Whatever It Takes

I found Whatever It Takes on line and watched it. Well worth the hour that it takes.

I have several questions. One, Sharifea didn't qualify to take the regents exam. It would be lovely here if only the kids passing were permitted to take the end of course test or the graduation tests - it would certainly raise the scores. But her, if you are in the school on that day and are taking a course with an end of course test or you are a junior - you take the test.

There are some we know cannot pass it - but they have to take the test.

1) Why would she not qualify?
2) Why did only 27 out of the school take the regents? That's about 25%, which means 75% don't.

Sharifea reminds me of a child I taught. My Sharifea was a girl with a lot of potential who could not behave. She is in school to socialize. She is rude, disrespectful to teachers and doesn't apply herself. When I met with her parents they announced that she wanted to go to Agnes Scott College - this is a very good school in Atlanta with high expectations. And I told her then that it was possible if she would make different choices.

I see her in the hall now. It is no longer possible: she cannot pull her 76 gpa up to the standards that Agnes Scott requires. But she is still acting up in the hall. She is on the suspension list at least once every two weeks. And she probably still thinks she can get there.

This is a child with parental backup and (in theory) expectations. But the unwillingness to change her daily choices will close that door forever.

I was struck by the blank expression on Sharifea's normally expressive face during the parent teach conference. If you have seen The Blind Side, you see that on Michael's face a lot as well.

I liked the principal's goals: discipline, commitment, responsibility, perseverance, service, excellence.

I was also struck by the idea that he has 108 students to be a principal of. I have that many to teach, an hour at a time. My results cannot be the same. But what could we accomplish with them if we could divvy them up into small schools like this and really teach them?