There are a lot of misconceptions about inner city schools. Some say that the students really don’t care about their education, or the teachers are just there for paychecks. If you watch Stand and Deliver your whole view and opinions on public schools will change. This movie shows you how if you put a dedicated teacher in a class of inner city students great things can actually happen. The story took place in East LA. During the late 70’s early 80’s.
In the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood sits Garfield High. Mr. Escalante played by Edward James Olmos, moved to East Los Angeles from Bolivia he decided to become a teacher at Garfield high. He was originally supposed to be a computer teacher, but because of the lack of money in the school’s
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One in specific was Angel Guzman played by Lou Diamond Phillips. Angel was kind of a gangster but was very smart. He tried to keep this hidden though, instead of giving up like his friends did he kept going. He asked Mr. Escalante for books and in return he’d give Mr. Escalante protection, from the other students and on the streets. When Angel started to come around in the movie you could tell he was different from the people he hung out with. He was the only one who tried to solve problems in the class and participate. He was also different because he actually had a struggle of his own at home. His mother was quite sick and really couldn’t function well without him. Eventually Angel got out of the gang he was in and was one of the students who got the highest score on the A.P. Calculus test. Lou went on to star in movies like La Bamba, Young Guns, and most recently the T.V. show …show more content…
One main message I think is, don’t judge a book by its cover. Most of the teachers even thought the algebra class was going to fail or the students wouldn’t make any progress, but when they exceed to pass the A.P. Calculus test, all the teachers became jealous of Mr. Escalante and his class’s accomplishments. The story took place during a time were gangs and violence was pretty serious in East L.A. Garfield high itself was violent itself. Fights broke out, students played pranks like ringing the school bells early to let kids out of their classes. Then school wasn’t really important to some kids. They had things to deal with outside of school like some had to raise families or work to help pay bills at their houses. This movie really opened up my eyes to the different struggle some of those kids had to deal with back then. It’s like some of them had to grow up before it was time for them to. Anybody who grew up in an urban area and went to a public school can relate to this
The film starts with an uprising after a white storeowner kills a black teenager. This incident Highlights Prejudices. The teenager was labeled a thief because of the color of his skin and the unjustifiable murder causes racial tensions that exist as a result of the integration of the high schools.
This film is one that has faults, but is also very credible and a major wake-up call for those currently in power to make a change and help improve the schools of America, securing a better future for all.
The first element of Kozol’s article is the reality of urban public schools and the isolation of their students. Jonathan Kozol illustrates a grim reality about the unequal attention given to urban and suburban schools. The article explains how Kozol specifically looks at how they reflect institutional discrimination and the failure to address the needs of minority children. The article notes that these are the inequalities of the title, seen in the way schools in predominantly white neighborhoods are more likely to have sufficient funding, while schools in poor and minority neighborhoods do not. Kozol shows everyone involved in the education system that public schools are still separate and, therefore, still unequal. Suburban schools, which are primarily made up of white students, are given a far superior better education than urban schools. These urban schools are primarily made up of Hispanics and African Americans.
...lms these students get away with murder and still go on to college. This simply does not happen in real life; therefore, looking to Hollywood films for the true colors of schools is not in the best of interests. We have to realize that directors produce these films in their vision of American culture. We as Americans always look to the American Dream of sometime “making it.” The films neglect to see the loser’s point of view, meaning Hollywood films only look to a positive ending because it is in our nature to believe in the American Dream. This book allows our society to actually look past the films fantasies and observe the true inequalities in school. Although Hollywood films do correctly show how urban, suburban, and private students behave in schools, they do not show the true outcomes of real life.
This past week I watched the movie Stand and Deliver. It has many similarities as Freedom Writers; however, it is not as well known. Stand and Deliver, a true story, follows the account of Jaime A. Escalante. Escalante is a new teacher at James A. Garfield High School who is determined to change the education system and challenge his students. The school’s students primarily come from lower to middle class families who are well below their expected grade level in academics and social standing. Being the new teacher at the school, the students regularly taunt him, yet as the year progresses he is able to gain their interest. He uses innovative teaching techniques, by using props and sarcasm to illustrate math concepts. He comes into the school
This movie is based on changing the lives of Mexican Americans by making a stand and challenging the authority. Even when the cops were against them the whole time and even with the brutal beatings they received within one of the walk out, they held on. They stuck to their guns and they proved their point. The main character was threatened by the school administrators, she was told if she went through with the walkout she would be expelled. While they wanted everyone who was going to graduate to simply look the other way, the students risked it all and gave it their all to make their voices
The essay “Still Separate, Still Unequal”, by Jonathan Kozol, discusses the reality of inner-city public school systems, and the isolation and segregation of inequality that students are subjected to; as a result, to receive an education. Throughout the essay, Kozol proves evidence of the inequality that African American and Hispanic children face in the current school systems.
