Sidewalk High

<v Rashan>Sidewalk high is a dropout living at home, <v Rashan>not doing anything. <v Patricia Holmes>How many times have you skipped? <v Student>About six weeks. <v Patricia Holmes>About six weeks straight? <v Tara Pearson>School. It had interest in me but I just don't feel like going. <v Tara Pearson>I didn't feel like being bothered. Anything with the people or anything. <v James Morgan>All my brothers have dropped out, you know. I was feeling like, you know, this is not <v James Morgan>worth the school anymore. Thought it has like stay home and just be here. <v Rashan>I was going the wrong way. Until they said, "Hey, Rashan, you're doing the wrong thing. <v Rashan>We're going to put you in program so we can string you out." <v Photographer>Love it. <v Basketball Coach>You come straight at it, like this. Meet the ball. <v Coach Kelso>As we go on in school, we are going to have to realize that we are losing <v Coach Kelso>kids, we are losing them, and we're going to have to do something else. <v Speaker>Williams want to talk about those kinds of things

<v Speaker>that would help you graduate in June or July. <v Speaker>Mr. Williams. <v Principal Williams>I have looked at the final marks for the semester, which just ended, <v Principal Williams>and young ladies and young gentlemen, a number of you <v Principal Williams>are in very, very precarious positions. <v Principal Williams>Your graduation in June is greatly endangered. <v Principal Williams>You might not wish to hear that, but that's where <v Principal Williams>you are. <v Principal Williams>Because you happen to have "twelfth grader" beside your name <v Principal Williams>does not mean that you are going to walk across that stage in June and shake

<v Principal Williams>my hand. <v Terrance> My name is Terrance Bell. <v Terrance>I'm 18. I used to attend to Cooley high school. <v Terrance>The main reason why I dropped out of Cooley basically because I had to find a <v Terrance>job to help with the bills and support myself. <v Terrance>Another reason is the administration up there. <v Terrance>They are just so hard it. <v Terrance>They don't want to make anybody leave. Ain't nobody been in jail, like I never been in <v Terrance>jail, but as I hear, it's not too much difference. <v Student>I get you good guys. You be the big man. <v Student>We get it. We get it. We get two more quarters and we can run all day, how about that? <v Student>See that's what it is. <v Student 2>That's what we be doing.

<v Student 3>Oh yeah. <v Terrance>Things they would do that upset me was just always hassling me, like about <v Terrance>going to classes, and- When I used to skip a lot, <v Terrance>I fell and I got kicked out because of doing so. <v Terrance>Usually Monopoly you start off with something. <v Terrance>Then as you go on, you can probably build your way up. <v Terrance>But in life you can usually start nothing and end with nothing.

<v Patricia Holmes>Welcome to DAIC, which stands for the Detroit Attendance <v Patricia Holmes>Intervention Center. <v Patricia Holmes>How bad was your attendance, Sonny? <v Sonny>Poor. <v Patricia Holmes>Tell me something, you know, I can <v Patricia Holmes>get a mental picture of it. <v Sonny>Well, thirty five times. <v Patricia Holmes>Thirty-five times. What brought you here? One class that you cut all the time or many? <v Student>All of them. <v Patricia Holmes>And your name, sweetheart? <v Paula>Paula. <v Patricia Holmes>And we know Paula was absent thirty-six times. <v Patricia Holmes>OK, well, we're gonna change that picture. <v Patricia Holmes>OK. Not every ninth grader skips classes. <v Patricia Holmes>These children are unique because they have special problems. <v Patricia Holmes>The students in DAIC are students who have spent the first <v Patricia Holmes>part of their year in high school skipping classes, deciding which classes <v Patricia Holmes>they will go to. Which ones they will not.

<v Patricia Holmes>And these kids are in trouble from the very onset of high school education. <v Patricia Holmes>When you deal with the assignments that I'm going to give you, it's expected <v Patricia Holmes>that you're going to try everyday to the very best that you can. <v Patricia Holmes>Everything I will give you will be things that you can't do. <v Patricia Holmes>Don't tell me. Well, when Miss So-and-so taught it, I never got a good grade on it. <v Patricia Holmes>Each person is different. Deal with Patricia Holmes as Patricia Holmes is, <v Patricia Holmes>because I'm like no one else you've met. <v Patricia Holmes>And I'm the best friend that you'll have here at Cooley during this class program. <v Patricia Holmes>I like to talk a lot. Kids need to know that you're a person and <v Patricia Holmes>they know that I'm a mother of two children and that I've had many experiences like they <v Patricia Holmes>had. Like my son has lied to me before. <v Patricia Holmes>So what they try their little games with me here, I know exactly what's going on, and I <v Patricia Holmes>tell them, "Listen, don't even try." <v Patricia Holmes>Why did you choose not to do the homework when you knew that the teacher was asking you <v Patricia Holmes>to try? <v Student>Cause I had better things to do. <v Patricia Holmes>Like what? Like what? <v Patricia Holmes>This is serious business.

