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"S-S-S-S-t...
S-S-St...
S-S-to...
S-S-Stower-ry."
(VIDEO GAME SOUND EFFECTS)
"Stower-ry."
BOY: "Story."
Idiot.
(DIALING PHONE)
"S-tory.
Put... the...
...story in...
...o...
...o..."
Try it again.
(MUSIC PLAYING SOFTLY)
I can't.
Oh, no.
Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
Hey, bug.
It's time to wake up.
Mmm.
Let's go, we're late. Let's go.
The new school doesn't care.
I care.
One more bite. I ate it.
That's why I bought you that 59.99 LeSportsac backpack...
...and I will take it away if we keep being late. Let's go.
Go, go, go, come on.
Look, what does that sign say? Go on, read that sign.
It says "stop." Malia.
Okay, what sound does that first letter make?
"Stop...
...aggravating me."
Malia. Come on.
I got it, right?
Come on.
Come on. Go, go.
(CHATTERING)
Here you go.
I love you.
I love you, I love you.
I love you, bug.
Sorry we're late.
Good morning. I just have one question.
At Malia's old school, her teacher used to
stay late sometimes after school
to help her a little bit with her reading...
School's over at 3.
For real?
Yeah, for real.
Okay.
TEACHER: Yesterday we were learning about nouns.
Today we'll be looking at verbs.
It's how we express an action, that's what verbs are for.
So.
In the sentence:
"The penguin dives into the sea."
Where's the verb? The action word?
Anyone?
How 'bout it, Tyler? Wanna take a swing at it?
I'm not doin' this for me.
All right, let's go back to anyone.
HART: Wait till you see the deals I got today.
Beautiful Buick Rendezvous. This baby is loaded.
I'm pickin' her up today. We're gonna beg
her old school to give us a break on tuition.
She cannot stay in that class.
No, Liz, that's exactly what I said to that crazy teacher.
(PHONE RINGING)
Hold on.
Hank Hart Auto.
Sure, I'll transfer you.
Yeah, no, and the principal keeps blowing me off over and over again.
Oh, God. I'm sorry, I gotta go. I gotta go.
I'll call you back. I gotta go.
Hank Hart Auto.
No, I'm sorry, ma'am, Mr. Hart is indisposed at the moment.
Excuse me, ma'am, would you please lower your voice?
Oh, my boss can't talk right now, so I'm a stupid cow?
You wanna talk to my supervisor?
Okay. Sure, no problem.
Oops, wrong button.
Hey, Jamie. Oh, Mr. Hart.
Hey, Jamie, check this out. Hey. Yes.
"We must be the change we wish to see." That's Gandhi.
And it's good for car sales, it's good for life.
Boy, that little guy really knew a thing or two, right?
Listen, I just wanted to talk to you because Jan mentioned to me...
...that you might wanna cut back on my hours a little bit.
I'm still behind here.
I completely understand. You're tryin' to
run an effective business. I wanna help.
I can't stand her.
I can't. I can't.
We talked about this, Breena.
It's a Deborah-free zone for our own sanity.
Mmm-hmm. Yeah.
You know, in a way, I almost admire her.
No ordinary deadbeat could pull off the highest salary
and the lowest job performance in school history seven years running.
Seriously, Breena.
Except you're not getting her subliterate kids
that she passes on to me. Okay?
And I have to give them two years of teaching in one.
I know there's a lot of Adams washouts, but still.
The only thing that the district does right is protect what it does wrong.
Can't teach your way out of a paper bag?
Your students can't even spell "paper bag"? No problem.
We'll just transfer them on to the next school, and the next.
And if all else fails, well, hey, there's
Adams, where education goes to die.
Ahh!
It's my shrink's idea.
Every time I start obsessing about how bad it's getting,
I just snap myself out of it.
How is that workin' for ya? (SCOFFS)
(PHONE BUZZES) Calluses upon calluses.
Give me one of those things.
Uh-uh.
Oh. Really?
Good morning, Nona.
Office needs your attendance logs corrected.
Oh, Tim.
No use fightin' 'em on it.
Yeah. You have too many absents then
they can't just pass them along.
Breakin' the law for the Man.
That gives you a special feeling, doesn't it?
What?
Just gets to you, you know?
(MAN WHOOPING)
(UKULELE PLAYING)
TEACHER: Now 10 divided by 3
ALL: is 3.33
TEACHER: And straight on into infinity
Figure it out, don't listen to me
It's knowledge
To get to college
Come on, come on
Now 50% of 110
Cut it in half, do it again
Double or nothing it's 55
And what percentage of you will arrive in college
ALL: You're all going to college
(TEACHER VOCALIZING)
Jazz hands! Jazz hands!
Hurry up! We gotta get to your old school before the principal leaves.
Come on! Come on, come on, come on.
You know we'd love to have Malia back,
but we can't give you any more aid.
Okay, so, tuition's five hundred, I'll pay you six.
But I'll pay it in installments,
like a 0% down, 3% financing kind of thing.
I know, you're trepidatious.
But you're gonna make more money in the long run.
I'm sorry.
Sit down here for just one second, sweetie.
Please, please. I'm begging you. I'm on my hands and knees.
She was doin' all right with you guys.
This new school can't do anything about the dyslexia.
And I know it's only been a short time.
I can feel it changing her. It's making her hard.
And the school's failing.
It is. They put it online now. You can read it. They got an F. An F.
There's the Rosa Parks Charter.
They have a lottery coming up soon.
I know, but they got like 500 people going for three slots.
Well, perhaps another school, then.
You're acting like I got a choice here.
It's not personal.
For you!
(EXHALES)
Let's get outta here. Okay.
Malia, don't worry. I just gotta get you
into that other second grade class.
(GROANS)
You look nice, Mrs. Alberts.
Yeah. First black Stepford wife.
(PHONE RINGING)
Oh, don't answer that. It's Charles. New boss, I'm late.
Cody, come on. You remember, we worked on this. All right?
You take this number here and this number.
You can do it, come on. I know you can.
(PHONE RINGING)
All right...
Just tell him I'm gonna be late.
Good night, Cody.
Alberts residence.
Clay, Valerie, Nona.
So nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
I ordered you the coq au vin since you were late.
Thank you.
So Charles tells us you teach in the Hill District.
Now, is that the Rosa Parks Charter that NPR is so gaga over?
I teach at Adams.
When we first moved here, Nona made it a point
to find the school most in need.
That is so admirable.
CHARLES: Very idealistic, she was.
Well, I guess we both were. I still wanted to design then.
So we would stay up all night long planning the schools
that I would build for her to run.
We were so young.
Now the thought of all that just makes me wanna take a nap.
(CHUCKLING)
You're gonna rip it!
I don't care! Now give it!
Let go! It's mine! DEBORAH: Take your seats.
Everybody, sit down now.
Stop. You're gonna rip it!
(RIPPING)
(GASPING) DEBORAH: All right, that's it.
Come on, sit down. Everybody sit down.
You both take your seats.
Oh, no.
All right. Just give me the backpack.
She ruined it. Everybody sit down.
Sit down.
No. Stop laughing. DEBORAH: Calm down.
Stop!
Give it to me.
She tore my backpack!
Give me the backpack and sit down.
Don't be such a drama queen, Malia. Lord.
JAMIE: That's not true, there's nothing you could do.
You could put her in the other class.
I can't do that! As I've told you
in one of our last six conversations...
Yeah?
...there are laws about the number of kids you can have in a class.
So switch her with another kid.
Or, so, get rid of this teacher.
The whole school knows she's got
a track history of complaints against her.
Oh, no, yes, you can't! Right?
'Cause she's tenurized. Right?
Yes, along with a slew of other things
spelled out in her 600 page contract.
Right.
Anyway, look at what she's dealin' with. 30 kids who hate school.
Whose fault is that?
It's not all hers. Every kid can't rise to the top, I'm afraid.
You're afraid?