The famous the note that was left by the teens in detention at the end of the movie shows the social connection between each of their roles in society and how those are tie to society. The teens use the stereotypical names to tell Mr. Vernon who they think they are; the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, and the criminal, they use the names that society has given them because of their reputations, hobbies and looks. They each realize throughout the movie that there is something that connects them to one another which makes them all realize that no matter the stereotypical separation between them, they all have some things in common and can work together for a common goal.
In this film we see many typical high school behaviors such as cliques, cattiness, and popularity (or lack there of) issues. Many scenes in this movie have an array of stereotypes. Sometimes they are clearly stated and others just seen through attitudes of the actors/actresses character. Also through out we follow the main clique “the plastics” and they have this image they have to uphold. Be perfect, skinny, the best at everything, and in sync with everything they do; or they wont uphold their status. I chose this film because I think it shows a lot of what we have learned in this course and how it is in real life. Clearly the film is exaggerated but much of
The main themes are that you shouldn’t judge people by their appearances. Just because you are rich and belong to a tough gang does not mean you are cruel like the other gang members. You shouldn’t carry any harmful weapons and should not escape from the police.
Education is an integral part of society, school helps children learn social norms as well as teach them how to be successful adults. The school systems in United States, however are failing their students. In the world as a whole, the United States is quickly falling behind other countries in important math and reading scores. The United States ranked thirtieth in math on a global scale and twentieth in literacy. This is even more true in more urban, lower socio-economic areas in the United States. These schools have lower test scores and high dropout rates. In Trenton Central High School West, there was an 83% proficiency in literacy and only 49% of the students were proficient in math. Many of these students come from minority backgrounds and are often from low income families. There are many issues surrounding these urban schools. There is a severe lack of proper funding in these districts, and much of the money they do receive is sanctioned for non-crucial things. Schools also need a certain level of individualization with their students, and in many urban classes, this simply does not happen. While there are many factors affecting the low performance of urban schools, the lack of proper funding and distribution of funds, the cultural divide between teachers and students in urban districts, along with the lack of individualization in urban classrooms are crucial reasons to explain the poor performance in these districts. Through a process of teacher lead budget committees and further teacher education, urban schools can be transformed and be better equipped to prepare their students for the global stage.
There are many more examples throughout this movie that can be connected or assessed to the many different concepts that was learned. There are many real-life events and these concepts are important because they allow people to see how different types of people and families deal with stress and problems and it is important not to judge or jump to conclusions and maybe take a step back and take time to consider what others may be going
Schools that are filled with low-income colored students across the country are far more likely to have inexperienced teachers, bad grades, very little opportunities for economic funding and racial segregation compared to schools in wealthier areas. The issue of teacher
The film begins with a new teacher, Jaime Escalante, arriving to Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. On his first day he comes to find out that the computer science class he thought he was going to teach doesn't exist, because the school has no computers. In turn he is assigned to take over the general algebra class. From the beginning the film portrays the school as one on its downfall, and with students that are facing poverty. The class he receives is full of students who, according to other teachers at the school, are unintelligent and incapable of learning much of the material. Students cannot be expected to learn material when the teachers themselves do not believe in the stude...
Non judgmental and Compassion was a message in this movie. If more people would have compassion for others we would live in a better world. It is important to be non judgmental because people never know what happens in a person's life to cause them to act out in a certain way. Mrs. Erin Gruwell’s students were separated along racial lines and had few aspirations beyond street survival. Many people warned her that her students were all criminals who couldn’t be taught. With all odds stacked against her, she accepted the teaching position at Wilson High School. Erin Gruwell saw more in the students than a future as criminals and gang members; she saw them as people who have lost their ways in life. Instead of turning her back as society had done, she held out a helping hand. She had compassion and was non judgmental toward the children’s actions and hatred for one another. Being judgmental...