<v Student>I had better things to do. <v Patricia Holmes>Now we're going to dump on teachers, right? <v Patricia Holmes>Okey dokey. Let's hear what you have to say. <v Student>Well, it seems that when I come in his class, <v Student>he look at me like he hates my guts. <v Patricia Holmes>Can he see your guts? <v Student>Yeah. I don't know. <v Patricia Holmes>Oh, you don't know. <v Student>He probably can. Cause see, my locker is on the second floor in the new building. <v Student>And first hour I had to go all the way upstairs and then come back down in his class <v Student>and I get there at least a minute late. <v Student>He complained about it. <v Patricia Holmes>Should he complain? <v Student>I don't know. <v Patricia Holmes>Well, think. <v Student>But what's a minute, though? <v Patricia Holmes>How many times did you skip on the average across the board? <v Student>Here? <v Patricia Holmes>Here. <v Patricia Holmes>Come on now, we're not gonna lie today. <v Patricia Holmes>Come on. Come on. Look, let's be very truthful. <v Patricia Holmes>How many times have you skipped? <v Student>About six weeks. <v Patricia Holmes>About six weeks. Straight? <v Student>It wasn't skipping. <v Patricia Holmes>You weren't there.

<v Tara Pearson>School, it had interest in me, but I just don't feel like going. <v Tara Pearson>I didn't feel like being bothered or anything with the people or anything. <v Patricia Holmes>What is it that you expect teachers to do for you to show that they're concerned about <v Patricia Holmes>you? What do you expect from us? <v Student>Give us a A. <v Patricia Holmes>But you have to earn the <v Patricia Holmes>A. That sounds good. Give you the A. <v Patricia Holmes>I'm happy to give A's. But when you talk about reality, what do you <v Patricia Holmes>expect from Pat Holmes, from any teacher? <v Patricia Holmes>Being realistic now? Talking about realistic stuff. <v Patricia Holmes>What do you expect from your teachers, young man? <v Student>Give me respect. <v Student>Like I give them respect. <v Patricia Holmes>All right. <v Tara>I didn't like my teachers because I feel they had a very bad attitude, like one <v Tara>of my teachers, you know, she left the class. <v Tara>And she came back and I asked why she left. <v Tara>"One more smart remark, Miss Pierce." And I said, "What are you talking about?" <v Tara>"And that's it. Get out." Okay.

<v Tara>You know, I was like, "Okay." And she out like she don't want to hear that my <v Tara>side, that my side, all I did was ask her why she left the whole class for the whole <v Tara>period. No, no teachers supposed to do that. <v Tara>It was fine and all. But, you know, why does she leave? <v Tara>She claimed cause the class was noisy. <v Tara>Hey, it's a vocal class. <v Tara>What's that? You know? <v Bessie Pearson>I got a letter. And it was stating that she <v Bessie Pearson>had been missing from school. <v Bessie Pearson>And I was so shocked, I left the post office and went right to the school. <v Bessie Pearson>I didn't come back home to get dressed or anything and I still <v Bessie Pearson>couldn't believe it. <v Bessie Pearson>They told me she had been missing classes, it was six weeks. <v Bessie Pearson>And every morning I carried her to school and I would <v Bessie Pearson>put her out at the school door. <v Tara>You know how your body tells you you don't want to go your mind tell you or sometimes

<v Tara>your friends with you. Yeah, Tara. <v Tara>Let's go. Let's go some way. Na na, na. <v Tara>Come on, girl. We'll be back. We'll make it, you know. <v Tara>And, you know in Coolley, you can skip anywhere, anywhere <v Tara>you want to. <v Patricia Holmes>Hello. May I speak to Mrs. Browder, please? <v Patricia Holmes>The most important thing about this program is that you have to constantly call the kids <v Patricia Holmes>to get them to come to class. <v Patricia Holmes>We have a follow up program that is in progress everyday. <v Patricia Holmes>Mrs. Browder, my name is Mrs. Holmes, now from Cooley High School. <v Patricia Holmes>Are you the mother of Leroy Browder? <v Patricia Holmes>Right. Well, I'm the English teacher for the language arts program <v Patricia Holmes>at Cooley High School. And his name was given to us as a new member for the DAIC <v Patricia Holmes>program. And I was wondering whether or not you sent him to school today. <v Ruth Browder>The first time I remember that Leroy wasn't going to school was when I got a letter from <v Ruth Browder>the school saying, you know, he's absent, my son was absent and I have went to see as <v Ruth Browder>his counselor and even talked to them.

<v Ruth Browder>And after you start, once I talked to them, get him back in school <v Ruth Browder>he started and then dropped down again. <v Ruth Browder>This is Leroy's picture here, when he was a baby, there's a new one <v Ruth Browder>picture here. This is his picture also, and <v Ruth Browder>this picture here. This the latest picture I have with him. <v Ruth Browder>I used to take my children every, when I was small, everywhere. <v Ruth Browder>People couldn't understand, they would turn, they see my children when they were small. <v Ruth Browder>Now they grown up we don't do anything together. <v Terrance>I like to go to St. Francis three days a week to shoot around the fellas. <v Terrance>This is my spot. I'm comfortable where I'm at right here. <v Terrance>I just putting the ball in the hoop. <v Terrance>My first time getting to a ?vise? game it was like a thousand,

