Cory Crosnoe still coaching -- just not baseball

Some may remember Jackson Junior High School principal Cory Crosnoe for his baseball success. The Cape Girardeau Central and Southeast Missouri State University standout had an impressive career on the field. So much so that he spent a couple seasons in the '90s playing minor league baseball for the Atlanta Braves organization. Crosnoe coached at the high school level early in his career, but these days he's using his teaching talents to coach kids in other areas. But make no mistake. Cory Crosnoe is still a coach.

Last week I stopped by Russell Hawkins Junior High to observe Crosnoe speaking to a couple dozen seventh- and eighth-graders in the school's Man Up Club, a special interest topic offered to boys in the form of a club. Now in its fourth year, this was the first meeting of the school year. The topic: How do you tie a tie?

After Crosnoe demonstrated, he passed out a box of ties for the young men. Some did better than others, but after about 20 minutes they all had the hang of it.

Other topics include: lawn mower care and how to sharpen blades, shaving and how to treat a lady when on a date -- even down to the details about what music should you play and asking about her interests.

"Some of these things, not that their fathers or grandfathers haven't shown them how to do it, but it's another thing about dad or grandpa showing you how to do it but being in front of your peers and really get to know it and not be afraid to ask a lot of questions," Crosnoe told me after the club finished.

Students, from left, James Hill, Cooper Giudicy and Jonathan Bieser tie ties Sept. 13 at the Jackson Junior High School.Lucas Presson ~ Southeast Missourian

What started as six to eight boys has grown organically with students telling their friends about the club and what they learn.

"Shaving is our most popular," Crosnoe said. "It has been over the last couple years. They're interested. Obviously some of them just have a little fuzz on their chin. They don't want to shave what little fuzz they have, but they do at least like to know, 'If I get cut, what do I do? Do I have to use a razor? Can I use electric?' So we just show them basic things."

A few local sponsors have come along to support the program. Steve Naeter of Garber's Men's Wear has visited the club, and this year he will host a field trip at the store where some of the boys will get to try on a suit and learn some basics on how to be a gentlemen. While on vacation in Florida, Crosnoe spoke with a group of older men about the program. They promptly volunteered to donate ties.

New McKendree Church has gotten behind the effort with financial support to provide the boys with hygiene products, possibly a tie and, what Crosnoe is particularly excited about, a nice dinner where the junior highers will learn the basics of a formal dinner. How to sit, use a napkin and what forks to use, among other details.

It builds confidence, Crosnoe said.

"My father showed me how to do those things, but just to know I can give back to those kids on something your father may have or may not have not even thought about showing you."

The junior high has some other positive stories Crosnoe was more than happy to share.

"I was told this year by an administrator at a national conference in Washington, D.C., 'You're the best kept secret in Missouri,' because we're the only junior high, seventh and eighth grade and 800-plus kids, six years in a row we have gotten every assignment turned in successfully."

Crosnoe points to the culture developed and, more specifically, the school's implementation of the ICU plan. Just like the acronym is used in health care, it's an Intensive Care Unit but for education.

Apathy is a consistent problem across education, Crosnoe said, and the ICU method is a way to "not let them off the hook." If a student fails to turn in an assignment, his or her name goes on the list. A text and email is sent to the parents, and the teachers work with the students to get their name off the list. That includes the use of a working lunch where students can get help. But it also means that they miss out on opportunities like Man Up Club and recess until their name is off the list. Additionally, a Saturday Session is offered some weeks where students can come and make up missed assignments.

"If you're not doing your assignments, we call it 'not practicing' -- if you're not practicing you're not going to do well on the test. ... It's just like playing baseball. If you don't go to practice. If you don't practice well, you're not going to do well at the games. You've got to practice. And you don't have a choice. If you don't practice, you don't usually get to play. So here we're not going to give you that opportunity. You don't get to miss practice. You're going to practice. We're going to have all these avenues for you to practice," he said.

Crosnoe added that the school hasn't retained a student in five years, MAP scores at the junior high have been strong, and students are doing better as they enter high school. School leaders have been asked to speak about the success at conferences in Baltimore, Nashville and Missouri.

"We're not running after points," Crosnoe qualified. "We're running after knowledge."

The results are impressive. Even teachers who were skeptical have since come back to say they can't imagine being in a school where this was not implemented, Crosnoe told me. Is it a fix-all for all the woes in education? No. I'm sure Crosnoe still deals with his share of challenges. Everyone does. But if the goal is improving the education process so that more kids succeed, Jackson Junior High is clearly doing something right.

Crosnoe might not be in a baseball dugout these days, but he's certainly still coaching and getting results.

Lucas Presson is assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.