REMEMBER THE MOVIE, FREEDOM WRITERS, STARRING HILARY SWANK,
ABOUT A TEACHER DETERMINED TO REACH INNER CITY HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS, A SIMILAR MODEL IS USED IN SPRINGFIELD, AND IN THIS
AMERICAN GRADUATE REPORT, CONNECTING POINT CONTRIBUTOR
CAROLEE MCGRATH TALKS WITH TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS AND
STUDENTS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM THAT TEACHES THROUGH CHALLENGING,
RELEVANT, PROJECT-DRIVEN ACTIVITIES.
>> THIS PROGRAM IS PART OF AMERICAN GRADUATE, LETS MAKE IT
HAPPEN.
A PUBLIC MEDIA INITIATIVE MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR
PUBLIC BROADCASTING.
>> IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A PARTY IN MR.
DAN'S CLASS AT COMMERCE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THIS IS WHERE A
LOT OF HARD WORK GETS DONE.
>> THERE IS NO TALKING.
THERE IS NO JOKES.
>> BRIAN IS DOING WHAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER A WARMUP OR AN
ICE-BREAKER WITH HIS NINTH GRADERS.
HE STARTS WITH THE BASICS.
>> STEP TO THE LINE, IF YOU LIKE THE NEW YORK GIANTS.
>> AS THE GAME PROGRESSES, HE GETS INTO MORE SERIOUS TOPICS.
>> STEP TO THE LINE IF YOU LIVE IN A SINGLE PARENT HOME.
STEP TO THE LINE IF SOMEBODY CLOSE TO YOU AS EVER SERVED TIME
IN JAIL.
FORCING THEM GENTLY TO PRESENT AND TALK ABOUT THEMSELVES WITH
EACH OTHER.
REALLY OPENS UP STUDENTS' MINDS TO EACH OTHER, AND AT LEAST WHEN
WE'RE HERE, WE'RE GOING TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AND SAFE TO WORK.
I ATTRIBUTE A LOT TO WHAT I LEARNED IN CALIFORNIA, AND IN
THIS SORT OF MODEL OF THE FREEDOM WRITERS' WAY.
>> HE WAS PART OF A GROUP FROM SPRINGFIELD WHO WENT TO LONG
BEACH, CALIFORNIA, TO ATTEND THE FREEDOM WRITERS' INSTITUTE.
ERIN GRUWELL USED WRITING AND JOURNALING TO HELP HER STUDENTS
IN THE MID 1990s REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
>> WHAT WAS AMAZING IS MY FREEDOM WRITERS WROTE THEIR
STORIES, AND IT WAS LIKE A MESSE IN A BOTTLE, WE WERE HOPING THAT
THE PARENTS AND THEIR COMMUNITY WOULD READ THEIR STORIES, AND
WHEN IT BECAME A BOOK, WE REALIZED THAT OTHER KIDS AND
OTHER COMMUNITIES HAD SIMILAR STORIES, AND SO, I WAS FORTUNATE
THAT THE 150 STUDENTS THAT I HAD GRADUATED, AND WENT TO COLLEGE,
AND WE WANTED TO REPLICATE THAT SAME KIND OF SUCCESS WITH
STUDENTS EVERYWHERE, BUT SPECIFICALLY, RIGHT HERE IN
SPRINGFIELD.
>> LYDIA MARTINEZ, THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF SPRINGFIELD
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ALSO WENT TO CALIFORNIA FOR THE FREEDOM
WRITERS' TRAINING.
>> IT'S ABOUT HOW TO REACH THE CHILDREN TO HELP THEM THROUGH
THAT BAGGAGE THAT THEY BRING, TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
THAT KEEPS THEM FROM LEARNING WHATEVER THE SUBJECT IS.
>> I ASKED KIDS TO WRITE ABOUT WHAT STRESSES THEM OUT.
IT'S OUT IN THE WORLD NOW, AND I THINK THAT IT RELIEVES SOME OF
THAT STRESS.
>> SO, THAT'S OUR FINAL SRI TEST, SHOW OUR GROWTH.
>> WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ENHANCE WHAT OUR
TEACHERS ARE DOING, AND SO I CAN GET 15 OF THE TEACHERS TO BE
TRAINED TO EACH WEEK, TO 150 KIDS, THAT'S, THAT MANY MORE
CHILDREN THAT WANT TO STAY IN SCHOOL, AND ARE LEARNING, THAT
ARE GRADUATING, THAT WE'RE NOT LOSING TO THE STREETS.
>> THE STUDENTS IN MACHINE DANBOY'S CLASS ARE BEHIND IN
READING.