<v Terrance>two thousand people there. <v Terrance>And when coach called me to go in, I was like, you got <v Terrance>to be for real to go out and play in front of all these people. <v Terrance>And I mess up, you know, that's it. <v Terrance>I'm just gone. Faint out there. <v Terrance>But once I got out there, got to sweat and, you know, got to plan with the guys. <v Terrance>It was great, hearing all the people cheer after I score a point. <v Terrance>It was great. <v Coach Kelso>Unfortunately for Terrance, that was his last eligible <v Coach Kelso>year. He only had one year to try and do <v Coach Kelso>it. He had dreams shattered <v Coach Kelso>for the next year. He came to me and said, you know, "Coach, <v Coach Kelso>is it true that I'm not going to play?" And I had to tell him then, "Terrance, that is <v Coach Kelso>that is true. You're not going to play." <v Terrance>When I first heard that I couldn't play, I went to the gym, sat down, thought,

<v Terrance>oh, thank you. <v Terrance>Well, that's the end of my basketball career. <v Terrance>I won't be able to go to college. It made me very upset. <v Terrance>So like after two weeks after I found out, <v Terrance>I just eased off school for awhile. <v Terrance>So my name is Terrance Bell and I'd like to apply for a job. <v Speaker>What type of position are you seeking? <v Terrance>Position in laundry department or cafeteria or just regular maintenance. <v Terrance>For me a diploma is worthless of getting a job <v Terrance>because the place that I went to, you don't even need a diploma to get a job for. <v Terrance>And I have looked in the paper. <v Terrance>Diploma's not required. <v Speaker>All done? <v Terrance>All done. <v Speaker>You have some plumbing experience. <v Terrance>Excuse me? <v Speaker>You have some plumbing experience? <v Terrance>Yes, ma'am.

<v Speaker>Okay. Where did you come by that? <v Terrance>My father's a plumber. <v Speaker>Would there be any problem for you to work any shift at this time <v Speaker>and weekends also? You have any problem with that? <v Speaker>You live close by. <v Speaker>Okay. <v Speaker>Well, Mr. Bell, at the present time, we don't have any immediate employment available. <v Speaker>Okay, we have a policy here that we will keep your application on file for up to a year's <v Speaker>time. If there is any change in your information as to how to contact you or something <v Speaker>would be to your advantage if you contact us and let us know so that we can keep current <v Speaker>information on you. <v Terrance>Every time I hear somebody say it makes me feel like, you know, I'm useless, <v Terrance>that you know, they don't need me. <v Coach Kelso>You got to loosen up on this man over here. <v Coach Kelso>The ball's obviously going that side, you've got to be way over here so that when he does <v Coach Kelso>trap, you've got a chance to get over there. You can't stay over there, up under that

<v Coach Kelso>man. You got to get on the opposite side to have a chance when a man comes up <v Coach Kelso>with one game and come up with the ball. <v Coach Kelso>My name is Ben Kelso and head basketball coach at Detroit Cooley High <v Coach Kelso>School. <v Coach Kelso>So you mean you're not bothering the ball? <v Coach Kelso>OK. If you don't bother the ball, then Daniel can throw it where he wants to. <v Coach Kelso>So how do you how should you be up here? Game in front, put a pivot foot like this? <v Coach Kelso>No. This way. Front foot. <v Coach Kelso>The pivot foot and reach with this hand. <v Coach Kelso>OK. <v Coach Kelso>Your reach would move my time. And I was in high school. <v Coach Kelso>But no, I never got close enough to let me really show <v Coach Kelso>the real me. Get down. <v Coach Kelso>Good, good, good. <v Coach Kelso>Get it picked up. <v Coach Kelso>I went to coaches and things and I tried to get him to let me fly. <v Coach Kelso>I tried to talk him into, you know, signing for me or helping me out. <v Coach Kelso>But no one did, because I think that during that period of time, there were a lot of <v Coach Kelso>coaches, lot of people, a lot of teachers around that time who thought I was

<v Coach Kelso>a little juvenile, but not one of those teachers took time <v Coach Kelso>to go and check and find out what kind of person I was. <v Coach Kelso>I went to school every day. <v Coach Kelso>I worked in the afternoon and I got up the next day and I went to school and no one <v Coach Kelso>pushed me there. I went because I wanted to. <v Coach Kelso>And yet I didn't get much help from teachers. <v Coach Kelso>And at that particular time. And I always thought that. <v Coach Kelso>If it was my chance, that I would help. <v Speaker>You know when you asked me to estimate. <v Speaker>On the way here, I don't-. <v Coach Kelso>I don't understand. You had to have a study sheet. <v Coach Kelso>So where is the study sheet? Did you did you go to class today? <v Coach Kelso>So where is the study sheet? Did you have some studying to do your classes? <v Coach Kelso>Did you write it down? <v Speaker>Yeah. But I scribbled it on paper. <v Coach Kelso>There isn't one kid in the city of Detroit will be skipping basketball practice. <v Coach Kelso>They all will be there. But that same kid probably wasn't in school that day.

