming man, who knows more than he lets on, is leaving Mountain View a better place. As it is with all of us, there are parts of his job he absolutely loves and will miss, and other parts he’s fine with leaving behind.

His cooking discussions with Matt D have fascinated me for years. I’ve learned more about the art of cooking from them (and Jamie Emerson) than from any men I knew growing up. It’s a core memory that I treasure.

Martin’s knowledge of vehicles has saved me from costly repairs and bad purchases—he’s not to blame for that Chevy truck disaster I bought last year and parked here all summer! 😊 . He has been able to explain complex ideas in layman’s terms, making life decisions more manageable for many people, not just me.

In 2016 and 2017, he loaned me some century-old newspapers that he discovered as a boy and laminated when he became a teacher. The history found in them still stirs my soul, and my juvenile students were fascinated to read them. One day in February 2017, we discovered that we were reading a newspaper that was exactly 100 years old to the day!

The breadth of experience and knowledge that Mr. French brought to education is far too great to include here, but he used his experience as an educator to support my teaching, and that has been great.

Now, many who know me a little think that I’m generally affable and easy-going, but those who know me better realize that I can be a bit cranky and difficult. So, it won’t surprise you if I reveal that I didn’t always agree with Martin…. I give him credit for learning how I operate!

He has given me space and time to reflect and grow. He pushed me to see teaching from new perspectives, and he supported my efforts to participate in professional development opportunities beyond MDOC. I am also grateful for his personal support through some very challenging experiences.

We have shared some tremendous laughs, some great stories, and a lengthy period of laboring in education together. Thank you, Martin.

I wish you well in your well-deserved retirement. I hope you and Lisa enjoy your family and each other for many years to come, and that your time together will be rich and rewarding. Please remember that wherever you find yourself, there you are, and you will remain in our hearts.

Thank you.

Mack