"Report to the office immediately or you will be arrested"

That's what I heard being announced over the school intercom as I approached the Middle School's main office to pick up Jamal's report card Monday afternoon. Upon entering, I was treated to a snapshot of his school's administrative faculty in action. A uniformed Baltimore Police officer was reading off a list of children who had been spotted loitering in the hallway, while the secretary was announcing their names. The principal was beside them both barking her disapproval with their technique. Minutes later, the first of the delinquents started to appear at the doorway.

"Are they serious? Arrested?" I asked the lady helping me with the report card.
"Yes, they will be taken to Baltimore Juvenile detention until their parents or whoever picks them up."

I had visited the office once about a year ago and didn't notice so much chaos. I wonder what the deal was today.

As each of students arrived, the Principal began yelling at them individually, raising her voice even louder to drown out their objections. Occasionally, she would glare over her shoulder and give an unresponsive member of her faculty the same treatment. I was a little embarrassed for everyone involved. It was a bit reminiscent of an early basic training experience, but a lot meaner.

Anyway, after about 10 minutes, the office administrator produced Jamal's report card and printed it. "You know, he's one of the good ones. He just needs some help caring about his school work" she tells me.

I'll say. I was stunned when I saw that he is carrying a D minus average (61%) over the first two quarters and is failing 3 out of his 5 classes halfway through the current quarter. His worst grades were in math where he has received F's (55% and 57%) for the first two quarters. Grandma told me that he wasn't doing well, but I didn't expect it to be this bad. Only a year ago he had a 78% average for all of his classes. How is it that things have fallen so dramatically so quickly?

It sounds a bit presumptuous, but I have considered that my dwindling involvement with him this academic year may have played some role in it. Well, it was more than obvious that there is work to be done. I asked her if she would summon Jamal to the office before dismissal so that I could take him home with me. She very kindly cooperated and had him pulled from class.

When he strolled into the office, he didn't seem the least bit surprised to see me. He actually appeared a little bothered. I didn't understand why, but I probed him a bit once we got outside. After a little more prodding, and poking, I finally got him to tell me that he has a girlfriend he was expecting to meet after school. Can you believe that? And on top of that, he had given her a gift earlier in the day (by way of a mutual friend) and he had been looking forward to their walk home from school so that he could see her response. I offered to take him back, but he said he would just catch up with her later. As we drove to my house, he told me all about his young lady friend. He described the excitement of his first kiss (cheek), and how disappointed he was that he had not yet received a reciprocal peck. How cute. Eventually, we got into serious territory with the whole kissing and girlfriend issue. I'll tell you about that a bit later.