<v Coach Kelso>But they can't do that here. <v Coach Kelso>They have to go to class. Then they have to come to a study session <v Coach Kelso>at 2 10. <v Coach Kelso>OK. This is very unsatisfactory. You don't have it, either. <v Coach Kelso>I tell you what? George, you have a partner right now, right here. <v Coach Kelso>OK. You got five miles as soon as we get out of here. <v Coach Kelso>Okay. On on the track. <v Coach Kelso>All right. <v Coach Kelso>One of the things that we require is that every <v Coach Kelso>person go as far as he can as far as getting a good grade <v Coach Kelso>in class. Now, what we do, if you get a <v Coach Kelso>three point average, then we take your picture and we put it up <v Coach Kelso>in the trophy case out front, we have a large trophy case out front and we put <v Coach Kelso>your picture in there and then all the thirty six hundred <v Coach Kelso>students come by and see your picture standing up in his trophy case. <v Coach Kelso>Now, that's something to achieve. That's something to help you get a good grade as far as <v Coach Kelso>the classes are concerned. Okay.

<v Coach Kelso>As we go on in school, we are going to have to realize that we are losing <v Coach Kelso>kids. We are losing them. And we'll have to do something else. <v Coach Kelso>We're gonna have to get them interested in something, really interested in something <v Coach Kelso>else. And I think to how you do that with kids is that he has to have <v Coach Kelso>some degree of success in something before he can ever <v Coach Kelso>have the desire to go higher. <v Coach Kelso>He's got to have some degree said, and that's what sports does for kids. <v Rafael>My favorite is Michael Jordan. <v Rafael>He came from North Carolina. <v Rafael>He was known for his jumper at North Carolina. <v Rafael>But when he got into the NBA, he just began fly <v Rafael>all over the place. As you can see, he's my favorite because I have on all <v Rafael>his clothes and his gym shoes and <v Rafael>two more of my favorites. Here is one, Magic Johnson <v Rafael>and the other's Isaiah Thomas, who has a great hand <v Rafael>ball handling ability. And here Cooley roundball is my own creation

<v Rafael>that I made of myself. <v Keith Henry>Basketball for Rafael is what an <v Keith Henry>air tank would be to someone under the sea, diving under the sea. <v Keith Henry>Basically, he enjoys it. <v Keith Henry>I mean, that's putting it mildly. <v Rafael>What happened to me last semester about my grades <v Rafael>was I was down in my academic classes. <v Rafael>But every day I was going to practice because I might skip in the gym <v Rafael>some days, skip in the lunch room, or I might just go to class and not do my <v Rafael>work and wasn't doing my homework. <v Rafael>I did some days just stay at home. <v Interviewer>How come? <v Rafael>How come is, <v Rafael>was no special reason I just wasn't going, I guess, <v Rafael>because I was tired. Maybe some like that. <v Keith Henry>He brought his report card home and it had a D on it.

<v Keith Henry>And I had been telling him, you know, for several weeks that now you bring me a D home <v Keith Henry>and you're gonna have a problem. But you know how most kids think we're dead. <v Keith Henry>He'll just basically be mad a couple of days. <v Keith Henry>I won't have no problem with it. <v Keith Henry>So he did brain that D home. <v Keith Henry>And when he did, I told him that there would be no basketball. <v Speaker>So we have a lecturer coming, Professor Jones Proper. <v Speaker>And students ?inaudible? <v Speaker>Number two. <v Rafael>"Everyone knew about her generosity. <v Rafael>Everyone common her common generosity, collected.". <v Speaker>Okay, Rafael, you're getting some pronouns mixed in with the nouns here. <v Rafael>Putting all the nouns, <v Rafael>subject, predicates, pronouns, <v Rafael>and adjective all together in one sentence and taken them <v Rafael>out and putting them back in. <v Rafael>That's the hardest thing about English to me. <v Speaker>Does anyone have a question about this sheet? <v Keith Henry>If I allowed him to stray further and further, there's no telling

<v Keith Henry>how far he would've went. Let us not kid ourselves. <v Keith Henry>Our kids are exposed to drugs and killings and stuff every <v Keith Henry>day, even with the fact of them going to school. <v Keith Henry>I shudder to think sometimes what can happen to a child as he is on his way to school <v Keith Henry>and making an effort to try to accomplish his goals. <v Gary Everett>My name is Gary Everett. I'm a police officer in the city of Detroit, presently <v Gary Everett>assigned at Cooley High School. <v Gary Everett>The streets, they are rough. <v Gary Everett>I'm not gonna call and say they're not. <v Gary Everett>They are dangerous. They are rough. <v Gary Everett>This year alone, we've buried several kids who <v Gary Everett>attended Cooley High School, who were victims.

<v Principal Williams>I know many persons look upon the schools as an unsettling factor, as <v Principal Williams>a place where nothing positive takes place. <v Principal Williams>But that's not true. And in many instances, the students feel safer <v Principal Williams>in this building than they do walking those streets. <v Derrick Mack>I kept thinking I was going to miss something outside. <v Derrick Mack>You know, my friends call me up and say "Dang, Derrick you should have been there, man." <v Derrick Mack>So that's why I was always in the streets or something like that. <v Derrick Mack>Street life, it was really basically just drugs and a <v Derrick Mack>suit and killings. <v Derrick Mack>It took me a while to find out, but I know now that's all it is, <v Derrick Mack>because. No, I heard and even seen a person <v Derrick Mack>dead in the street. <v Derrick Mack>Besides, this dude had got killed, you know, shot. <v Derrick Mack>He got put on a hit list. Right. <v Derrick Mack>And you know, they say that this guy, just walked up to him and just <v Derrick Mack>shot him in broad daylight.