Have you heard about those mothers
that lift one-ton trucks off their babies?
They're nothing compared to me.
No.
Excuse me? He's not going into a remedial classroom.
But he's been acting out, and he did test below the norm.
He tested borderline. He's been goin' through things at home.
I'll keep working with him.
If I may, I think that might contribute to the acting out.
Do you?
Nona, this is not a referendum on you.
Maybe we all just need to back off Cody a bit.
Test results are test results.
Hold up for a second. Can't.
Rosa Parks got a lottery. I'm gonna beg to
get him in. Play the teacher card.
First of all, a new school is not gonna stop him from acting out.
Why do you think he's acting out?
Honestly? Because you can't not be a teacher to him.
You don't think it's 'cause of what's happening at home?
You are all over him all the time.
And I know why.
But at some point, you have to let go.
Nona.
Nona!
Hi.
This is where I'm going?
I hope so.
We need some luck.
Maybe I should practice my reading.
They'll want me if my reading's good.
Let's go find someplace to sit.
Excuse me.
Excuse me. I'm trying to get my son in the lottery.
It's too late. I'm sorry.
Please, I'm a teacher. ls there anyone I could talk to?
You can try the principal. He's right over there. Do you see him?
How's it going poaching my teachers?
Oh, please. We don't poach, we protect.
Now, that's a good line. You oughta use it more often.
Oh, I forgot, you already do.
Oh, here we go, union bashing.
Here's a little secret: you can criticize and support unions.
Hey. How'd it go with your brother?
Oh, it was great. He won, 3 to 2.
Almost as good as you.
But you don't support us, you know? You shut us out.
Yeah, because my teachers want their freedom.
To be overworked? To be fired at any time for any reason?
No, freedom to put in extra time with their kids.
You know, freedom to stay after school if they want.
Good luck to you.
But do they want it, or are they too scared to say no?
You forget I was a teacher once.
No. I don't forget.
You were one of the greats.
Mr. Thompson. My name is Nona Alberts.
I'll have to talk to you afterwards.
Good evening, parents.
Here's your charm. Put it in your right hand.
In our country,
one child out of every four
grows up not knowing how to read properly.
Let me ask you
does that make you mad?
ALL: Yes!
Good, because I want you to be mad.
We have 40 spaces for you in our school.
So that means 400 of you are going to have to go out there
and fight for something better.
Just like I did 10 years ago.
I was a teacher, a parent of two.
I was sending my kids to school,
but they weren't learning anything.
Now I don't know everything, but I knew
I had to do something to try to fix it.
And now, Rosa Parks is third in the state.
But when I first tried to start it,
you know what they said to me?
"Hold on. Wait. We're addressing the problem."
"Hold on, wait. They're makin' changes."
That word "wait" means they're not going to do anything about it.
I said then and I'm saying it now.
We will not wait.
Are we going to wait while our kids are dropping out of school?
(PARENTS SHOUTING)
Are we going to wait while the school system is failing us?
ALL: We will not wait.
We will not wait.
ALL: (CHANTING) We will not wait!
This is it! This is our school.
We will not wait!
Okay, now, we're about to begin the draw.
Close your eyes. Close your eyes and wish for it.
First grade, three slots.
Okay?
Sarah Troy.
Yes! Yes!
Kenya Randall.
JAMIE: Is that the teacher in the other class?
Yeah.
THOMPSON: Easton Hawks.
WOMAN: Yeah!
Three slots now for third grade.
Oh, no. Okay.
Go like this. It's better luck. Luck's a lady.
Luck is a foxy lady.
LeShonda Jackson.
Go, LeShonda!
Chris Amodio.
MAN: Yeah!
The last slot for the third grade goes to
Robert Bryant.
We have three slots for fourth grade.
Elijah Jones.
(CONTINUES CALLING NAMES)
Congratulations to all of you.
And to everyone else, we must fight on.
This is a new day and we are taking back our public schools.
Thank you.
Principal, your car's ready for you.
Listen, can I speak to Mr. Thompson?
Excuse me. Mr. Thompson?
Excuse me.
JAMIE: You teach second grade at Adams, right?
My daughter just started there.
Are you here for yourself or for your kid?
That's none of your business.
What do you want from me?
I want Malia in your class.
It's a criminality keeping her in the other class. You have no room?
It's up to the principal! The principal said no!
Then there's nothing I can do about it!
That's what you all say!
Would you tell me right now what you can do?
I can ask him about it tomorrow.
You're not gonna do that, but thank you very much.
You're not the only one bein' put off. I said I'll ask.
I've heard that before. Not from me.
This is for her.
I understand. I'll do it.
Thank you!
Can we talk now?
I was thinking about my mother's funeral.
How word got out and all those old students showed up.
So many that they had to wait outside.
And it was galing.
You remember that?
Yeah.
But they didn't care.
They had to say something, remember her, what she'd done for them.
Nona.
They wouldn't go away.
They just
had to speak.
Needed to...
Over and over, they just kept saying the same thing.
Her passion, her passion, that passion.
Nona. Listen to me.
Can you please just not leave so many empty hangers?
How you doing with that teacher?
Malia?
She hates you so she hates me.
We're gonna get you out of there.
Whatever.
Hey, how you doing?
Hi! Well, it's casual Friday, so I feel great. Can I help you?
I hope so. My daughter's getting crushed at Adams
so I gotta talk to your superintendent guy.
He doesn't do walk-ins. I'm sorry.
Which I figured. I work reception, too, at Hank Hart.
And I know every once in a while, there's an opening.
I just figured I would take a chance because
my daughter is getting crushed.
Wait, did you say Hank Hart, the car guy?
The guy who has his ads all over the benches?
Wow.
Can I buy you a coffee?
And I understand that but it's, like awful! I understand.
And Rosa Parks was my last chance.
And now I'm like 110 on the wait list.
And that guy acted like he just
extemporaneously went out and made it happen.
It's not like you can just go and start a school!
Actually, it doesn't stop the parents from trying.
And that was even before they passed the law.
What law?
The one where you can turn schools around.
What, the parents can?
Yeah. With the teachers, if the school's failing.
It's called the Fail-Safe Law.
But you know what? It never happens.
'Cause the guys here, I swear,
they moonlight at the Rivers Poker Room.
They just drag everything out until the
parents just fold. It's terrible.
But if they kept at it, you think a parent could turn a school around?
No, the parents always give up.
It's this whole big thing.
Thank you, Collette.
You have to find someone that has the same idea as you do
about the kind of school that you want.
Like who? A teacher?
Yeah, like a teacher, or...
The teachers and the parents, they have to sign off on it,
and then you have to write a proposal,
then you gotta jump through hoops to deal with the school board.
They make it near impossible.
Parents need to just bang their heads against a brick wall.
It'd be a whole lot faster and easier, let me tell you.
I'm sorry. No, no.
Thanks for the coffee.
Yeah.
Sorry, I gotta get back to work.
Hey.
They told me you'd be in here. (SIGHS)
Hi.
Hi, I'm Nona, by the way. I'm Jamie.
Sorry about last night. Yeah. No.
It was a bad night for all of us.
I asked about Malia switching and...
Yeah.
And he said no? Yeah.
Okay, that's...
I'm sorry. You're, like, the only person
who actually does what she says she's gonna do around here.
I'm sorry.
You want to start a school with me?
What?
'Cause I'm sick of this.
I can't take this any more
and somebody told me that if you
find a teacher and you stick with it long enough
you can turn a school around.
'Cause I'm just so tired of getting shafted here.
Thing that keeps me up at night is
why do I got to let her down on this?
So you want to start a school with me?
Listen, I know what you're saying, more than you might think.
But I'm not who you're looking for. I wish I could say I was.
I work in sales, where success rate
is based on need. And you got need.
I saw it last night. You don't want to
get left behind, and neither do I.
So,
I'm gonna go to District tomorrow
at 9 a.m., figure out how to do this.
Could you take a sick day and meet me there?
