Teachers

This blog entry about the movie TEACHERS (1984) is the second of four entries discussing movies about school, teachers, and education.

TEACHERS is a comedy-drama film about John F. Kennedy High School, an urban school in Columbus, Ohio that is being sued by a recent graduate who claims he is unable to read or write, yet he received a diploma. JoBeth Williams plays Lisa Hammond, the lawyer in charge of taking depositions, and who also happens to be a graduate of John F. Kennedy High School. The film realistically displays the superintendent (Lee Grant) and school lawyer (Morgan Freeman) trying to avoid bad publicity from the lawsuit.

Nick Nolte plays Alex Jurel, a well-liked Social Studies teacher who serves as an example of teacher burn out. Alex, like most teachers, brings energy and optimism to the position. But after many years of working with unruly students and dealing with the demands of the administration, he becomes cynical. However, TEACHERS shows how a teacher like Jurel is able to reach students and how they trust him with personal issues they go through, such as when a student named Diane Warren (Laura Dern) becomes pregnant and confides in him. He also mentors a reticent student named Eddie Pilikian (Ralph Macchio).

John F. Kennedy High School has a few teachers who are peculiar characters. In one class students know to walk in, pick up a handout from the teacher’s desk, quietly go to their seats to complete the worksheets, and when the bell rings they get up, put the handout on the teacher’s desk and leave the classroom. During the entire class period, the teacher holds up a newspaper and falls asleep. Students sit with their backs to him and do not observe his slumber. One day unbeknown to everyone, the teacher dies. Even though he has expired, when the bell rings students get up, turn in the worksheets, and leave the classroom. A full day goes by before anyone notices the teacher is not sleeping, but dead. This scenario supports the point of the lawsuit the school is facing from the graduate who claims he attended the school but is illiterate. This teacher does not teach. Instead he gives students busy work.

On the other hand, Richard Mulligan plays Herbert Gower, a mental institution outpatient who wanders into someone’s home and answers the telephone. A school secretary mistakes him for a substitute teacher, so he goes to the school. He becomes students’ favorite U.S. History teacher because he dresses in period clothing and acts out historical scenes. It takes the school a while to realize he is not the correct substitute teacher. This is hilarious and, surprisingly, could probably happen.

The balance of comedy and drama in TEACHERS works well. The comedic situations help ease the audience for bearing with the serious lawsuit storyline. Overall, the film, which is set in the 1980’s, makes the valid point that schools should be reorganized. By the early 1990’s, state education standards were created in the United States, which provide teachers and schools with structured curricula guidelines. Now there are Common Core State Standards, which were launched in 2009.

Lean on Me

This blog entry about the movie LEAN ON ME (1989) is the first of four entries discussing movies about school, teachers, and education. In addition to being a writer, I am a school administrator and teacher. When I first watched these films, I was not an educator, so my perspective of certain aspects in them has evolved.

LEAN ON ME is a biographical drama based on Joe Louis Clark who was a principal at Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey. Morgan Freeman plays the controversial disciplinarian. One of the unconventional methods he uses in the movie is putting chains and padlocks on all the doors to keep gangs and drug dealers out of the school. Eastside High School is in an urban community and, unfortunately, certain activities that take place outside the school are brought inside. Students, faculty, and staff are happy about the chains and padlocks on the doors, but a parent, Leonna Barrett (Lynne Thigpen), is distressed by the approach and that her son is expelled, so she resolves to get Mr. Clark fired.

The school also grapples with students receiving low scores on a basic skills test and is in danger of the state taking control of it, which is why school district superintendent Dr. Frank Napier (Robert Guillaume) suggested hiring Mr. Clark, a former teacher at Eastside High School. Since students realize Mr. Clark cares about their well-being and education, they are motivated to study, learn, and raise the school’s basic skills test scores. One student, Thomas Sams (Jermaine Hopkins) who is expelled because of drug use, even begs Mr. Clark to allow him to return to school.

LEAN ON ME shows what several schools throughout the United States struggle with, but not all of them are in urban areas. There are also rural and suburban schools that have issues with gangs and/or drugs and receive low scores on state exams. This becomes clear once one has worked in schools and the movie takes on a different meaning. Most viewers see Mr. Clark as an inspirational figure who makes a positive impact on a school. Educators recognize that, but also take away from the story that certain tactics may or may not work at their schools for administering student discipline and teaching academic standards for a state exam.

A similar movie to LEAN ON ME is the biographical made for television movie, THE GEORGE MCKENNA STORY (1986) starring Denzel Washington. For the video release the title is HARD LESSONS. The movie is based on McKenna, who was a principal at George Washington Preparatory High School in South Los Angeles, California.