<v Derrick Mack>And it was just over, because he was selling drugs and everything. <v Keith Henry>Countless number of times you pick up the paper and you see young boy, 16, drug <v Keith Henry>related death or something of this nature. <v Keith Henry>That is my major concern in reference to Rafael and <v Keith Henry>all young kids and students around Detroit to not <v Keith Henry>fall into that trap. <v Ms. Clayborn>Morning, Detroit Public Schools. <v Ms. Clayborn>Does does Leroy Browder live here? <v Ms. Clayborn>Are you his mother? <v Ms. Clayborn>Leroy, is he, has he enrolled in a school yet? <v Ruth Browder>Yes. <v Ms. Clayborn>As of today, he has not. <v Ms. Clayborn>He has not enrolled at Cooley. <v Ms. Clayborn>Now, you say he lives with your daughter-. <v Ruth Browder>He lives here with me, but her living across the street from the school, he stays <v Ruth Browder>there so he can walk across the street. <v Ruth Browder>And he told me he had already enrolled. <v Ms. Clayborn>He's supposed to be in this this program and he hasn't enrolled in that. <v Ms. Clayborn>Now, maybe today, if you get to talk with him, you can ask him to show you his schedule?

<v Ruth Browder>Not only that, I'm a- I'll call, Mr. Jackson. <v Ruth Browder>I'll call Mr. Jackson, cause I got to go to work today. <v Ms. Clayborn>Oh, okay. Anyway, I'm Ms. Clayborn, the attendance agent. <v Ms. Clayborn>This is- either one of these numbers, you can contact me. <v Ms. Clayborn>School officially started the second semester last Tuesday. <v Ms. Clayborn>Today is Wednesday, so he's worked out at least a week. <v Ruth Browder>I understand one thing. I understand. See, I know he's been skipping. <v Ms. Clayborn>Well, that's why he's on this program, because he has a poor attendance. <v Ms. Clayborn>He has poor attendances. <v Ruth Browder>The other point is I'm trying to say, I don't know what can I do about him? <v Ruth Browder>You know, keeping him in school because if I send him to school, you know, that <v Ruth Browder>don't mean he have to go. <v Ms. Clayborn>That's true. <v Ruth Browder>After his father died he just seemed not to <v Ruth Browder>be interested in school. <v Ruth Browder>He really lost interest after his father died, because when- when he got out of hand, I <v Ruth Browder>would call his father- we wasn't together, but when he got on a hand, his father would <v Ruth Browder>come over and talk to him.

<v Ruth Browder>So now I don't have no one to call to talk to about <v Ruth Browder>Leroy. <v Richard Walker>Good morning. <v Class>Good morning. <v Richard Walker>Good morning. <v Class>Good morning. <v Richard Walker>My name is Richard Walker and I'm from the Metropolitan Detroit Youth Foundation. <v Richard Walker>I'd like to take a few minutes of your time to tell you about the program that we have <v Richard Walker>for ninth graders. The program is called Twelve Together. <v Richard Walker>And the whole idea of this program is to help keep students in school through graduation, <v Richard Walker>through the use of peer counseling. But before I get started, I have a couple of <v Richard Walker>questions for you. How many of you are really sincere about graduating from high school? <v Richard Walker>Very good. How did you know for a fact that three years from now in June, you will be one <v Richard Walker>of the students that walks across the stage with their cap and gown? <v Richard Walker>OK. Very good. The reason I asked those questions is because in 1981, <v Richard Walker>there were approximately twenty one thousand students enrolled into the ninth grade <v Richard Walker>in all the city of Detroit Public High Schools. <v Richard Walker>Twenty one thousand, okay. Four years later, this past June, when all of them should have <v Richard Walker>walked across the stage with their cap and gown, how many students these think graduated

<v Richard Walker>this past June? <v Richard Walker>Yes, sir? <v Student>Fifteen thousand. <v Richard Walker>Fifteen thousand? Okay. That's- that's a good guess, but it was nowhere near that close <v Richard Walker>this past June we had approximately seven thousand three hundred students to graduate <v Richard Walker>from all the Detroit Public High Schools. <v Richard Walker>So over a four year period, two thirds of the students or roughly 14000 <v Richard Walker>students had dropped out of school or left the school system for one reason or another. <v Richard Walker>But our program is designed to give students a positive alternative to feeling <v Richard Walker>that they have to drop out of school. Okay. <v Richard Walker>This is our fourth year with this program. <v Richard Walker>We had the program at each of the high schools here in the city who work with four <v Richard Walker>schools at a time. We'd take them to a camp site called Camp Franklin. <v James Morgan>My name is James Morgan, I'm fifteen, I'm in ninth grade, I go to Cooley High.