Please?
Oh, God.
Oh, jeez.
Oh, man.
I'm just here for the information.
I'm not saying I'm gonna do anything. I'm just gonna hear them out.
That's all I'm asking.
Okay!
Once you finish your proposal...
That's this 400-page document?
Once that's filled out,
then you need to request an appointment to schedule a hearing
in front of the school board.
That needs to be made on the first Tuesday of the month
except January and April, when it needs to come on the second Monday.
So it's not the actual date we're scheduling?
Oh, no, ma'am. You're scheduling an appointment
to schedule the date.
You're kidding, right?
No. No, no, no.
It's no joke. It's a process.
First, we gotta get 50% of the parents, 50% of the teachers
to sign a petition in support of us.
That's 400 parents, 18 teachers.
Then we gotta do the proposal
and submit it on the first Groundhog's Day
of the Chinese lunar leap year.
There's nothing in the rules about leap years.
And then, finally, we get that school board hearing.
But the school board term ends in two months,
which means we've gotta do this fast.
We gotta book that hearing, and we can get this going for next fall.
(CHUCKLING)
Something funny?
Start to finish, this process is three to five years, minimum.
It's just the way these people talk. You can't go quitting now.
Actually, I think this is the best time.
It's exactly what they want us to do.
They've done a bang-up job.
I can not ask 18 of my friends to give up tenure and pension
for a school where they're not even guaranteed a job.
I will. I'll do that. Listen to me, all right?
When I first started, I would get so mad at those teachers.
So mad at the checked-out zombies. The Dawn of the Deborahs.
Yes! And they said just wait.
Wait until you went through eight different principals
and parents who could care less
and mountains of district paperwork
years of students showing up hungry,
showing up tired, or not showing up at all.
I can't have this not happen. I need a teacher.
You think you know what you're doing. You have no idea.
Where are you going?
To figure out what to do with my class.
We don't have that option.
'Cause Malia ended up across the hall. How's that fair?
It's not.
Listen, I'll call you when I get my first 100 parents.
Or when I get my first 50!
This is not over!
It's not over!
I'm trying to explain to you why your kid's tanking!
No, honey, I'm not saying your kid in particular is an idiot.
Good morning. Here. Give this to your mama.
Here, will you take one? Just take one. Take it.
Oh, I know you!
Your daughter is in Malia's class! Sorry.
Morning!
Hey, Daddy Drop-off.
Hi.
My name is Jamie, my daughter Malia's in the second grade here.
Could I talk to you for just one second?
I'm running late. It's cool, I'll walk with you.
I just wanted to ask you if you'd eat in a restaurant
that had an F hanging in the window.
You wouldn't, right? 'Cause there'd be rattails and stuff
in the food, and people's hair.
So now, just envisualize something for me.
Envisualize an F hanging on the door of your kid's school.
Because it is, it's there.
It's been hanging there for 19 years,
and nobody's done anything about it.
Rat tails, you know what I mean?
Take a look at that, and sign that for me.
And I'll find you at pick-up.
Yeah, I'll look it over.
Now you I know!
You're gonna sign this. Okay?
BOY: Excuse me!
Why are we changing all the desks around?
'Cause we're gonna try something new.
How we do things.
We're all gonna work a little harder. Me included.
Hey!
Hi. Come on in.
Thanks.
Just give me a second here.
Can't leave the Man in Black hangin'.
Oh, yeah.
He's badass.
What?
Your sign. It's badass.
Oh, yes. (CHUCKLES)
Yours isn't so bad either.
Oh, no.
Sorry.
No, I'm sorry.
Hi, how can I help you?
I saw you teach.
You're really good at it.
Thank you.
You think a whole school could be like that, like how you do it?
I don't know. A whole school.
I guess so. It'd be pretty weird.
Are you that lady leading the charge outside?
Yeah! Are people talking about me already?
Yeah, they are.
So do you want to do that? You want to start that school?
Ahh...
Do I want to start a school? No, I don't. I just want to teach.
So, what are you doing here?
I chose to be here. Right out of Teach For America.
All right, Teacher For America.
Meet me here
at 8:00
and I'll talk you into it.
All right, we'll see.
Hey! Oh, good!
Good, you got my message.
Look at those nails. Wow.
Cheaper than therapy.
53 parents?
Yep.
It is crazy how bad they want it.
So, what are you drinking?
Fresca.
Okay. Better pace yourself.
So I'm thinking we get the parents to sell it to the teachers.
Which we can totally do. We do, like, an event.
Because we can do this in two months.
We do an event, like at the dealership.
Like an all-out blowout sale. Something really big.
And I got you some help.
I don't want anyone knowing about this.
I didn't say you were doing it.
I'm not in it.
He's gonna help. Trust me.
He thinks this is a date. No.
Yeah. Maybe.
Hey.
I told you I worked here, right?
No.
Hi. Hey, Nona.
How's it going? Good.
So, what are you drinking?
JD, straight up.
All right.
So I wanted you to come because Nona's doing the school thing...
Nana's not doing the school thing.
...and we need some help getting other teachers on board.
And I've been asking around about you.
Everyone who knows you likes you.
And everybody who doesn't calls you Sexy Texy.
Well, like I told you, I'm just interested in teaching so...
Yeah, but you got free whiskey.
So sit for a minute and listen to the lady.
Okay.
Go, Nona.
Well, if I did it...
And I'm not saying that I am.
We would have to see how our school
with the same kids could do even better.
Now, staff participation in the classroom, articulated course curriculum,
that would mean changing the whole culture of the school.
Basically, we would have to be the teachers who made us teachers,
but even better.
Would the teachers still be union?
Can't be. Our contract has too many restrictions.
Because that matters a lot.
Okay, so in two days, I got 53 parents and two teachers.
I didn't... I'm not getting...
I see your lips moving, but I can't hear you.
You want a refill?
Thank you.
REPORTER: Things are really coming to a head here. The protestors are defiant.
They're throwing bricks and poles and trash cans.
Good night, Daniel.
So this is good.
Throwing bricks?
How's that good?
Because it's... You know, they're lettin' themselves be heard.
It's a waste of time. It doesn't do anything.
Doesn't do anything? Really?
You don't believe that.
I don't know.
Like civil rights.
The Selma to Montgomery marches. All that's a waste of time?
It sends a message.
I mean, that's what you're doing, isn't it?
No, I just want a better school for my kid.
Sending a message is what people who
don't work two jobs have got time to do.
Can you turn those lights out for me? Yeah.
You know what? I really do appreciate
what you're doing to change the place.
Course. She's my kid.
And her father, does he help out at all?
Nope.
I'm sorry. When I drink, I ask nosy questions.
When I drink, I marry losers.
Yeah, I'd say he's definitely a loser now.
I think so. Yeah.
And Malia is a winner, 'cause she's got you.
You need to work on your lines.
That wasn't a line. No, no, no, it wasn't a line. I'm sorry.
I've been around kids a lot more than women lately.
That's not a line?
It's not a line. It's true.
Kids, you know, kids just say what's what. Women don't do that so much.
Except for you.
That's true. Foot in the horse's mouth, that's me.
Yeah.
That's why I like you.
That was a line. I admit it.
No. Cody.
You got this, I know you do.
Yeah, is this retard-proof?
Stop saying that.
Whole school knows it.
(DOORBELL RINGS)
Are they giving you a hard time?
Can't I just go to the school near Uncle Roy while Dad's living with him?
(DOORBELL RINGS)
Pow!
Hi. Hi.
Come on in, Malia.
Nice. Yeesh! Oh, no.
Cody.
Ooh la la. Cody.
Why don't you show Malia around till your dad comes, okay?
Oh, no, no, he doesn't have to.
She's got her DVD player, she's good.
Can I watch? JAMIE: Yeah, sure.
He's not allowed to watch TV during the day.
(CHUCKLES)
Do you guys want a Snickers?
Come on.
Come on in. Yeah, go ahead.
