Gah Cha

There was only one chair in the room. The gaunt man sitting in it behind the desk said, "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today."

Reggie Grubb, standing in a place she’d been many times before, was absolutely sure the Penn High School Principal Carter Parker didn’t remember her from when she was Regina Dell Mason twenty years before. She remembered well. ‘Thank you’ wasn’t in his giving vocabulary in those days, but he expected it from others. She’d never forgotten his stoic face and other projections of his personality. But the Regina of those days wasn’t going to make what she remembered known until necessary and to her advantage.

Parker continued, “Mrs. Grubb, it is unfortunate that we need to meet this way.”

Got him, she thought, no recollection.

Parker continued, “Douglas has been absent more than the allowed number of days, and if fifteen of the twenty are unexcused, he will receive failing grades in all of his classes. I need to have written evidence of medical appointments or doctor recommended school absence for me to override the policy. And state law requires him to be in attendance until the end of school two weeks hence, so if you choose to withdraw him, it will be with failing grades.”

Reggie responded, “Could the school district superintendent override your decision to fail Douglas on those grounds?”

“I’m sure, but as far as I know my adherence to the policy has never been questioned before.”

“You said medical appointments or doctor prescribed absence. I know my son has several tardies and was told if he was tardy more than ten minutes or missed fifteen minutes in a class or five days in a row for a class an academic absence is put in the record. Is that true?”

“Yes, Mrs. Grubb. This is an optional district policy and can be used by teachers who choose to do so. However, I strongly recommend teachers in my building follow my lead on this option.”

“What’s the purpose? And what if the tardy is not a student’s fault?”

“Tardy is tardy and I believe attendance and being on time is not only necessary for students to hear all that is taught, but it develops lifelong habits that lead to success in all post school endeavors.”

“Douglas has never scored less than 90 percent on a required paper, quiz, or test. Does that mean less than his attendance?”

“I know about his abilities, Mrs. Grubb, but this rule has been in place for nearly thirty years. In my memory, no one with a poor attendance or tardy record was ever fully successful in later life. Of course, gpa is important, but gpa isn’t the life lesson of the attendance policy.”

“Are you implying that attendance impacts a student’s getting college scholarships?”

“Yes, it does, and you should know that the attendance policy does impact grades.”

“Perhaps the new superintendent will change the policy.”

“I’m sure he will have more important things to do when he takes over in July.”

“Mr. Parker, may I call you Carter?”

“I prefer to be more formal with parents, Mrs. Grubb. It’s a personal policy I hold dearly.”

Now the gah cha!

“As you wish, Mr. Parker, but since you prefer to be formal, you must call me Doctor Grubb. The girl Regina Dell Mason whose mother was too ill to verify her absences to you twenty years ago will keep that and the attendance vs. grade policy in mind when she becomes your boss next month.”

Reggie Grubb, AKA Dr. PhD, Regina D. Grubb, smiled, handed him several papers, and continued, “Oh, Mr. Parker, these are notarized verification for the legitimacy of my son’s absences and tardies.”

She turned, went to the door, and said, “Have a happy retirement.”