Students, Teachers In Red Oak Prepare To Head Back To School
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ELLIS COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - School bells will soon be ringing and one week from today many students across North Texas will head back to the classroom. But youngsters aren't the only ones preparing for the big day -- teachers are getting ready too!
Red Oak High School was a stop on a special bus tour for teachers and CBS 11 News was invited along for the ride.
For the first time, dozens of teachers from Red Oak Independent School District hopped aboard a bus to learn about each other and the schools they represent.
It was a good opportunity for Jason Sasser to explore his new district. After 13 years playing professional basketball with the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and in Europe, he's now taking on the new role as head coach of the Red Oak boys basketball team.
Looking around Sasser said, "Everything is new. Everything is new. But you guys have been going along with us… you see how nice the facilities are. The academics are stellar. So, it's a really good district. I'm enjoying just getting to go around and see every elementary [school] and see the middle school. It's a good experience."
Just inside the doors of Red Oak High are flags from colleges all across the United States. The flags are meant to inspire kids and hopefully drive them to excellence – in academia and athletics.
"It brings me great joy whenever I can pour into kids. One thing is, I'm a master motivator and I want the best for kids," Coach Sasser explained. "Everybody can't go and play college basketball or college athletics. They don't know that and sometimes the parents don't even know that, but if we can get them prepared for life that's the most important thing."
Hopes are high for all of the students at Red Oak. As it stands, the high school has a graduation rate between 95 and 96 percent.
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