I know you're trepidatious about this whole school thing
and I don't wanna take up your whole Saturday.
But just to start off the bat,
here is a flier that I made
for the rally.
Get it? Parentrooper, paratrooper?
Yeah.
That one came to me from the dead of sleep.
I like it. Except there's a typo, unless you're gonna have the rally in 2101.
Oh, no.
Yeah, I'm terrible with numbers.
I also have some ideas for the school.
About how to make the school more effectual.
Okay.
So drawing outside the box,
I don't know why, but I started to think
about those dumb self-help books
because there's always, like, a little bit of truth in them.
Like, for example, the whole Secret-ing thing is so lame. I know.
But I'm still envisualizing that check in my mailbox.
And I started thinking,
you know, maybe the kids could Secret things,
like, you know, I don't know, like...
Like going to college.
And they could picture themselves
going there and walking on the campus and actually graduating.
And I think that that would be good for them
to see themselves that way.
You think that's dumb.
I think it's a knockout.
Really?
Yeah.
Really? (HORN HONKING)
Oh, can you excuse me for a sec? Yeah, sure.
Cody, your dad's here!
Why is Cody talking about going to school near you?
'Cause it's a great school, and we can't afford anywhere else.
Except that he's not gonna live with you and your brother.
So you, of all people,
you'd stop him from getting the right schooling?
Not gonna happen.
And I should trust your judgment, given what happened?
Once things settle down, he'll stop acting out. That's all this is.
CHARLES: Come on, Nona. All-white school,
remedial classroom. It's killing him.
Oh, hey.
CHARLES: Nona, please listen to me.
NONA: He needs his mother.
How long have you guys been split up?
Not very.
Yeah.
Where were we?
We were talking about ideas for the school.
Ideas, yeah. I got boxes of ideas.
You know, it comes down to expecting more.
From yourself, the teachers, the kids, especially the kids.
What? My mom used to always say,
"What are you gonna do with your one and only life?"
You are gonna be so good at this.
(BELL RINGING)
Hey.
Nona, are you planning to take over Adams?
'Cause that's what we heard.
What'd you hear?
Someone from District told Holland
that you were looking into it, but...
I just went to ask.
What? And you didn't tell us? You didn't tell me?
Maybe you don't want us teaching at your school.
Breena, now, come on...
You know, I expect my kids to be naive.
Sneaking behind our backs, non-union school.
You're messing with our jobs.
Coulda talked to me.
Thought that we were friends.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Hi. MICHAEL: Hi.
Thank you so much for coming. No, don't thank me.
My neighbor's such a flake.
No, it's all right. I'm glad you called.
Yeah.
Malia, get up and say hey. Don't be a brat.
You remember Michael.
I'm not gonna be out late. There's Swansons in the freezer.
'Kay. What's up?
I'm just gonna write down my number for you.
Okay.
Hey, I'm gonna teach you a song from an ancient time.
Wanna hear it?
Cool.
There was a young girl named Malia
The coolest kid you ever saw-lia
But then she met me And soon she would see
She was gonna have a ball-ia
JAMIE: Here you go. Malia.
I love you.
Call if you guys need me.
Okay.
What do you think?
Sweet. I'm still workin' on it.
Nice place.
You wanna try?
Yeah, you wanna try.
Just put your finger right there.
Right here? Right there.
And now hit all the strings.
There it is.
There was a young girl named Malia
All right, nice!
You're a good listener.
She has a cool
She had cool hair and big smelly feet-ia
Hey. Hey.
Sucks about those teachers.
Sucks even more knowing they're right.
Yeah, well, I brought you something to cheer you up.
I'm giving you these because I like you. But I don't want to.
This is my bobblehead collection.
Now, I counted out 18.
We're gonna put one in the Tupperware each time a teacher signs on
and you are the first black-and-gold medal winner.
Sid The Kid or Hines Ward?
Take a guess.
Careful!
You just wait and see how quick this thing fills up.
Now, we are locking these up. Let's go get those parents.
Who is it?
Nona Alberts, I teach at Adams.
Hey. This that parent takeover thing?
It's really not a takeover, it's...
Hey, Rhonda, it's Jamie.
Yeah. Sorry, Jamie. I'm giving my kid a bath.
Can I just leave you with a petition?
Hi, Ms. Bennett. I'm Nona Alberts. I teach at Adams
and I was hoping that we could talk to you about this district...
Firing good teachers to put in a school
where I gotta work 20 hours on top of my full-time.
Go sell it to some other jerk.
Those jerks, they're called concerned parents!
Who's telling her that?
Is this what it's gonna be like all night?
Who's next?
Wanda Williams.
WOMAN: Who is it?
This is Nona Alberts from Adams.
WOMAN: I heard about you. I'm not interested.
This is Nona Alberts and Jamie Fitzpatrick.
We need to talk to you about Adams.
WOMAN 2: I got the letter. I'm not interested.
MAN: Yeah, I got the letter already.
MAN 2: Well, I don't wanna hear about it.
WOMAN 3: Who is it?
NONA: Miss Maraval?
This is Jamie Fitzpatrick.
I sold you a Buick Regal sedan a few months ago.
I gave you a great deal. Would you please give me 10 seconds?
WOMAN: Come on in.
Could they possibly squeeze one more lie into this thing?
Who wrote this?
Teachers Association of Pennsylvania, maybe.
It's their job to worry about the Adams teachers.
This is one school.
I appreciate my union, but TAP can get kinda hardcore about it.
JAMIE: We'll get around this.
So take me through this one more time.
A lot of these kids can barely add,
and you wanna be teaching them geometry?
Well, the problem is is that no one expects
them to do well, so they don't.
Come on. Look around. I'm a cop.
There's drugs, there's gangs...
Change the school, you change the neighborhood.
Okay.
I'll work on my neighbors.
You really think you could turn this around?
Well, I can't say for certain, but...
100%, yes.
JAMIE: Did you sign the petition?
No? No.
You didn't sign the petition? No.
Do it. Sign the petition. It's gonna change everything.
Give me the T-shirt. Take one.
Hey. Make sure you get a T-shirt.
Hey. How you doin?
Good.
Hug. One of my favorite students.
You okay? I've got my ruler.
Hey. Hi.
You all right?
Don't be a drag. Go get in there.
Did you guys sign?
I did.
Let me give you a ruler.
NONA: We want it to be a school where even at 3:00,
if the students have any issues or any problems,
then it's up to the teacher to stay.
Which we can't do now because of teachers union rules.
Thank you so much for coming. Here, have a cookie.
Have a cookie. Have one. Take it.
Have a cookie. I've got a great photo op coming up.
And don't go burying us after Doppler Weekend Forecast.
Don't! I know your game, okay?
I'm Jamie, by the way. All right.
Hey. Oh! (MEGAPHONE BLARING)
All right. Yeah, we're goin' to school!
Yeah!
It's crazy! You see how bad they want it?
Go get 'em, Jamie!
I'm gonna keep this short, 'cause I get trepidatious about group speaking.
Adams is failing.
This school is failing.
And I can't afford to move,
and I can't afford to put my daughter somewhere else,
so I'm screwed.
And you know, I... Can I just say, there's a time limit.
There's a window with these kids,
and then after that it's too late.
You know what I'm sayin?
And so we gotta do something right now.
We gotta do something to fix it.
Which is also why I don't appreciate
some scumbag from TAP writing a letter
with a bunch of lies about what we're trying to do!
Point here, the thing I do wanna say,
is we need to fix Adams, and we need to fix it yesterday.
ALL: Yeah!
Now, I haven't counted 'em all yet,
but I know we have enough parent petitions to start this thing!
And, like that guy Gandhi used to say:
We gotta be the change we wanna see!
JAMIE: Your turn.
All right, I've been doing a lot of research
and I read that there are people out there
designing and building prisons.
And those people are looking at our schools
and they're figuring out what kids are gonna drop out
so they know how many prison cells to build.