HE SAYS ANY OF THEM COULD BE AT RISK FOR JUST GIVING UP BUT NOT
QUAME LOHAN.
HE HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES BECAUSE OF THE BOOST FROM
MR.
DANBOYS, WHO ALSO ONE OF HIS FOOTBALL COACHES.
>> I AM ALWAYS TRYING TO GET THERE EVERY DAY THAT I CAN, DO
WHAT I HAVE GOT TO DO.
>> BUT IT HASN'T BEEN EASY.
HE IS REELING FROM THE LOSS OF HIS OLDER SISTER.
SHE WAS MURDERED A YEAR AGO IN SPRINGFIELD.
WRITING HIS FEELINGS DOWN, THIS YEAR, HAS HELPED HIM COPE.
>> I HAD LIKE -- I HAD A BUSY TIME.
AROUND 14, SO IN THE PAPER, I COULD WRITE DOWN WHAT I FEEL.
I WRITE THAT DOWN, READ IT OVER, AND LET DANBOYS READ IT.
>> HIS CLOSE FAMILY FRIEND AND CLASSMATE, NYA HAINES, IS ALSO
IN HIS CLASS, SHE PLAYS VOLLEYBALL FOR COMMERCE, WORKS
PART-TIME AND MANAGES TO GET AN A IN ANGELA.
SHE SAYS WRITING HER FEELINGS HAS ALSO HELPED HER.
>> I HAVE A LOT OF DEATHS IN MY FAMILY LATELY, SO I'VE BEEN
WRITING PA LATELY.
I LET QUAME A LOT, AND IT LETS ME EXPRESS MY FEELINGS.
>> NOEL ALEXANDER, A SOPHOMORE, WAS IN HIS CLASS LAST YEAR.
LIKE THE OTHER TWO, SHE IS DEALING WITH TRAGEDY IN HER
FAMILY.
>> IN THE BEGINNING OF LAST YEAR, NINTH GRADE, I LOST MY
COUSIN TO GANG VIOLENCE.
>> IT HAD THINGS TO DEAL WITH OUTSIDE OF THEIR CONTROL, THAT
ARE SOMETIMES TRAGIC, SOMETIMES THEY ARE JUST TOUGH, AND OFTEN
SCHOOL IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OR IT'S SOMETHING JUST TO
GET THROUGH.
>> HE'S A GOOD TEACHER, AND HE HELPED ME A LOT, GREAT.
>> MR.
DANBOY SAYS HIS BIGGEST GOAL IS TO MAKE KIDS BELIEVE IN
THEMSELVES AND TO BELIEVE THAT DESPITE THE CHALLENGES THEY MAY
FACE AT SCHOOL, THE CHALLENGES THEY MAY FACE AT HOME, THAT THEY
CAN STILL SUCCEED AS LONG AS THEY DON'T QUIT ON THEMSELVES.
NOW, WHEN YOU WENT THROUGH THAT TRAUMA, DID YOU JUST WANT TO
QUIT ON EVERYTHING?
>> ACTUALLY, IF ANYTHING, I DIDN'T AT ALL.
I REALLY WANTED TO LIKE MAKE IT NOW.
AND NOW I'M LIKE DETERMINED TO GO TO COLLEGE AND PLAY FOOTBALL.
I HOPE TO MAKE IT INTO THE NFL.
>> BY WRITING THEY ARE LEARNING TO LET GO OF EVERYTHING HOLDING
THEM BACK.
>> IT'S HARD, YEAH, BUT IT WILL ALL GET BETTER, BECAUSE I WAS
NOT THE BEST STUDENT BUT WILL TRY MY BEST NOW.
>> YOU ARE NOT GOING TO QUIT?
>> NO.
>> SO THAT'S THIS QUIZ.
IT'S GOING TO WORK ON THINGS SUCH AS THE STORY ELEMENTS.
>> NO ONE IN THE CLASS IS NOT CAPABLE OF READING.
THEY JUST HAVE FALLEN OUT OF LOVE WITH IT OR THEY HAVE HAD
STRUGGLES ALONG THE WAY AND GIVEN UP, AND THAT'S KIND OF THE
FOCUS.
I TRY AND SPIN ON IT, IS THAT WE NEED TO WORK HARD TO CATCH UP.
WE NEED TO, INSTEAD OF FEELING TIRED FOR OURSELVES, FOR BEING
HERE, LET'S WORK HARD AND GET OURSELVES OUT OF HERE.
>> REPORTING FOR CONNECTING POINT, I'M CAROLEE MCGRATH.