<v James Morgan>I, James Morgan, care about each of you here, I commit myself to this group. <v James Morgan>I commit myself to doing all that I can to help you succeed, graduate. <v James Morgan>I was glad to commit myself to Twelve Together cause I- I wouldn't mind helping people <v James Morgan>with problems cause I know I need people to help me with mine. <v James Morgan>I know I can't hack it by myself. <v James Morgan>Together we will make it. <v James Morgan>It seemed like a miracle thing that I was just going through it. <v James Morgan>So I was like- Now me and my mother was just discussing dropping out of school and <v James Morgan>everything and how I need to get into a study habit and all. <v James Morgan>So when he discussed that, I was really amazed. <v James Morgan>I said, this is for me. I know I need this. <v Barinese Morgan>Jim was a A/B student. <v Barinese Morgan>And all of a sudden, wham, the bottom just fell from under <v Barinese Morgan>him, and I was very concerned. <v James Morgan>My English class were- I had a D in it. <v James Morgan>Cause I skipped- I skipped that class, you know, so it's so tempting to skip it now

<v James Morgan>because it's so easy to get out, you know? <v James Morgan>And the fellas were like "Man let's go do this, you know, we can get back and do that <v James Morgan>later on." <v Barinese Morgan>He's bringing home these bad marks. He's not going to school. <v Barinese Morgan>He's not he's not even leaving home. <v Barinese Morgan>He just would oversleep. And I'm sometimes I'm working and I'm not here. <v Barinese Morgan>And he's just he just lost interest. <v James Morgan>I'm the last child, none of my four brothers graduated. <v James Morgan>My sister went back to school and got her G.E.D. <v James Morgan>One of my brothers finally went back to school, the other three, they just out there <v James Morgan>trying to make it. And I see know if you don't go through school, you know, no <v James Morgan>education, you can get nowhere. <v Eric Garrett>Saturday we all discussed our problems, <v Eric Garrett>came with a few solutions, some we couldn't get a conclusion on, <v Eric Garrett>but we help as much as we could. <v Michelle>Cause she don't like me, she like my brother, my sister more than she like me. <v Student>How do you know that?

<v Michelle>Cause she don't. <v Michelle>I just know she don't because, everytime I do something wrong, <v Michelle>she thought she disliked me and stuff like that. <v James Morgan>There was this girl named Michelle. I been knowing her since the second grade. <v Michelle>Ever since my father left she just won't pick me. <v James Morgan>I was too surprised. I'm kind of scared, you know. <v James Morgan>And that's my first time giving no advice to anybody like that. <v James Morgan>I don't want to give the wrong advice. <v James Morgan>Learn adjust to it after a while. <v Student 2>Every time you get angry don't take it to the fact that you always have to call somebody <v Student 2>for you calm down. You should still sit and try and talk to your mother <v Student 2>about what the problem it. <v Student 2>It's, it's all right to call cause that's what you sould do. <v Student 2>Call, so you can calm yourself down. <v Student 2>You won't be so angry to point that you might do something drastic. <v Eric Garrett>The questions were excellent. <v Eric Garrett>You asked, you got down to the root of the problem. <v Eric Garrett>I remember back when I was in high school and, eventually <v Eric Garrett>dropping out myself, you know, you know, you can't go back and

<v Eric Garrett>redo the situation, but I saw it as an opportunity to to <v Eric Garrett>maybe share my experience with some of the young people. <v Eric Garrett>And I get a satisfaction knowing that that maybe I help <v Eric Garrett>even one decide to stay in school. <v Eric Garrett>Looks like ?inaudible? <v Eric Garrett>what's wrong, what up? <v Eric Garrett>What happened to you, honey? <v Counselor>How are you, baby? Haven't seen you in a while. <v Eric Garrett>How about you? <v Counselor>Come here, look, this is our baby. <v Eric Garrett>No, no, no. <v Eric Garrett>That can't be mine. I ain't been with you in like two <v Eric Garrett>weeks. <v Counselor>You told me you love me, that you would take care of me, that this, that you wanted <v Counselor>me to have children. <v Eric Garrett>That was to fool you. Yeah.

<v Eric Garrett>In their orange folder they have a problem sheet, what we do on the skits is <v Eric Garrett>create some of those problems. <v Student 3>He lied to you in there. He just used you, just to have, you know? <v Student 3>Have, you know. <v Counselor>Sex? <v Student 3>Yeah <v Student 4>Immature. <v Student 4>Yeah. But I mean, he didn't see his own problem. <v Student 4>It was his problem just as much as it was yours. <v Counselor>You know, this was the next hand I saw. <v James Morgan>8, number 8 line. <v James Morgan>He couldn't seem to stop lying. <v Counselor>Okay, who was lying? <v James Morgan>Eric. <v Counselor>Okay. Anymore. <v Counselor>OK, pretty good. You're getting a good feel for the twelve areas. <v Eric Garrett>The chief plays a most important pride in forming a bond and seeing many of them in a <v Eric Garrett>group together. After you're there while you relax, meeting <v Eric Garrett>new friends and you form that togetherness of <v Eric Garrett>the group. <v Eric Garrett>Well, we're about to get into now, we deal with each other.

