Darnell Rock Reporting Read Online Free

down.
    “Maybe the old man was a chump,” Chris said. “And he wanted to show up a chump.”
    “Do you really believe that, Chris?” Mrs. Finley asked.
    “Yeah,” Chris answered as the bell rang.
    Mrs. Finley told the class to read the next fifteen pages in the book. Darnell noticed that Chris was the first one out the door.
    There were two kinds of classes at Oakdale: Plateau and Ladder. The Plateau classes were for kids who were on the right reading level. The Ladderclasses were for kids reaching toward their reading level. Darnell was in a Ladder class, but he was pretty sure that he was going to be in a Plateau class the next year. Mrs. Finley had told him that he was already close.
    There were two lunch periods, and usually Darnell ate in the first one, but Mr. Derby had arranged for the interview with Mr. Baker now. He went to the principal's office and stood outside.
    Tamika was going by and stopped. “What did you do?” she asked.
    ‘ ‘Nothing/’ Darnell said.
    “Again?” Tamika shook her head and started down the hall.
    A moment later Linda Gold showed up with a notebook and a pencil in her hand. Darnell wished he had thought to bring along a notebook.
    “Fll introduce us,” Linda said, “then you ask him how long he's been principal, and Fll ask him the rest of the questions. Okay?”
    “Yeah, okay.” Darnell felt unsure of himself as they walked into the outer office.
    There was a long counter just inside the office. Behind the counter there were two desks. Miss Green sat behind one of them, and Mr. Thrush used the other one when he wasn't doing his gym stuff.
    “Hello, Linda.” Miss Green smiled at Linda. “Sit on the bench, Darnell—and keep quiet.”
    “Hey, I'm not on suspension,” Darnell said with a scowl.
    “We're here from the school newspaper to interview Mr. Baker,” Linda said.
    “Oh.” Miss Green looked at Darnell and shrugged.
    She dialed Mr. Baker and then told Linda and Darnell to go into his office.
    Mr. Baker's office was large. His desk was big enough, but he also had a couch on one side with a small table in front of it. When parents came in he sat on the couch with them.
    “We're from the
Gazette
staff,” Linda started. “I'm Linda Gold, and I guess you know Darnell Rock.”
    “We've met,” Mr. Baker said, leaning back in his chair.
    Linda nudged Darnell with her foot.
    “How long have you been a principal?” Darnell asked.
    “This is my seventh year,” Mr. Baker said.
    Darnell watched as Linda wrote down Mr. Baker's answer.
    “What do you like about being a principal?” Linda asked.
    “Well, I like the opportunity to help young people achieve their educational goals,” Mr. Baker said. “There's nothing better than the introduction of the young to the pleasures of education. And when I say ‘pleasures’ I mean exactly that. A Greek philosopher once said that education is the purpose of the wise man, not just its use. When I was a young man, not much older …”
    Mr. Baker's voice droned on and on and Darnell saw Linda writing furiously. Now he was glad he had forgotten to bring a notebook.
    There was a fly in the office, and Darnell tried to keep track of it without Mr. Baker or Linda knowingwhat he was doing. The fly buzzed along the top of the window and then went to the flag behind Mr. Baker's desk.
    “What goals do you have for the school?” Linda asked.
    “Basically, my goals are for the individual students,” Mr. Baker said. “I want each child who goes to South Oakdale Middle School to be excited about learning. School should be something they see as a pleasure, and also as a challenge.…”
    The fly was on the wall, then made a lazy circle around Linda's head and then landed on Mr. Baker's arm. Darnell covered his mouth to hide his smile, but Mr. Baker saw it and gave him a stern look.
    “Is there anything that you would like to say to the student body in the
Gazette?”
Linda asked.
    “Only this”—Mr. Baker had the palms of his