Made In America - Review

Last week I went to see Made In America. It is a documentary about the formation and existence of the Bloods and Crips. This is a subject that I feel well-educated on, so I was very skeptical going in to the movie. Here's my review. 

Positives: The first thing I noticed about the movie was the amazing visuals. The movie has incredible overhead clips of South LA and great shots on location as well. The visual production of the movie is very good. It starts off talking about the migration of Blacks to LA and then into the Watts Riots. The historical parts were very good and the interviews that accompanied them fit nicely. Every point that I hoped to hear was there. As the movie continued, hearing from the former gang bangers was very good as well. 

Negatives: The movie centered about the projects and Compton. Doing this makes it feel very sensational. That combined with the non-historical segments which were just interviews with young men basically saying they are going to do what they do gave a very one-dimensional view of the whole thing. The movie did touch on things like self-hatred and lack of male role-models, but all of it was not very well organized. It jumped around a lot. There was a focus on reformation toward the end, but I think the portrayal could have been solved by interviewing young people that had now made the choice not to bang, or never did bang and tell that story as well. 

Overall: Overall, I would not recommend that people go out and view this as soon as possible and I would not recommend that people not see it. I don't feel that it brings anything new to the story. In fact, I was surprised that it did not touch on the changes occurring today. Over the last 20 years, the population of South LA has shifted toward a majority Latino population. Although it is often overstated, and seems to have leveled off, South LA is definitely 60-70% Latino (although you wouldn't know from watching the news). This has changed the operation and dominance of Bloods and Crips. For example, some Blood and Crip gangs have put aside past beefs as numbers dip due to people moving out. Also, many gangs have just straight up died off because there are no new members due to the changes in population. I think there has been more pressure for some youth to join gangs in areas where the shifts have occurred for the mere fact that the number of youth is less then in previous generations. None of this was addressed in the film - meaning that the film brings nothing new to the understanding of how and why the gangs exist. 

Did I Make the Right Choice?

Events from last week had me briefly debating if I made the right choice to leave my last school and help start a new school. Last week, I received my test scores for world history 10. The history test is a difficult test because it is much more analytical than the other tests and requires a high reading level. 75% of my students scored basic or above! I'm not saying that is the greatest ever at all, and is still 10% lower than my suburban counterparts, but it was an improvement and it was one of the higher within my district. 

Then, I received the teacher surveys. At the end of each year, admin conducts a computer-based survey that has the students rate the teachers in areas such as use of homework, knowledge of subject, engagement, discipline, ect. I was the highest rated teacher at my school and well above the average of my district. I am definitely not one to brag, but since it is done and over, that did bring me great joy! 

The scores and the ratings were the result of 3 years of hard work. I don't know if I can repeat this, at least not right away. I am about to teach a class I have never taught. On top of that, I need to adjust to new students. That is why I briefly wondered if I made the right choice. But deep down, I know I have. I needed to get out of teaching that class. This next year will be difficult, but not impossible. I'll just keep working hard and hoping to make it!  

Another Story of Violence

This one starts on my block, seven year ago...a child found her mother killed and then was raped by the killer and left for dead. She is now testifying against the killer. 

Click here for the full story. 

4 Dead in 24 Hours in Athens

These killings occurred on Sunday/Monday. The triple homicide took place about 5 minutes from my house, across the street from where I used to work. Then, a 17 year old football player was killed while riding his bike. Since the city, state, and federal government are clearly not concerned with this, it is up to us in the community to fix it. Of course, I would say the best solution is education. A proper education that teaches content, values, community, and self-empowerment could lead to a huge reduction in homicides. Check the full story at this link, or click on the picture. 

Success!

The last couple of days at Summer Bridge were a challenge. It was difficult to get everyone on point and focused. On our last day though, we came very close! We brought the students to USC for a scavenger hunt. The students were split into small groups and assigned a chaperone. This worked out very well. Even with extreme heat, there were almost no complaints as the groups competed to be the first ones done. After an extra long two weeks, it was great to see the students get involved, and have a good time. It was not perfect, but it was the best day of the two weeks. We came back, had lunch together, and we were done! Notably, the mood of the students improved significantly with a few of the most negative students absent....hmm something to think about! 

Only in the Hood...

So it is 11:30 at night and I am on the grind doing my work. Then, that hunger hits me! I need a snack. The only thing left open is the liquor store across the street. I put on my shoes and take the short walk. As soon as I get in, a middle-aged woman is cursing out the store owner. From what I could gather, it seemed that she felt that they had implied through a comment that she was some type of prostitute. She did not dress or appear to be a prostitute, but she felt they had implied in during a conversation that took place before I entered. So as she is cussing them out and explaining how insulted she is, she is also paying for liquor. She insults them by saying that they might do that for money, but not her…and then hands them the money for the liquor. I’m pretty sure they sell liquor for money! What confused me the most is this: if she felt truly insulted, why still buy the liquor at that store?

Expectations - Reflections

The transformation of Locke High School to a charter school is a huge effort. It is so different that what the students are used to. Many students are coming from school environments that did not hold them accountable for anything. So we want to hold them accountable for everything. Although cognizant of where they are coming from, I am also adjusting to the age. I’m used to 15 and 16 year olds. With these 13 and 14 year olds, it is different to say the least. One advantage I have is that I know what they need for 10th grade and can hold them to that standard. So the California Conference for Justice and Equality (CCEJ) has come to our school to teach the students about everything from different forms of oppression to bullying and school action plans. Although a beautiful idea and presentation, it is difficult for our young student to sit still for a while and absorb some information (as would be expected). So we are seeing the worst of their behavior due to dis-engagement. Last year, I only had students leave class three times, all three were incidents involved them cursing or attempting to fight another student. I considered that terrible, and always look at what could I have done to have prevented that from ever coming up. I keep stuff pretty active, so there is not a lot of time for the extras. The year before last, I did not kick out any students the entire year. I hate to do it. Today, I had to ask two to leave to the dean, and wrote up seven. And all the poor facilitator (who is not a trained teacher) could say was “We all have to be here so we might as well participate…whatever.” Yea, that will get them engaged! Although I always look to what I can do, I also know that at least I am holding them accountable. I asked them to leave because their behavior was so outrageous that the example set for the other students was unacceptable. One student could not let go of the attitude! Another was cursing at a student. I never take it personal, and I know that the students have to adjust to expectations that they have never seen. We are asking them to work harder at school than they ever have in their lives. I know in due time, they will adjust and rise to the expectations and come to appreciate the structure. In the meantime, I’m just gonna keep the expectations and accountability high. And make sure I get a good night’s rest!