(CROWD MURMURING)
In the last 19 years, seven out of ten kids
who leave Adams can barely read.
And we wonder why Adams kids end up in Penn State Prison
instead of the University of Pittsburgh.
And you know what I want to say to those prison folk?
I wanna say...
I wanna say, hands off my kid.
Yeah!
MAN 2: Hands off our kids! MAN: Absolutely!
(PEOPLE SHOUTING IN AGREEMENT)
ALL: (CHANTING) Hands off our kids!
Hands off our kids!
Watching you up there, it was really...
I don't know, it reminded me of...
Don't say your mother.
Reminded me of something I've been missing.
It's really good for the spirit.
I know. Right? Yeah.
So how come you're not buying what I'm selling?
Because of the whole union-slamming thing.
"Union-slamming"? Yeah.
I wasn't slamming the unions. Yeah, the union-slamming.
They wrote that letter. That was true.
I know they wrote that letter.
I was saying something that was true.
That's not the point.
Look, Jamie, when I was in high school
I had this teacher and his name was Mr. Cooper
and he was, like, an incredible teacher. He was like a father to me.
And they tried to fire him
because he was supposedly teaching us works
that were promoting an immoral lifestyle.
It was Hair. It's a musical.
There was all these, like, screaming meetings. It got so ugly.
But in the end the union stood up,
they protected him, he kept his job
and that's why I became a teacher. He made me what I am.
I just want a better school.
I can't figure out how to put it all together.
GOULD: Rally was an embarrassment.
We used to be the heroes.
When did Norma Rae get to be the bad guy?
Right? I hate gettin' called out like that.
Takes me right back to third grade,
with Ray Franks bullying me in the school yard.
I put a tack on his seat.
Yeah, I lost recess for a week. But you know what I learned?
The futility of retaliation?
The truth of social Darwinism.
Hey.
Did you write that letter to the parents?
Yeah, course I did.
I'm just trying to stop the pandemic of union-gutting
that's going on in this country right now.
As if the teachers unions are responsible for failing schools.
No need to convince me. But, the letter was...
The letter was what? These gals look motivated, yes?
They do, they do.
If they push this through, then floodgates are gonna open,
a lot of schools are gonna start falling apart,
and a lot of good teachers are gonna get pushed out.
Folks don't get that this is not good!
No. Because they want change. Now.
'Scuse me.
I don't want it to be like this.
I didn't tell you sooner because I wasn't sure I wanted it.
And when I realized I did,
and how bad,
I was scared you'd say no, or you'd be pissed off,
so I fouled up.
And it was my fault, so I'm sorry.
I'm gonna call a meeting
to find out how we can make this work.
If you want it.
Okay, this could be our chance to be
the teachers we always hoped to be.
Who's saying we're not?
I really need you to go to that meeting
and convince them. They really look up to you.
I just wanna teach.
I just wanna put my feet up and watch Steelers Saturday Night,
but I can't, do you know what I'm saying?
I do.
It's just, I don't understand you. You're confusing me.
I thought you were somebody that stood up for things.
And now it's not all black-and-white and comfortable
and so you freeze?
I don't freeze, I'm just not doing
what you want me to do. There's a difference.
Hello to you too, missy.
MICHAEL: She's 8 years old.
When she pushes you away, it means she wants you more.
She should learn that that's not how it works in the world.
She's fighting me on everything.
Getting her to read is like getting blood from a stone.
You know, she asked if I would help her.
She didn't want me to tell you. I don't really know why.
That's fine.
Will you come to this meeting?
I'll think about it.
Really? Yeah.
What?
I've just never been able to talk
smart people into doing things before.
All right, all right.
Come on, Malia, dinner's ready.
Hey.
Go on, hurt me.
I got all your apologies.
I can explain.
No need, TAP already did.
What did they say?
What I already know.
That most of these new schools fail.
You wanna know why?
Because no one has the first idea how to run them.
Can you look me in the eye and tell me that that won't happen?
I can't. Well, that's great.
That's great. What about all the kids
that are gonna get left behind, huh?
Nobody gets left behind, I promise.
And without a union contract, teachers will get forced out.
Not teachers who wanna teach.
I'm just getting through days, Nona.
So am I. So are we all.
Breena, I'm just trying to get back to
the way things were, and I need you.
Hey, Ben, this is Jamie.
Hi, how you doin?
All right, so, look, I'm gonna come to your meeting.
All right, that's all I can promise. That's great.
Well, do you have any questions we can answer now?
No. Good night.
Can I just pop in and check the score?
What are you, a Penguins fan?
Don't insult me.
All right. First playoff win.
1970. 2-1. Oakland Seals.
Harbaruk scored on a one timer from Wally Boyer.
What qualifies you to run a school?
I mean, you're not exactly a shining star in the classroom, are you?
Oh, shut it, Deb.
But the point is, don't you wanna
have a say in what gets taught and how?
I mean, we're the ones who know these kids.
Now, you all have documents with some thoughts,
but this is our time to share ideas.
Yeah, but we won't be union. Do you understand?
But will you be able to teach?
Are you guys not listening? There is no union here.
If we're gonna make this work, take the risk...
Yes, but listen, listen. But listen.
The union won't allow us to spend the time
that we have to spend with them.
They won't do it.
BREENA: Not only that, what other business
says that you get a job for life after two years? Come on!
BEN: Oh, no, don't do that.
Everybody wants to laser-focus on how TAP protects bad teachers
when mostly they protect good ones.
Yes, but you make it harder for the good ones
when you protect the bad ones.
But you know what? We're gonna give up something,
but we're also gonna get.
We all getting the same, Nona?
Or is it seniority? Exactly.
MAN: It's all right for you younger people.
BREENA: Stop it, Ben.
Seriously. No. You just keep going on and on.
You know what, who else is in this for the money?
Put your hands up, come on!
I know I'm not the only money-grubbing
bastard in the room! Put your hands up!
I mean, seriously, why else are we doing it if not for the money?
Why are we gettin' up at the crack of dawn
and paying for pencils out of our own paychecks
and babysitting screaming brats
for seven hours if not for the money?
It's not like anyone in this room ever wanted to teach, right?
And getting a school where we could actually do what we wanna do,
who needs it, right?
Right?
You know what,
feel free to blow past the dream school part
and skip to the cash figures on page seven,
but either way, do yourselves a favor.
Take the 10 minutes and read the damn document.
DEBORAH: "Dream school."
You'll march yourself right into the welfare office.
Right out of here, right into welfare.
Good riddance.
Who needs a pen? I got one free.
Yes.
No, no, no.
Yes.
Yes, yes, yes.
Oh. Stop. Stop.
We got more. Yes.
Are you sure these are virgin? 'Cause I'm feeling something.
Yeah, it's called success.
No wonder it tastes new.
Yo, JD, get out there and get these ladies to dance.
I don't dance, sorry.
Yes, you do. I saw you dancing at school.
That was line dancing.
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. I liked that.
I'm in if he takes his shirt off!
That's not gonna happen.
All right.
All right, who here knows the Texas Tush Push?
I kinda know it.
Come on, come on.
Okay, let's do this! Come on, guys.
Give me, like, two lines over here.
I like you again.
Proud of you.
MICHAEL: Ready? Okay, check it out.
All right, it's very simple. So we start feet together. And you go:
Heel together, heel, heel.
We've got our parents, we've got our teachers.
I am looking forward to getting to that school board.
Heel, clap.
Maybe less Riverdance and a little bit more, just like...
A little bit more.
I wanna see you dance.
Come on, I wanna see you dance.
I haven't danced since "Gettin' Jiggy Wit it" and I wasn't jiggy then.
So it's time! I wanna see you dance.
No! MICHAEL: Jamie, get up here.
Come out here. Come on.
That's right. You get up here too, Nona.
No. I can't and I won't.
Come on, Nona! (ALL CHANTING)
No! No Nona!
Nona! Nona!
