equitably. That includes Katelyn Donovan. What kind of message are you all trying to send her—that her father’s money can buy her out of any situation? That grades and teachers and administrators are for sale?”
He turned his head sharply, eyes widened. I watched his face turn from pink to white. “Miss Smith, you are out of line.”
I didn’t say anything. He was waiting for me to go off, I think, but I didn’t. The silence was very uneasy, but I withstood it, waiting for his next words. He thrust his hands into his pockets. I watched him pace twice before his color returned. He sat down at his desk and faced me head-
on.
“If you don’t instruct Mr. Miller to change Katelyn’s grade, I will. And if you have anything to say to the contrary, I will launch an investigation into your administrative practices here.” His last sentence came out slowly, one syllable at a time. “I can make things happen or not happen.”
The look on his face said get out of here, so I did. After lunch, it was my turn to go to the administration office for a meeting. I had time to Sit down and crunch numbers with my colleagues. The results of the preliminary data showed that our school’s standardized test scores were looking good. We would only be rated ‘Acceptable’ by the Texas Education Agency, but there was some improvement, and I was glad that I’d have good tidings to relay to the staff. Mr. Butler usually left that responsibility to me.
I went back to the campus to close out the day. “How did the meeting go?” Miss Jan asked me.
“Oh, it was fine,” I told her. “Our scores are looking pretty good.”
“That’s great news,” she said, handing me yet another student referral that I’d have to deal with first thing in the morning.
Peaches called me at around five o’clock. “Hey, girl,” she said.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Nothin’,” she said. “I was just calling to see how your day at school went.”
“Crazy as usual,” I laughed as I turned down the volume on my television. “How about yours?”
“Girl, I’m just on white-folks overload right about now,” she laughed. “Tired of miling ’ and chirpin’ and laughin’ at stupid jokes and observations.”
“And you want me to come work with you?”
“They can’t be any worse than the white folks at your job,” Peaches remarked.
“I hear you.”
“You want to go running tonight?” she asked.
“Girl, please. You know I don’t run. I might walk with you.”
“I’ll meet you at the track in half an hour.”
My poor little athletic shoes were longing to be worn. Exercise was not high on my list of priorities. I knew, however, that I needed to get into some kind of routine to preserve my body. The best things I did for my body on a regular basis were to get my checkups and take a women’s daily vitamin.
Every so often, Peaches got onto me about exercise. I was thankful for her perspective on health. Because she had made a change in her diet and exercise, it affected what we ate when we were together. That alone probably added another ten years to my life.
Peaches pulled up in her Mercedes and waved as she got out. Her short, cropped haircut was perfect for the active lifestyle she led. Dressed in Nike from her hooded fleece to her cross-training shoes, she looked like an advertisement.
Eric ran straight to me and gave me a big hug. “Hi, Auntie Shon.”
“Hey! You almost knocked me over, man.” I took a few steps back, exaggerating his strength. He looked up, laughing, and then ran to the playground within view of the track.
Peaches started stretching, and I followed suit. She looked as if she were releasing the weight of the world as she inhaled and exhaled slowly to the silent count of eight. I let her lead me in the counts and the movements. Then she pushed a button on her stopwatch, and we took off walking.
“So what happened today?” I asked her.
“My team and I had to work up a settlement package to
He turned his head sharply, eyes widened. I watched his face turn from pink to white. “Miss Smith, you are out of line.”
I didn’t say anything. He was waiting for me to go off, I think, but I didn’t. The silence was very uneasy, but I withstood it, waiting for his next words. He thrust his hands into his pockets. I watched him pace twice before his color returned. He sat down at his desk and faced me head-
on.
“If you don’t instruct Mr. Miller to change Katelyn’s grade, I will. And if you have anything to say to the contrary, I will launch an investigation into your administrative practices here.” His last sentence came out slowly, one syllable at a time. “I can make things happen or not happen.”
The look on his face said get out of here, so I did. After lunch, it was my turn to go to the administration office for a meeting. I had time to Sit down and crunch numbers with my colleagues. The results of the preliminary data showed that our school’s standardized test scores were looking good. We would only be rated ‘Acceptable’ by the Texas Education Agency, but there was some improvement, and I was glad that I’d have good tidings to relay to the staff. Mr. Butler usually left that responsibility to me.
I went back to the campus to close out the day. “How did the meeting go?” Miss Jan asked me.
“Oh, it was fine,” I told her. “Our scores are looking pretty good.”
“That’s great news,” she said, handing me yet another student referral that I’d have to deal with first thing in the morning.
Peaches called me at around five o’clock. “Hey, girl,” she said.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Nothin’,” she said. “I was just calling to see how your day at school went.”
“Crazy as usual,” I laughed as I turned down the volume on my television. “How about yours?”
“Girl, I’m just on white-folks overload right about now,” she laughed. “Tired of miling ’ and chirpin’ and laughin’ at stupid jokes and observations.”
“And you want me to come work with you?”
“They can’t be any worse than the white folks at your job,” Peaches remarked.
“I hear you.”
“You want to go running tonight?” she asked.
“Girl, please. You know I don’t run. I might walk with you.”
“I’ll meet you at the track in half an hour.”
My poor little athletic shoes were longing to be worn. Exercise was not high on my list of priorities. I knew, however, that I needed to get into some kind of routine to preserve my body. The best things I did for my body on a regular basis were to get my checkups and take a women’s daily vitamin.
Every so often, Peaches got onto me about exercise. I was thankful for her perspective on health. Because she had made a change in her diet and exercise, it affected what we ate when we were together. That alone probably added another ten years to my life.
Peaches pulled up in her Mercedes and waved as she got out. Her short, cropped haircut was perfect for the active lifestyle she led. Dressed in Nike from her hooded fleece to her cross-training shoes, she looked like an advertisement.
Eric ran straight to me and gave me a big hug. “Hi, Auntie Shon.”
“Hey! You almost knocked me over, man.” I took a few steps back, exaggerating his strength. He looked up, laughing, and then ran to the playground within view of the track.
Peaches started stretching, and I followed suit. She looked as if she were releasing the weight of the world as she inhaled and exhaled slowly to the silent count of eight. I let her lead me in the counts and the movements. Then she pushed a button on her stopwatch, and we took off walking.
“So what happened today?” I asked her.
“My team and I had to work up a settlement package to
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