Just Passing

27. Principal's Office

"Come on," I say to Blake. "Let's see what we can solve."

I stand and he reluctantly follows.

Ms. Reid has her door open. I knock on the frame and she looks up from her computer. "Oh, hello Mr. Graham, Blake. Come on in."

"Thank you, Ms. Reid. I hope we aren't interrupting anything important." I sit down at the conference table and gesture for Blake to sit next to me.

"Oh, nothing that I can't finish up in a bit." As she stands to join us, she smiles at Blake. "How are things going?"

"Fine," he mutters.

"Math is going great," I interject. "But Blake brought something else to my attention, and I was hoping to get your input on next steps."

"Of course. What's going on?" She asks, leaning forward.

"Blake, do you want to tell Ms. Reid what you told me?" I prompt.

"Can you?" he asks, scrunching up his brows with uncertainty.

"Sure." I nod and then turn my attention back to Ms. Reid. "Well, Blake here had a bit of an issue in the boy's room with a fifth grader, and it made him feel like he doesn't belong there."

"Oh really? Can you say more?" she asks, concern in her voice.

"I don't want Danny getting in trouble," Blake quickly adds.

"At the beginning of the year Danny Sumpter told Blake that the only place boys could pee was in a urinal, and if he couldn't use a urinal, then he couldn't use the boy's room," I explain.

"I see." She nods. "Was anyone else in the bathroom when he said this?"

"There was someone in the other stall, but I don't know who," Blake answers, his eyes are focused on his hands as he picks at the rough edge of his bitten down thumb nail.

"And what about the way he said it, can you give me any more details?"

"Well, I was walking out of a stall and he stopped me. Said he had been waiting and that, well ... what Mr. Graham said." Blake's voice falters.

"Hmm. Okay. Blake, did you tell your mom this?"

"No." His eyes remain cast downward.

Ms. Reid looks at me, her lips pressed thin and her brows furrowed. A beat passes, and she nods. "Here's what we are going to do," she says decisively. "We're going to get to the bottom of this. Mr. Graham is going to talk to your mom and I am going to talk to Danny– Don't worry, you're not getting him in trouble, I just want to talk to him."

Blake doesn't look too happy as he shuffles back down to class. I feel bad that we lost our math time to this, but I also feel optimistic that I finally understand what's preventing him from reaching his potential in whole-class instruction. And now we can work on solving the problem.

* * *

The next morning I get to work a little earlier than usual to meet with both Ms. Greene and Ms. Reid.

When I called, Blake's mother was understandably upset by the news I had to share. I think she was actually more concerned that Blake hadn't told her first, rather than at what happened. But now that we all knew about what Danny Sumpter said, it is time to put together an action plan.

After dropping my bag by my desk, I take my coffee and go sit at the conference table in Ms. Reid's office.

"Did you see Ms. Greene on your way in?" she asks.

"No, but I'm sure she'll be here shortly." I take a sip of my coffee. "How did your conversation with Danny go?"

Her nostrils flare slightly as her lips press shut and she shakes her head slowly. "That kid's going to be a politician." The way she says it, she definitely does not mean it as a compliment.