Lin-Lin Mo

Sophomore Connor Inskeep washes the car of Jim Inskeep, Connor’s father and athletics director, at the annual FTK car wash. Mr. Inskeep said Connor is still building his own legacy just like other students in the building.

Most students say goodbye to their parents every morning and don’t see them again until the evening. But, for students like sophomore Connor Inskeep, they arrive at the same school as their parents. Both Connor and his father, Athletics Director Jim Inskeep, arrive at CHS together as the bell signals the start of a new day for work and education. Although the two have their own responsibilities at CHS, they always know a loved one is nearby.

Mr. Inskeep, who grew up in a similar situation with his mom working at the same school, said he feels the parent-child school setting is almost normal for him; however, he recognizes that it is not common.

“To run into your own son during the course of the day or during passing periods is a unique opportunity,” Mr. Inskeep said.

Although Mr. Inskeep and Connor may find the circumstances advantageous, others question if a parent’s title, whether a teacher or administrator, can potentially lead to bias toward the child in the classroom setting.

Connor said he understands that might be a concern for some students.

“In my personal opinion, yes, I do think that there is a little bias with some teachers, but it’s obviously something that I don’t try to make evident. Nine times out of 10, I am not the one that brings up my dad’s position; I try to keep it on the down low to avoid special treatment,” he said, via email.

While Connor said he finds being hit with the question “Are you Mr. Inskeep’s son?” irritating, Mr. Inskeep said because CHS is so big, he finds this relationship often doesn’t affect how Connor acts in the building.

“I think Connor is blazing his own trail in terms of how he interacts with teachers and adults,” Mr. Inskeep said. “Being around adults or coaches or teachers all the time could be a good thing for him but, again, when you get to the classroom setting, you are setting your own legacy.”

In fact, according to Connor, having a parent working at CHS can also have advantages for both the student and the parent.

For example, Connor said knowing the coaches before high school was a huge benefit toward his athletic progression. Mr. Inskeep said Connor’s involvement in sports has also offered new opportunities for himself to evaluate his job as the athletics director.

Mr. Inskeep said, “To be on both sides of being a parent and an administrator is really unique for me because I get to see communication our coaches send and how they do a really good job of providing for our parents, while if I wasn’t (an administrator) myself, I would not necessarily look at these situations that closely.”

Since the Inskeeps are located at the same school, Connor said he is able to provide feedback on certain events, and in turn, Mr. Inskeep can also guide him in specific directions.

“Just knowing the other people he is working with here in the school is a really good thing because all these staff members and coaches are dedicated to what they do, and to know first hand the types of people he is getting to work with is definitely a benefit for me,” Mr. Inskeep said.

Furthermore, Mr. Inskeep said he maintains a professional persona with Connor at school, which is why Mr. Inskeep only allows Connor to visit him when the time is appropriate, so Connor does not abuse this privilege.

Maintaining professionalism at school may seem difficult, but Connor said his dad keeps a good distance between his lifestyle at home and his job.

Connor said, “I never really see (Mr. Inskeep) as the athletic director unless he’s around everybody else because he is really good at keeping his family life and job fairly separate.”

Gallery • 3 Photos

Christina Yang

Freshman Steven Overbeck kicks the ball away to the other side of the field. Even though his mother is in the building, he said he still tries to solve his own problems unless it’s something serious.