Classified Staff Week Focus: Michael Franks will find a way to fix it
Colton High’s Computer Lab Instructional Assistant uses his love for fixing things to great advantage when working with staff and students
Michael Franks serves Colton High as its Computer Lab Instructional Assistant. He cares deeply about students’ education: “Every day you gotta learn something. It may be a new way to cook things, it may be a new way to do things; but either way, you gotta be learning something.”
“If things go wrong, what can I do to help them out?”
This is the motto of Mr. Michael Franks, whose daily work supporting students and staff with computer issues is appreciated campus wide.
Michael Franks has been working at Colton High School for 16 years as a Computer Lab Instructional Assistant. For most of that time, he ran the computer lab in room 214, helping students with computer literacy, serving visiting classes, and staying after school to support students with printing and other computer needs.
This year, with the shifts caused by distance learning, every student now brings a school-issued Chromebook to school, which has turned his computer lab into a Chromebook distribution and service center.
“This transition was way different than I had thought it was going to be,” Franks said. “But it helped me out in the long run; it helped me out professionally.”
Franks loves his job because he gets to help his colleagues as well as students.
Still, his favorite part about working here is the students, “My favorite part of my job is you guys, I love seeing you all every day.”
Before coming to Colton High, Franks worked at both Bloomington High School and at the former Bloomington Middle School, which was eventually renamed Joe Baca Middle School.
Working with computers has always been of interest to Franks. Since he was young, he has always loved taking things apart and finding out the way they work. Even as an adult, he enjoys building Lego sets and models.
“I’ve always been one of those kids who found it more fascinating to tear things apart and see how they tick rather than just turning and saying ‘Oh, that’s nice’ and turning things on and off.”
This obsession with how things work is inspired by a deep appreciation for learning. “One of the things I’ve noticed in life is that if you don’t learn anything, you really aren’t accomplishing anything,” Franks said. “Every day you gotta learn something. It may be a new way to cook things, it may be a new way to do things; but either way, you gotta be learning something.”
Recently, the CHS Publications Department experienced a major theft as over $20,000 in photography equipment was stolen from our studio over Spring Break. This included all cameras. Any amount you donate will help rebuild our program. Thank you!
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