Frederick Douglass H.S. on HBO tonight
by Lori Barrett | June 23, 2008 at 11:31 am
Posted in Baltimore, TV, education
“Hard Times at Douglass High: A No Child Left Behind Report Card” will premiere tonight at 9 p.m. on HBO.
Academy Award–winning filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond spent a year inside Baltimore’s Frederick Douglass High School to document the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act on poor urban schools.
Says the HBO site: “[T]he film captures the complex realities of life at Douglass, and provides a context for the national debate over the controversial No Child Left Behind Act, focusing on the brutal inequalities of American minority education, considered an American tragedy by many.”
Some background: The majority of the school’s staff are noncertified teachers. Fifty percent of ninth graders will drop out before the school year’s end. And the school has to raise assessment test scores or face a state takeover. Basically, a story that is familiar to most of us who follow Baltimore news — but now one that the rest of the world (or HBO subscribers, at least) will experience as well.
The Raymonds were given unlimited access to Douglass by the principal. Not only did they film the students — studying and fighting — but they documented the staff’s saga as well. Says one English teacher in the documentary, to explain his abrupt midyear resignation: “Teaching becomes secondary, and discipline is the main thing that goes on. I don’t feel like I’m making a difference anymore.”
And you thought HBO’s love affair with Baltimore ended with The Wire.
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June 24th, 2008 at 3:17 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Watched it, it was powerful and depressing. That english teacher is a bitch for not sticking it out until the end of the year though - he pretty much ruined any chance that some of the kids in his class would perform well until the end.
June 24th, 2008 at 3:23 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Evan why not tell the English teacher that yourself? He is a regular poster on the Baltimore Sun Forum and created a topic on the board their about this documentary:
http://www.baltimoresun2.com/talk/showthread.php?t=150488
Unless you have been in his situation its a lot easier to judge from a distance. You probably wouldn't last 3 days teaching in that school.
June 24th, 2008 at 5:09 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Yeah you're right, but then again I never chose to be a teacher at Douglass. I find it hard to believe that upon being hired for the position he had no idea what was in store; the totally soul-crushing apathy from students, parents, etc., the national headlines? At least half of my friends are teachers, I've heard the stories from every TFA person and public school teacher alike for the past oh, forever years. I may not be able to put myself in his shoes, but I've heard the mantra so many times by now that I know it by heart.
(And actually I have to admit I'm impressed he even made it to his 3rd year.)
Anyway maybe using the term 'bitch' was a bit strong but it was mostly a throwaway comment. To elaborate, even if it's the hardest last five months you've ever worked a job at the very least you can say you saw it through to the end of the year. Especially if it (to me at least) means you've made the slightest bit of difference to some of the kids in the class.
I feel for the guy, the same way I do every single other teacher I know, but I can't say I know any that just quit mid-year.
June 24th, 2008 at 5:30 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I watched most of it last night and was deeply disturbed/enlightened.
There were many moving, telling scenes: The teenager "uncomfortable" in school after giving birth; the girl who didn't want to come to class because she couldn't read; the teacher who had to "sneak behind the building" of another high school just to receive needed environmental science textbooks.
This should be a must-see for everyone in Baltimore, all educators and all No Child Left Behind proponents.
June 24th, 2008 at 5:54 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Good observations Jordan. I must say the Principal at that school needs a bit of a reality check. She seemed oblivious to a lot of the happenings.
I also could not understand how they allowed all these kids to just roam the halls all day. I have a feeling a lot of it has to do with NCLB ACT and attendence but seriously that disrupts the kids that want to learn which i have a feeling there were some.
If i was the Principal i'd do a daily floor check anyone in the hall gets sent to class or out the door and not to return the rest of the day. Why keep these kids in a hallway to fight and curse all day.
The second thing was the band girls in the tight shirts thrusting their breasts out and all that. Seemed a bit inappropriate for a school if you ask me. Its not some club downtown.
June 27th, 2008 at 4:19 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
In response to Woodchuck's comments. First, I don't think that the principal needs a reality check. I think that she knows what is going on, but was fearful of saying anything lest she be reprimanded by the Area Office. Secondly, I couldn't agree with you more about the band girls. My husband said that they looked like they belonged in a strip club with all of that gyration. I also thought some of the children's clothes were inappropriate for school ("biatch" for instance). Finally, I just think that this documentary sheds light on the sad reality that many of our city school students face. My heart goes out to all of the students who attend everyday and continue to put forth their best effort, because as the film shows it isn't easy in that environment.
June 27th, 2008 at 6:16 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I'm from Los Angeles; and during my era of school living in South Central LA, we dealt with the same social ills as the students at Douglass High. We lived with extreme poverty, single parent households, high rates of unemployment, over crowded classroom, and a Crip and Blood that you would never believe unless you seen it with your own eyes; and we are only talking about Junior High School.