Come on.
Come on, come on.
Come on, let's shake those hips, all right?
Here we go. 5, 6, 5, 6, 7, 8.
ALL: Clap.
Good morning. I'm Evelyn Riske.
Yeah, I know who you are.
Do you have a moment?
Not unless you wanna buy a Buick.
If you sell cars like you sell schools, I'm walking out with one.
Don't talk down to me, Ms. Riske.
Oh, I'm not.
Let me tell you why I'm here. Yeah.
I still think it's a long shot you get this by the Board.
But I can't ignore what you've been able to do with the teachers.
And if you're gonna do this,
you might as well have all the information possible.
There's a school I want you to see.
They got a lot of great ideas.
Ideas you should look into.
How about you meet me there tomorrow. (PHONE RINGING)
Yeah, you gotta go. She's itching to fire me.
Let me call you with a time.
Hold on one second.
Hank Hart Auto. Please hold.
Yeah, okay.
Okay. Perfect.
See you tomorrow.
Okay, good. Hi. How are you?
JAMIE: Ideas are good.
I'm working.
Unlike your husband.
AUTOMATED VOICE: This is the Department of Education scheduling hotline.
You are currently number... MAN'S VOICE: 45.
...in queue.
Ms. Lopez? I'm Nona Alberts.
I've been trying to get in touch with you to talk about Adams.
You've got an appointment?
The next available's five weeks away.
I very much look forward to seeing you then.
That's the day your term ends.
Look, I live and breathe this bureaucracy. I share your frustration.
What can I say? I read Kafka to make myself feel better.
I want a hearing for my school before the term ends.
Dreams are important.
Then we don't stand a chance of getting this done for next year.
Which you don't anyway, not in this system.
But the time can be a gift, trust me.
You'll hone your proposal, build support.
Then you'll soon come to embrace futility.
It's a win-win.
I can't wait. I won't.
See you in five weeks, Ms. Alberts.
I'm sorry. I had to take three buses.
And you're apologizing?
Wow.
My daughter would love this.
She wants to be a computer engineer when she grows up.
While at the same time being a hair colorist
and President of the United States
and a veterinarian for lost dogs.
My niece is gonna be a professional princess.
Good luck to her.
I know.
So when you picture the perfect school
for Malia, what's it look like?
Like this.
That's why I wanted you to see it.
I know Malia has dyslexia
and most private schools are not helpful with learning disabilities.
This one is.
Yeah, I'd never want her to be in the dumb kids' class.
Oh, they don't do that here. No otherness.
They do it right, but it took them years to get it right.
And that's why I worry for you with your school.
You've looked into all the possibilities for her, right?
While you're working on Adams?
Oh, man. I have. I just can't afford anything else.
The tuition's 23 grand. That's what I make in a year.
Schools have aid packages.
Almost half the kids here get help.
Let me put in a good word for you.
What, for Malia to have a scholarship here?
Are you buying me off?
I'm giving you an option.
Which is the whole point, right?
Look, I'm not against what you're doing, but it is so complicated.
We gotta catch up. You need to give us time.
No, I don't have time.
But you're a great mother.
You really wanna sacrifice your child's interests to send a message?
Okay, so how about Nona?
Sometimes public school teachers
have a really hard time sending their kids to private schools.
It's silly, because half the Board of Ed's kids go here.
Really? Yeah.
You come on board though, and it might make it easier for Nona.
The numbers don't lie.
At Adams, 2% get to college.
Here, 2% don't.
That's crazy.
All-out war is how we gotta look at it with this school board.
Still no read on Olivia
despite my e-mail assault.
Schwartz might be our only yes.
She likes new things.
Southwick,
she'll go no. She's had five campaigns underwritten by TAP.
Same with Brandt, he's a stickler for line-item stuff.
Parrish, Mannie,
who knows? But I'm guessing no.
King, he's a wild card.
Apparently he's been legally dead since the late '90s.
He sleeps through the meetings
and then he shows a faint pulse right before the vote.
So.
We might be looking at six out of seven votes
against us.
And that's if we even get a hearing.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
It's just Malia stuff.
Okay.
I think I'm gonna run for School Board.
See all those Beemers outside?
What's wrong with you? You seem antsy.
It just bugs me.
Oh, here she comes.
Oh, jeez.
I read through those ideas. Very impressive.
Thank you.
But we've heard lots of big ideas about schools.
Big ideas are big fun,
but you can sink or swim on the practical ones.
I have those too.
Ones that work.
Come watch me teach.
I don't usually do that.
Then how do you know what works?
I'll consider it.
In time for us to get a hearing this year?
Don't you know the moral of Icarus?
Yeah, wear sunscreen.
That's a little post-modern.
I'll give it some thought.
And I did like your ideas.
She liked our ideas.
They're your ideas.
Shut up and take the compliment.
Hi, I'm Jamie Fitzpatrick. Go ahead.
Thanks.
Hi. I'm not gonna take it. I'm not gonna take the scholarship.
Our school's gonna work out. Our ideas are really good.
And my daughter is already gonna have a hard time respecting me
'cause I didn't go to college.
If I also give up, sell out, screw over my friends...
Your daughter will respect you
because you made the right decision for her.
In your opinion.
In my educated opinion, yes.
And what about Nona and her son
and all the other kids at Adams
who you're not offering scholarships to?
Look, I admire your ideals.
But Malia will suffer for them.
In your educated opinion.
No, that's a fact.
Don't do that.
Don't use my daughter to scare me.
There's another thing that's bugging me. You knew about her dyslexia.
You must have been talking to somebody at Adams.
Okay, now you're being paranoid.
It's not paranoid if it's true.
No.
You have no idea what's true
and what's not, so let me help you with that.
My parents organized the first union
in a textile mill in Marion, South Carolina in October of 1967
and as a daughter, I know what it cost.
And the truth is, at the end of the day,
it's very unlikely you'll get your school.
Your daughter will still be at Adams.
And you will have deprived her
of the one opportunity to turn her life around
so that she can become a computer engineer
and President of the United States
and a veterinarian for lost dogs.
And there's your truth.
Thanks.
You can't be here.
How come you didn't tell me about Riske's offer?
She called you already?
JAN: You just had lunch.
Can I talk to you outside?
JAN: This is not break.
I can't talk to you in here. Can I talk to you, please?
JAN: Jamie, you just took an hour and a half for lunch!
I didn't do anything.
I was just talking to her. Yes, you did do something.
I didn't want to upset you. Could you give me a break, please?
I'm talkin' to Hank.
Would you do that? Could you get me down
to one job by the end of the day?
Anyway... What?
No, it doesn't matter.
It matters! It matters! You lied to me.
Not telling you is not the same thing as lying to you!
Yes, it is! What, to a second grader? What did you say to me?
"She's the only one here who does what she says she's gonna do."
That's what you said!
How is that workin' for you? I said no!
Why? Why? What did you...
Because I believe in you!
What great thing happened to me?
I got a phone call from Tyler.
And he called me on the phone number I gave out.
Why'd you call me, Tyler?
I had a question.
He had a question about the famous speech
I sent home with you last night
to discuss with your parents and
grandparents. And did you do that?
ALL: Yes!
Very good! Now, we're gonna get to Tyler's question in a minute.
So the speech,
"Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore...
"...the means of" what?
ALL: Knowledge!
Knowledge! Which is why I sent it
home with you in the first place.
The means of knowledge.
So you ready for the second part?
ALL: Yes!
"Let us dare to"? ALL: Read!
"Let us dare to"? ALL: Think!
"Let us dare to"? ALL: Speak!
"Let us dare to"? ALL: Write!
"Let us dare to read, think, speak and write."
And, Tyler, who wrote that?
John Adams.
John Adams, our country's second president.
Tyler's question, his question was,
"Is that the same Adams that the school
is named after?" And I told you...
Yes.
Yes. And the reason why that is a perfect
question is that you dared to think.
