Hard Times at Douglass High - A Review
Ed. Leadership, Ed. Policy, Ed. Tech., Equity / Discrimination June 24th, 2008
Last night, I watched and recorded the HBO documentary, Hard Times at Douglass High: A No Child Left Behind Report Card. Hard Times is essentially a “year-in-the-life” cinema verite type film that “documents” the inner workings of one high school in Baltimore, MD that serves only African-American students (as a result of de facto segregation). I’m recommending the documentary, with lots of caveats. My greatest concern is that the film will feed streotypes about urban high schools. My greatest hope is that people will watch the film and wake up to the reality that schooling, particularly in urban areas, is a difficult and complex institution that does not work for too many young people.
Though I’ve never taught in an urban high school, my research projects have allowed me to spend a LOT of time in various urban schools all across the country. I’ve also taken courses on urban education, read all of the classic books about urban education, etc. So, nothing in the film surprised me and I learned nothing new. So, I’m guessing the film was not made for people like me.
However, for those who’ve only “heard about” schools like Douglass High (even writing “schools like…” is value laden and probably not my best choice of words), I imagine the film is pretty startling. There’s a real sense of hopelessness, indifference and/or resignation that permeates the film. There are a couple of nice stories about a few of the students, but mostly the statistics cited throughout the film are terrifyingly bad and the negative stories certainly outweigh the bad. The images of students sleeping through the administration of the state tests are disturbing. The “so be it” attitude of some of the teachers is really upsetting. This is not a film to watch if you’re looking for a pick-me-up.
My own takes? As a professor of educational leadership, I was wholly unimpressed by the principal. She seemed kind and well-meaning, but she was not at all inspiring or personable. I believe that school would be better served by someone with tons of energy, ideas and enthusiasm. Also, I don’t understand the use of NCLB in the subtitle of the film. Other than the frequent citing of statistics about outcomes, the film is NOT about NCLB; it’s simply an ethnographic look at one urban high school.
Having watched the film in the week leading up to NECC, I’m left conflicted. On one hand, it feels like going to a conference with a massive exhibit hall loaded with glitzy, expensive products sold by many lucrative companies is so wrong-headed. How can interactive white boards and Google Earth, for example, help the kids in Douglass High, many of whom worry about where they will get their next meal? Or, how can I concern myself with “big ideas” about the future of schooling and tech.-driven learning theories when there are so many schools like Douglass High where the status quo is simply unacceptable? On the other hand, I wonder if discussing and thinking about “big ideas” like Classroom 2.0 or School 2.0 might help me think about ways to blow up the status quo. I mean, what if “the best and brightest” thinkers at NECC were to be given the power to convert Douglass High into School 2.0?
A while back, David Jakes laid down a gauntlet to edubloggers and asked if we were ready to “earn it - really earn it” at NECC. Well, I challenge those same folks to “step up” and figure out how the issues and ideas discussed at NECC (especially NECC Unplugged and Edubloggercon) can be used to serve those most in need of school reform.
Tags: necc2008, reform, urban education
Jon,
I worked in a school much like that and whenever our enthusiasm would wane or the despair would become too much we would rerun the first few minutes of Primary Colors. NO CERTIFICATES FOR OUR KIDS was the battle cry. I absolutely get the link between NCLB and Douglass High. Web 2.0 is about finding a way to engage those kids with the tools we are now gaining and finding. I look forward to someone out there picking up the gauntlet. Great tweets today.
Jon
Having not seen the film, I will take your word for the characteristics of the principal. My question is, however, if the school selected her for the position, what right do we have to determine what she “should” be doing. Maybe (for that poking and prodding effect) she was selected following a very inspirational leader that ventured 30 different directions in search of learning but in doing so got nothing accomplished and the school is rebounding with a solid no-nonsense approach to the bottom line. In my experience it is clear that any hiring is immensely impacted by the weaknesses of the “outgoing” individual. This is true for the times I’ve been hired (strong with student relations and weak with curriculum organization) and when I am hiring (inspirational teacher following a methodical blah). Your point is well taken and appreciated, but it got me to thinking if the principal is doing what was laid out to her when hired. The next question (if that is affirmed) is whether that aspect is what is still necessary.
I just watched this last night (gotta love COMCAST ON DEMAND) and what was interesting to me as a recent graduate and newly licensed school administrator was the comment you made here about the Principal. She seemed to have been schooled in the same ideas and behaviors I have been in my program, yet she is having to apply her leadership to a world far away from the one we are prepared for leading. Kind of connects to your study about the requirements for school leadership programs. Shouldn’t there be concentration areas for school leaders to practice in poor, urban districts, Gifted schools, huge schools, and small rural ones? I realize Richmond’s Superintendent is heading to Harvard to participate in a Urban Superintendent group, but what about on-the-ground leadership actually in the schools? The lady in the film seemed nice enough, but I thought her reaction about the back to school night was straight out of School Community Relations class. She needed to get real, and that community needed to hear it. Other than that, watching that film reminds me that improving schools has to start with improving lives. What purpose does technology have in a school like that? I wonder, if that English teacher had an online community of other inner city English teachers, would he have left mid-year? What about that poor Principal (who drove an Escalade)? What could have helped her here?
…all just rambling thoughts of a summer insomniac. Happy 4th.
Betsy, you raise great questions. They are questions that ed. leadership faculty wrestle with all the time. Can/should we teach relative to specific contexts or is our job to teach “leadership” more generally? I tend to lean towards the latter and would imagine that leaders can find other leaders working in similar communities with whom to network and learn professionally. The VCU program needs to change and will change. Surely we’ll involve recent graduates in that process. When that time comes, may we call on your insights?