Making the Grade

This year we are creating a media department at my school. We will combine TV Production, Yearbook/Newspaper, and my classes into its own mini-department. Synergy is the key phrase. My class can make graphics for TV Productions who can use scripts from newspaper who can post their pictures on the website. We are knocking walls down, building doors, and creating publicity. The only problem is the Yearbook/Newspaper teacher is going on sabbatical. They are replacing her with someone who is shaky at best. She has trouble relating to kids, which is the key to our industry. You can fake your knowledge and your teaching methods until you make them, but you cannot make a kid think you care about him if you don’t. And if you don’t, he will not learn from you.

Well, the teacher that is leaving was also the PR person for the school. She graciously (and without checking for permission) recommended me for the PR work. This includes programming the marquee on the highway and writing press releases. Since most press releases go on the website, it is a natural thing for me to do it. I can do press releases from home. I can’t do the marquee from home. I have basketball twice a week in the summer so that’s not a problem. The problem is when I show up in the summer time. Because our normal computer people are busiest in the summer cleaning, fixing, and installing computers, I get hit up on all kinds of computer questions. Even when I get the chance to visit two of my favorite teachers on campus, I have to leave because someone has something silly like an active desktop feature showing. I really was having fun listening to the two of them.

One of my other jobs as mentioned here is that of basketball coach. I’ll make a confession here. I’m not very good at it in the way that I’ll never be a head coach. I don’t have the creative aspect needed. I can’t draw up new plays or watch a play on TV an adapt it. I can teach it very well, I can make adjustments, and I can motivate players. I think this makes me a good assistant coach. One of my jobs as an assistant coach is making sure players are eligible. We only lost two this semester. One was a foregone conclusion, but he can make it up in summer school. The other, well if would have gotten an A in PE, he would be eligible. He didn’t dress all the time. That lowers your grade. He has a chance to start, but if he doesn’t go to summer school it’s all a waste of time.

The other problem I had was our superstar player. He has quite a few colleges offer him already, including Tulane. His grades are good enough for us, but to get into college they are weak. Athletes get a sliding scale to enter into college. The higher the GPA, the lower the ACT needs to be. He’s a good kid. He made the paper one time for being the athlete of the week. I showed it to my mom and told her that is the closest to a grandchild she is getting for some time. I’m not sure a 6’5” young black man was what she was expecting, but after meeting him she understands why. He’s the kind of kid that sports should get scholarships for. Well, the problem is math. He is weak in it. Also, when I would ask his teachers how he was doing, they would say fine and no worries. Well, D’s are worrisome. And just as a disclaimer, I rarely have ever asked for grades and the one time I did it was for a kid who wasn’t a superstar. I just didn’t want the kid to take the class over for the third time. And it wasn’t much help that was needed. I felt I had to say that in full disclosure. I’ve never asked for this kid. I’ve asked if he needed help, so we could send him to tutoring which our school offers 3 times a week. My head coach is good about it and works practice around it when we need to. But I digress. This player needs to improve on one of those d’s. If he doesn’t, it will take an astronomically high ACT score to get the grade. I talked to my player, as did our secretary (who knows more about NCAA Clearinghouse Standards than our guidance counselors do) and the head coach. This morning, at 7, his dad called and I explained again. Hopefully, he realizes that 300+ dollars this summer will save him money in the future to pay for higher education.