The question is how are students expected to receive an proper education if they are lacking the tools (such as adequate books and certified teacher) to succeed. In order to make a difference with these students, you have to be able to reach them at their level. Having teachers in that particular community that are unable to relate to the students social or economic background, in all likely hood, will not be able to keep their interest or make receiving an education interesting. These students will only consider listening to someone who can relate to what they are going through
Also, obviously the curriculum is not holding the interest of the student. Since it's not working, maybe trying something unconventional will peak there interest. It may not be such a bad idea to maybe try a more on hands approach; or maybe even try changing the curriculum to something more relative to whats going on in there community.
The problem with schools in the inner city is there is no interest in preparing students for the real world. If you can have a Nationally Ranked Basketball Team and an award winner Performing Arts Program, then you can provide students with proper tools to receive a proper education.
I am a graduate of Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles where we had both a Nationally Ranked Basketball Team and an excellent choir as well. The problem the problem is there are a great number of teachers that are just there to receive a paycheck as opposed to looking to educate the students. Of course it's not an easy job; however, if a teacher's heart isn't in it, they should seek a different profession.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:19 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
hello bthesite and thanks for this opportunity, easy registration and easy post procedures. much appreciated.
students are requesting quality relevent instruction which can only be provided by truly dedicated qualifying educators. the behaviors, as documented in previous post, are not limited to Douglass. they are throughout america's predominately minority education systems.
white schools have their issues as well. however such would not be tolerated in predominately white schools.
black and latino districts are however designed to fail! outdated curriculums shotty application of resources are the order for such schools. we should concentrate corrective efforts towards holding ceo and all other education
"professionals" soley responsible for classic well documented systemic disenfranchisement.
it wasn't long ago educating blacks illegal; 2008, same goal different tactics.
students at Douglass exposed failing educators. caution! students at Douglass are commendable. they weren't born devaluing education. they were taught to devalue education and manipulated towards accepting matriculating to prison. as an educator, we are the failures!
concluding interpretation- north avenue has entire summer to formulate appropriate team of educators with proper abilities to adequately address concerns documented in hbo documentary.
it's not just Frederick Douglass alone, but baltimore's entire system needs an overhaul.
thanks to students the world now knows, with certainty, the extent of failure. let's see if the ceo and other education "professionals" make necessary modification so Douglass opens in september prepared for student success, or if Douglass opens to bussiness as usual.
the inappropiate planning of educators is the single biggest variable in this revealing atrocity!
baltimore's educators F-.
June 28th, 2008 at 8:26 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I am an 18 year old male black student. I was born in NY but live in the Caribbean. I just saw this documentary and it is absolutely baffling that the children have such a low level of intelligence. It is really ridiculous how little the grasp. I know I am being very harsh and that their circumstances do influence their attitudes and behaviors but this is simply atrocious. It's like a never ending cycle of stupidity, and ignorance. To those children who make it out, congratulations because succeeding in that type of environment is astonishing. Something really needs to be done, because these children are on the fast track to nowhere. The part where the teenager did not want to take the hoody off his head was shocking to me.
June 29th, 2008 at 11:47 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
hello Terrance. so you witnessed the hype of hbo. the students were born innocent social healthy beings as you were. to call them stupid is more erroneous than harsh. just as you were socialized to be who you are, so were the students at douglass.
nearing 50 years of age, i take responsibility for failing to provide and nurture productive educational system for the youngsters you saw on the program.
it is the lack of posterity of grown folk that allowed the continuation of the "mis-education of the negro(african american students)" they are but youngsters.
a few of us are currently working with and sometimes fighting against the superintendent of baltimore's schools, the board of school commisioners in baltimore, and any and all other education professionals directly and indirectly involved in what you and the world saw on hbo.
we know it does not have to be that way. lack of textbooks, overcrowded classrooms, suddenly mixing elementary students with junior high students, housing middle school students with senior high school students, adults stealing millions of dollars from school revenues seemingly each fiscal year, outdated irrelevent curriculums are but a few reasons to explain why our city's youth are not properly educated.
overrepesentation of uncertified teachers, new teachers every year and sometimes , as you witnessed, many teachers leaving before the school year ends, good teachers and education professionals disrespected by official education leadership, old textbooks, and the list goes on. faulty planning. and inadequate monthly staff meetings by principals in many secondary schools in baltimore.
all the while america has established an entire national infrastructure in iraq. all are actions by adults directly affecting pre k-12 students in baltimore.
our students are not stupid!
the adults and education professionals are failing and have failed the students. don't get it twisted!
as P.E.(Public Enemy) said in the 80's, "Don't Believe The Hype."
hey Terrance, you di
July 1st, 2008 at 3:31 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
The biggest problems were the ones expressed by the children and subtly by teachers, no fathers in the home and lack of parental participation regarding PTA, attendance etc. We can blame beauracracy, the state, or George Bush, but the bottom line is: the people make the community! We all need to point the fingers at ourselves for the shortcomings/failures within ourselves, our families and our communities. Have we forgot that overcoming obstacles is what defines us. Failure began when dad walked out. You cannot pay people enough to mend a broken home, fill a father's responsibilty and make the apathetic care.