"Dare to read, think, speak and write." Who wrote that?
ALL: John Adams!
Our school's name is...
ALL: Adams!
All right!
(BELL RINGING) Beautiful.
You did well.
BOY: Bye.
GIRL: See you tomorrow.
BOY 2: Bye.
NONA: I didn't know you were watching.
Lets me see what kind of teacher you really are.
Also, I hate social pleasantries.
Then I'll just keep it at thank you.
Don't thank me.
Ever had a Blue Mojito, Mrs. Alberts?
I don't drink.
Well, now, see, that's something else you could work on.
I mention the Blue Mojito
because the only thing standing between it and me
is you.
And right now there's a lovely place in
Coconut Grove with a chilled glass
waiting for me to fill out my retirement papers
pack up my condo and get a one-way ticket to Miami-Dade.
Well, I understand...
No, you don't.
Look, I'm running late. Walk with me.
I didn't drink before I got to this job.
I was a go-getter like you.
And next thing I knew, I'm this.
The Queen Bureaucrat.
Now, that's not something I want on my headstone,
"She filled space, RIP."
So you're saying don't bother?
I'm saying I want to help.
Hearing in 10 days. You want it?
Yes, absolutely.
Great.
Now, listen to me carefully.
This board finds reasons to say no.
Last year we killed a proposal for not having a proper index.
So, I's dotted, T's crossed.
And good luck and so forth.
You need help?
No, I got it.
You sure?
You got the 446 Provisions and the Writers' Mentors Program?
Yup, I got 'em both.
I's dotted, T's crossed.
I heard you the first six times.
Hi. Hey.
How is she?
Aces.
Starving.
Look at this. Did you see these?
They're goin' up around the streets, all around school.
It's got my name on it.
Big deal. Sticks and stones.
It kind of is a big deal, because I'm not anti-labor.
I think you don't really know what you're asking.
I don't know what I'm asking?
I've spent most of my life without job security. It's awful.
There's other ways to fix this problem.
Yeah? Like what?
Like figure it out with TAP, for instance,
because it's not all on the union.
There's other things at work, okay?
There's community, there's poverty...
I can't wait to figure it out with 10,000 studies
about how being poor affects education!
I can tell you being poor sucks and my kid can't read!
I'm not gonna be a part of this.
So you're gonna do nothing.
I don't do nothing. I teach. That's not doing nothing!
That's great for your 30 kids!
How 'bout the rest of the kids? How 'bout Malia?
This whole system is broken. It's dead.
I need you to take a stand on this. I need you in this fight.
If there's a problem, I'm getting rid of it.
That doesn't just go for the school, by the way.
Really?
Okay.
Hi.
See you next weekend.
I got a surprise for you in the dining room.
Cool.
Hey.
Ask him about his shirt.
What about it?
He wouldn't tell me. Just ask him.
This is awesome.
What's that?
Nosebleed.
That's not true.
Why are they on you?
Because I'm slow.
You know you're not slow.
I know you don't want me to think I'm slow.
(IMITATING LASER GUNS)
(PANTING)
GOULD: This is the eleventh hour, Evelyn.
Don't quit me here. Don't underestimate this, okay?
It's a feeding frenzy.
District offices all over the state
are getting slammed with calls.
"Oh, let's do what they're doing at Adams."
We're still fine with the school board.
Right now we've got it at 5-2 against, if King sticks.
No, that's too close. Go back to the teachers.
Seriously, this would be like handing over planes to passengers.
I'm not gonna let that happen.
But don't we have some responsibility to the kids as well?
That's what they asked Albert Shanker. Okay?
He was the FDR of teachers union presidents.
You know what he said?
I'm sure you'll tell me.
He said, "When schoolchildren start paying union dues,
I will start representing the interests of schoolchildren."
What?
I lost it on Jamie Fitzpatrick.
For a second I saw how she saw me, and I...
Do you ever wonder if we all stepped back...
No. No doubts. No pussy-footing.
Are you not aware of what is going on in this country?
People, you should hear this. Okay?
We're under attack. Labor.
Unions are getting pulverized.
And how is it that unions, of all things
are getting blamed for the economic cesspool that we're in?
Not greedy management, unions.
Same unions that Clarence Darrow once said
have done more for humanity than any other organization of men
that ever existed.
All we want
is for teachers to be well paid and secure in their jobs.
Who could argue with this philosophy?
It's for teachers.
Remember that.
Under attack, we attack, Evelyn.
Did you fix those attendance records?
You know I did.
How would I know that?
Because you told me to.
I would never tell a teacher to fix attendance records.
It's illegal, not to mention unethical.
Is this because of our hearing?
Unfortunately, the rules on this kind of infraction are clear.
Immediate academic suspension.
Robert, don't do this.
It's already done. It's for the kids' sake.
The same kids you cared enough about
to mark present when they were absent?
I need to talk to them.
Academic suspension means you cannot be on campus.
Now, if you're on campus, you will be arrested.
I just wanna say goodbye.
I was worried you might get feisty.
If I've made it a little harder
for you to take my job, I'm glad.
That's feisty!
Sorry.
What happened? Where is she?
I got a call.
'Scuse me, this class is in session.
Where is she?
Excuse me.
Landri, what happened?
She had an accident.
Nobody's looking for her?
Malia!
(WHIMPERING)
Malia?
Oh, bug.
She wouldn't give me the bathroom pass.
Oh, no, sweetie.
I simply told her that big girls
wait until the appropriate time.
You punished her because she had to go to the bathroom?
DEBORAH: I punished her because, like her mother, she cannot follow rules.
Girls her age need an example of how...
Rules about... Are you insane?
Let me go!
This is all your fault.
It's all my fault, is it? You make everything bad.
I make everything bad. Sticking me here,
where I'm never gonna learn anything.
Don't talk to me like that! So I can end up like you?
Like what? Poor and dumb!
Did you hear me? You're stupid!
Go take your jeans off. There you go.
RISKE: The thing is, you can't go back.
For those of you who have given up on us,
you've given up on us.
You won't have the union to protect you.
Now, I don't know if it's been made clear to you,
but supporting this new school does not necessarily mean
you'll be signing a contract to teach there.
Even if you are hired, there are no guarantees.
That's what's been happening all over the country
with these kinds of schools.
Six months later they're failing, and people are out of a job.
So, what really worries me is human nature.
It's human nature to be afraid.
And we've got administrators at other schools who are afraid.
They're afraid of the same thing happening at their schools.
And they're telling us
they don't want to hire the teachers who got all this started.
'Scuse me. 'Scuse me, please.
Yes, Breena. 'Scuse me.
So basically what you're telling us
is if we go along with this "takeover"
TAP will blacklist us.
No, that's not what I'm saying.
I'm saying we can't guarantee how other schools might react.
Is this confusing? I mean, does this make sense?
No, no, it does not. It doesn't make sense.
Sorry about that, Michael. How can I elucidate this for you?
I'm a member of this union. Great.
And I'm also a human.
And I'm sorry, I just don't agree with your view of human nature
about your assessment of our humanity.
I'm not afraid, and the teachers that I know, we're not fearful.
In fact, the teachers that I know are bold at heart
and they want change because it's what's best for our students.
And what we've been lacking is leadership.
Well, guess what?
We found some.
Holland saw me come in, so I just have a minute.
Here's the thing.
We're all scared of something.
I'm scared of things staying the same, you're scared of things not.
This is what we're giving the board. This is your school.
Standardized test study programs
integrating competitive hip-hop,
that's Breena's idea.
Community outreach programs and service field trips, that's Michael's.
Thattagirl.
Fifth graders reading and acting Shakespeare, that's Ben's.
Nona, none of this means anything if we can't teach.
You will teach. You'll teach here.
Look what they did to you.
Yeah. They did.
And it's true that having your kids
taken from you just about kills you.
But it's worse for the kids.
And it's them, the kids, that I'm tryin' to think about.
Just them now.
You get what I'm saying?
