Chapter 6

"Tony, where are you heading?" Mr. Calloway was leaning out of his classroom.

"I have P.E. in five minutes."

"I have a free period. Could I see you for a few minutes. I don't think Mr. Vickers will mind."

I nodded, then looked around the hall, spotting Toby Reyes. He had P.E. this period too. "Hey, Toby!" I yelled to get his attention. A minute later I was walking into Mr. Calloway's room and Toby was going to tell Coach Vickers why I was late.

"What can I do for you coach?" I asked as he leaned against the front of his desk and I took a seat in the first row.

"I hear you quit football. Planning on quitting baseball too?"

"Depends. You planning to retire and let Parker replace you?

"Mr. Parker," he said automatically, then added, "No, retirement isn't in my plans this year."

"Good. Let's go ahead and start spring training then. Get a jump on the competition."

Coach Calloway smiled. "And the WSAA will jump on us." The Washington School Activities Association decided when pre-season practice could start.

"Just a thought."

"About football. Have..."

"Yes, sir. I've thought about it, and this is the right decision for me."

"I know you and Mr. Parker don't always see eye-to-eye, but..."

"Do they teach understatement in teacher's college?"

"What?" I think the question surprised the coach.

"It's just you're the fourth teacher today to say that Parker and I don't see eye-to-eye, and I've only had two classes."

"We're ganging up on you?"

I nodded. "Along with my parents, Tami's mom, Robbie's dad, and all four of my grandparents."

"We just know how much you love the game, and don't want to see you making a mistake."

"And I appreciate that. I really do. But this is the right decision."

Coach Calloway nodded. "So who do you like in the World Series this year?" I knew it was his way of saying that he accepted my decision.

"Who do I like, or who do I think is going to win?" I never did make it to P.E.

I knew seventh period was going to be my favorite class. Debate. I'd heard great things about the class from students who'd had it last year. Mrs. Conners taught it; in fact it was the only class she taught. She was usually the librarian, but she'd been a national champion in college two years in a row.

We sat down. She had the desks arranged in a circle with her at the center. When the bell rang, she pointed at me. "Tony, resolved: teachers are underpaid and should have their salaries doubled. Three arguments against."

"Uh..." Damn, that was a loaded question. "In the current financial situation, doubling salaries would have to mean less teachers."

"One," she enumerated, holding up a finger.

"Raising salaries for teachers will cause a demand to raise salaries for other school personnel. Janitors, secretaries, administrators."

"Two."

It would be so much easier to argue the other way. "Doubling teacher salaries will cause an influx of new teachers, making it harder to get quality teachers."

"Interesting. How will more teachers make quality go down."

"Since determining quality in teachers is pretty much subjective, it's hard to determine who the good teachers are. And there will be more bad ones, since more of them will be in it just for the money."

"Three. Very good."

"Tami, How would you argue against Tony's first reason."

Tami looked like she wanted to switch to a safer class. "We wouldn't have less teachers, we'd increase the economic base."

"How?"

"Uh, taxes."

"So you're willing to lower your standard of living so that I can drive a Mercedes instead of a Volkswagen." Mrs. Conners' Volkswagen was almost legendary. Her dad had bought it in 1949, the first year Volkswagens were sold in the U.S. In fact, they sold two that year, though I don't know who bought the other one. He gave it to Mrs. Conners for her seventeenth birthday, and she'd been driving it ever since.

"Uh... I guess."

"Think about it." She spun and pointed at a boy on the other side of the circle. "Why shouldn't tobacco be outlawed?"