<v Eric Garrett>A couple of days. Got to know each other a little better. <v Eric Garrett>We all have some feeling about the other person. <v Eric Garrett>We talk. We talk. <v Eric Garrett>There was some problems and gave some solutions. <v Eric Garrett>Hopefully we're at the point now where we can say that we love each other. <v Eric Garrett>We care enough to help each other. <v James Morgan>Warm, fuzzy. Not I was that was a real touching to that. <v James Morgan>I kind of grabbed my heart like scrawl it. <v Eric Garrett>Mr. James, I heard your story, and what I was impressed with you <v Eric Garrett>was that you wanted to make it, you had to give yourself a chance, the opportunity to to <v Eric Garrett>make it. And you say, well, I want to be a part of this group if we can do it here. <v Eric Garrett>I want to be a part of this group. <v Eric Garrett>I'm glad to have you with us. Are you going to offer of help to us, the big <v Eric Garrett>brother, the group? Thank you.

<v Eric Garrett>Let's you understand what I feel inside. <v Speaker>That's your key. <v Speaker>This. <v James Morgan>Oh, boy. <v James Morgan>You silly, just like me, sir. <v James Morgan>You know, I understand the problems and also, you know, if you ever need any help, I'm <v James Morgan>always here. <v James Morgan>Broncelle. <v James Morgan>I like you a lot. No, we just met leaving comatose France <v James Morgan>to. <v James Morgan>I was kind of sad to be leaving already. It seems like, soon as you get ready- get this

<v James Morgan>to be this close to them, and all of a sudden, everybody split up, go their different <v James Morgan>ways. <v James Morgan> <v Patricia Holmes>Hello. May I speak to Mrs. Browder, please?

<v Patricia Holmes>I was calling to inquire about your son Leroy. <v Patricia Holmes>No, he hasn't been in school, I haven't seen him, and I was wondering if you knew where <v Patricia Holmes>he was. <v Ruth Browder>How can I make him go to school? <v Ruth Browder>So I wanted to he stands six foot five. <v Ruth Browder>He's beyond spanking. <v Ruth Browder>I don't feel I'm alone in this because I see too many kids walking the street that's not <v Ruth Browder>in school. <v Ruth Browder>But because you see a child out in the street that's not going to school less <v Ruth Browder>hanging on a corner, that don't mean his parents on welfare. <v Ruth Browder>You see. <v Ruth Browder>Some parents, just like I am doing all they can for their son or their daughter and they <v Ruth Browder>just don't want to do anything. <v Tara Pearson>Do you have white suede? <v Tara Pearson>I like very expensive clothes and shoes and stuff like that. <v Tara Pearson>Can I have the seven? Eight? <v Attendant>Eight?

<v Tara Pearson>Makes to feel good about yourself when have on nice things. <v Tara Pearson>If you looking like a bum, you know, you going to feel like, "Oh, I look like a bum." You <v Tara Pearson>know, if you look nice, you know you look nice. <v Tara Pearson>You know, "I look fine" you know, something like that. <v Tara Pearson>I don't like these. <v Tara Pearson>You got some more? OK. <v Tara Pearson>I'm just a young lady, they like expensive things. <v Interviewer>How do you get all those nice things? <v Tara Pearson>My family. I have to drain them, but I get <v Tara Pearson>it. <v Tara Pearson>It might take a couple of days, but I get it. <v Tara Pearson>Cause I feel I deserve it. <v Tara Pearson>You want to know why? <v Tara Pearson>Because I just feel that I should get what I want. <v Patricia Holmes>When I was in school, I had to wait to buy a pair of shoes one week, maybe the next week <v Patricia Holmes>to wait to get my dress. We're talking about this self-gratification now. <v Patricia Holmes>Kids not accustomed to waiting. <v Patricia Holmes>They want it now. This is an instantaneous society. <v Patricia Holmes>Instant milk, instant potatoes, instant everything.

<v Patricia Holmes>But education is not instant. <v Patricia Holmes>What we're going to do this morning is this. We're going to take an assessment. <v Patricia Holmes>I'm going to ask how many of you responded to whatever. <v Patricia Holmes>And then we're going to just check to see how most of you have prioritize <v Patricia Holmes>these items on the sheet. <v Patricia Holmes>The program is structured like a very tight family. <v Patricia Holmes>We block our kids in for four consecutive hours. <v Patricia Holmes>They have one class, which is a counseling class, taught five days a week. <v Patricia Holmes>They go to regular language arts class that I teach and they go to their math class that <v Patricia Holmes>Mrs. Cook teaches. Consequently, we're thinking that if we keep <v Patricia Holmes>these kids here for one semester impact on their lives, that we'll be able to change some <v Patricia Holmes>attitudes because we're about changing negative behavior. <v Patricia Holmes>This is the old favorite. Someone has broken into my locker. <v Patricia Holmes>I should- what is the best response? <v Class>A. <v Patricia Holmes>Wait, wait, wait. Why did you choose A?

<v Student>Because if I know who it is, I'm going to get my books back. <v Patricia Holmes>What would you do to get your books back? <v Student>Beat the crap out of him. <v Patricia Holmes>If you know who took your books <v Patricia Holmes>and you find that person, what do you know will happen? <v Student>They're going to fight back. <v Patricia Holmes>They're going to fight back. And as bad as you think you are, you can be had, <v Patricia Holmes>too. Right? <v Patricia Holmes>Right? come on. Be fair. <v Patricia Holmes>As strong as you are you can be hard, too, can't you? <v Student>Yeah. <v Patricia Holmes>We have to do some attitude adjustments here. <v Patricia Holmes>Some behavior modifications. <v Patricia Holmes>And that's what our program is all about, to get them to think, "I do have some choices. <v Patricia Holmes>I don't have to be kicked out of school. <v Patricia Holmes>I don't have to have my mother come down here, miss a day from work because I didn't know <v Patricia Holmes>what to do." We're giving them choices from life and hopefully they're going to make some <v Patricia Holmes>good choices. Sometimes it may fail, but you never make any progress if you <v Patricia Holmes>never try.