Security is on its way.
Yeah? You gonna arrest me?
You betcha.
That's one good thing about bein' out of a job.
You don't have to worry about getting fired
when you tell your boss to go screw himself.
Read the future.
All right, just so everybody's clear...
BREENA: 'Scuse me.
This room is for teachers.
Seventeen
plus one
is eighteen.
They're all still with us.
Let's celebrate.
Hearing in two days.
Hey.
I heard about what you did.
Are you apologizing?
(PHONE RINGING)
Take a message.
(CELL PHONE RINGS)
(EMAIL ALERT BEEPS)
He says the next time he calls it'll be to fire you.
I remember when I was 6 and the union first came around.
We'd go to the meetings as a family.
When they were finally voted in, my father cried.
The only other time I saw him cry
was when I told him I was coming here.
Oh, boy.
Don't send it.
Mr. Gould already did.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
I told him you were coming.
You want me to go up with you? No.
He said to wake him up if he was asleep.
Cody.
Cody, wake up, wake up. Come on.
Wake up.
Listen to me.
I've got something to tell you, 'cause you
can't hear it from someone else, okay?
Something called colic. Have you heard of colic?
No.
It's something that babies get and nobody knows why.
But it makes you cry for hours and hours.
And when you have a colicky baby, you just have to deal with it.
And a lot of good mothers can.
But I had a hard time.
One night, you were crying real hard
and I had a little wine.
More than a little.
And then it got worse, so I decided to take you to the doctor.
And I should have called someone, but I didn't.
Sol put you in the car and I tried to drive you myself,
but I didn't make it because I smashed up the car.
Really bad.
More people found out about this
and they might say something to you
and I want you to know the words to say.
What are they gonna say? Bad things.
I mean, bad.
Like, "Why should she get a school when
she can't even take care of her own kid"?
And what do I say?
You say your mother made a mistake
and she wishes she hadn't done it.
She wishes it with all her heart.
Because she loves her son.
And that she's sorry.
But it was a mistake
and I'm okay.
But, no... But that's the thing.
I forgot the strap.
That second strap.
I forgot to click it
and you were thrown from your seat.
And they thought that maybe it had got to your brain.
And that's the thing that's been taking hold of me all these years.
That maybe it had.
And I'm sorry.
But it didn't.
No, it didn't.
If you wanna lie down next to me,
that'll be okay.
GOULD: God bless her for cleaning herself up.
But is it wrong to ask if this is the best person
to be making decisions for our kids.
It's completely fair to question whether
parents want her leading this school.
JAMIE: Yeah? Look at us all here.
Asked and answered, cupcake. Asked and answered.
Now look what you gone and done.
Good luck.
Come on, you guys.
(CROWD CHANTING) Education is our right! Fight! Fight! Fight!
WOMAN: It's about the curriculum and things are going to change!
They're here! They're here!
LOPEZ: And so it begins. The hearing on proposed
changes to John Adams Elementary.
(GAVEL BANGING)
Okay, that's not happening.
Now, after three hours of executive session
and a review of statements submitted from all sides,
the board has determined
that the petition submitted by Ms. Alberts and Ms. Fitzpatrick
will be denied.
Quiet. Quiet.
Tell us why we didn't get a vote.
It's not board policy to divulge that information.
For once, believe it or not, the board will make an exception.
People should know this has nothing to do
with the recent character attacks on Ms. Alberts.
Mr. Brandt, you made the motion to dismiss,
so step up and enlighten us as to why.
Points for brevity.
As I just said, board policy stipulates...
Sir.
I'm chair of this board for one more week,
which means today I am board policy.
I call your attention to the proposal, line 322.
The remedial education section.
The budget amount on line 322 says $431,054.
Now there's some backwards math.
A wild guess tells me the intended number
was 134, not 431,000.
But please, correct me if I'm wrong.
Mr. Brandt, you're right.
The numbers were wrong.
I must've reversed them.
BRANDT: So we should entrust the teaching of basic math skills
to someone who can't even do it herself?
Come on. That's ridiculous.
The proposal needs to be corrected and resubmitted.
But that's next year.
BRANDT: Let's move on.
But it's ridiculous.
Let's move on.
Can I say one thing?
Please, go ahead, Ms. Fitzpatrick.
The numbers are flipped because I flipped the numbers
one time in this whole proposal, because I'm dyslexic.
I'm dyslexic.
I never even said that word when I was my daughter's age
because the school I went to made me feel dumb.
And they didn't do anything about it, they just passed me through.
Malia.
I will not let that happen to you.
I need you to go to a school that knows what I know.
That you are so smart.
You're so smart.
Do any of you even remember what we're doin' here?
Because we're not here for this.
We're not here for unions and teachers and parents.
We're here for our kids.
And me and all of these teachers and parents,
we didn't go through all this to get turned down for a typo.
Now I know
you're gonna find any reason you can to turn this school down
and that it doesn't really matter what we do.
But even so,
I'm not leavin' this room till you give us some kind of a vote.
Let's see how this plays out.
Vote.
Vote!
Okay, all things considered, I say it's a good day for a voice vote.
Thank you.
Now, I'm gonna vote first because I bought the gavel.
My vote is yes.
Mr. Brandt.
No.
Ms. Southwick.
I know you're all well-intentioned people
and I applaud your commitment,
but I see no reason you're best-equipped
to handle a job of this magnitude.
I think we let the professionals be professionals.
My vote is no.
LOPEZ: Mr. Mannie.
If the parents and teachers want it,
so do I. Yes.
LOPEZ: Ms. Schwartz.
I'm all over this.
Yes.
Mr. Parrish.
At a time when half...
I mean, half of all new teachers
quit in their first five years,
we need to be creating more incentives
and more protection for them, not less.
No.
Thank you, sir!
Thank you.
One more. One more.
And Mr. King.
You have the deciding vote.
Like this, remember? For lady luck.
Yes. Yes.
You're my luck. You're my luck.
This school is failing.
It's been failing for too long.
It's a broken school.
Thousands of kids getting passed on who can't read.
Can't write, can't add.
I'd like to think the ideas in here could fix Adams.
Frankly, I'm not sure they can.
Oh, no.
But we must start somewhere.
Yes.
LOPEZ: The motion is carried by a vote of four to three.
John Adams Elementary, your future begins again.
You ready to start an appeal?
I'm quitting.
Whoa, whoa. To do what?
What else?
Teach.
(UKULELE PLAYING)
MICHAEL: I do not shrink from this responsibility
'Cause the energy, faith and the devotion
That we keep bringing to this endeavor
Will light our country and all who serve it
And the glow from that fire
Will surely light the world
KIDS: So ask not What your country can do for you
Ask not What your country can do for you
But what you can do for your country
MICHAEL: Yeah!
(WHOOPING)
Nice.
All right, now before assembly ends, we have a few announcements.
The first is about next week's service field trip.
Malia Fitzpatrick.
GIRL: Go, Malia!
"For next week's f-field trip,
we're going
to the Northside Food Pa...
Pantry.
Bring your permission slips
so you can come.
We hop you can."
Hope.
Well, I won't back down
No, I won't back down
You could stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down
Hey, baby
There ain't no easy way out
Hey, I will stand my ground
And I won't back down
Well, I know what's right
I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
But I'll stand my ground
And I won't back down
Hey, baby
There ain't no easy way out
Hey, I will stand my ground
And I won't back down
No, I won't back down
Live your life right 'cause in case you forgot
It's the only one that you got
Live your life right
Put up a fight
The world starts in the city of steel
Let's stick around
'Cause there are colours that we 're gonna reveal
Starting now
Live your life right
Put up a fight
Giving up is what they want you to do
But things must change
Pay no mind to discouragin' fools
We will not wait
I'll be all I was meant to be
And you can never stop me
We were promised liberty
And together we're an army
A community
Live your life right 'cause in case you forgot
It's the only one that you got
Live your life right
Put up a fight
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