<v Intercom>Attention Cardinals, today is the last basketball game of the regular season <v Intercom>before Cooley advances to the PSL Playoffs. <v Intercom>Come out to show your support. <v Rafael>If I want to have good grades and want to be the best in basketball, I have <v Rafael>to work double time. <v Coach Kelso>Rafael stayed <v Coach Kelso>at the study session, started bringing all his work in. <v Coach Kelso>Really started taking an interest in it. <v Keith Henry>Now, what he has to do when he comes home is back to the books. <v Keith Henry>I have a favorite spot for him is that kitchen table and I would sit him down there <v Keith Henry>from time to time and see, let me see this work, do this, <v Keith Henry>make sure this is done neatly correctly. <v Keith Henry>Well, now there's no cause. There's no basketball here on this piece of paper, but this <v Keith Henry>piece of paper could you tube to the basketball. <v Coach Kelso>So let's go. Let's get ready now. Let's go. <v Coach Kelso>We have a number of kids that do not get to play very much at all,

<v Coach Kelso>but are stimulated to stay around to get their work done. <v Coach Kelso>Rafael Pettersson is one of those kids. <v Coach Kelso>I don't try to build into a kid that he can be a great basketball <v Coach Kelso>player and a great superstar if he'll come and play basketball. <v Coach Kelso>We simply try to make the kid understand that he has to get through school, <v Coach Kelso>through academics. <v Terrance>This picture I'm drawing now is a picture of Dominique Wilkins <v Terrance>as he is about to dunk. <v Terrance>I want to catch the polls before he dunks the ball. <v Terrance>I dream about basketball day, night, right <v Terrance>now, I'm dreaming about basketball. <v Terrance>I think if I have a chance, go to college. <v Terrance>You got to. <v Coach Kelso>It is okay to have dreams.

<v Coach Kelso>They make you feel good, but you gotta learn to understand to separate <v Coach Kelso>the reality from the dream. <v Coach Kelso>In other words, you are trying to prepare your life. <v Terrance>My name is Terrance Bell and I would like to apply for a job. <v Attendant>I'm sorry, sir, we're not accepting applications at this time. <v Terrance>[inaudible] so you can keep one on file? <v Attendant>No, sir. <v Terrance>Thank you, man. <v Attendant>Okay, you're welcome. <v Patricia Holmes>One take off the jacket. <v Patricia Holmes>You don't see me working with a jacket on. <v Patricia Holmes>Well, you take out your spelling list of words. <v Patricia Holmes>We're going to brainstorm about 10 minutes. <v Patricia Holmes>The students that I teach are not dumb. <v Patricia Holmes>They're not retarded.

<v Patricia Holmes>They just don't have the proper motivation sometimes. <v Patricia Holmes>Air who? "to abhor". <v Patricia Holmes>Abhor. <v Patricia Holmes>Yes, sir. <v Student>A- B- H- O- R. <v Patricia Holmes>Right. <v Student>To- to, um- to shrink? <v Student>Dislike strongly. <v Patricia Holmes>That's very good, "dislike strongly". <v Patricia Holmes>They're so close to failure that these kids just don't push themselves because, <v Patricia Holmes>"I never made an eighty-four.". <v Patricia Holmes>Oh, look at this A! <v Tara Pearson>Miss Holmes class is smaller than the regular English <v Tara Pearson>class. She takes her time. <v Tara Pearson>You know, if you get something wrong, she can keep checking it over and over till you get <v Tara Pearson>it right. <v Bessie Pearson>If Tara hadn't been able to get in that program. <v Bessie Pearson>I really don't know, because I was on the end <v Bessie Pearson>of giving up, I'mma be honest.

<v Bessie Pearson>I had gone on as far as I could go. <v Patricia Holmes>Tara would have been kicked out of class. <v Patricia Holmes>Eventually the kids who are not in class get picked up. <v Patricia Holmes>They get one type of trouble or another. <v Patricia Holmes>And then when that happens, adminstration has only one choice and that is to <v Patricia Holmes>bump them from one school to the next. <v Tara Pearson>If I had a choice, I would stay in the DAIC program because, <v Tara Pearson>you know, teachers take their time with you, but in the big class a teacher just look <v Tara Pearson>at you like you're stupid. <v Rashan>Well, I was in the program 1982 when it just begun. <v Rashan>And this program has done a lot for me. <v Rashan>I was going the wrong way until they say, "Hey, Rashan, you're doing the wrong thing. <v Rashan>We're going to put you in the program so we can string you out. <v Rashan>So now hopefully I'll be graduating 1986 and I <v Rashan>think Miss Holmes, Mr. Joe and Miss Cook. <v Rashan>Thank you.

<v Patricia Holmes>Some kids benefit from the program. <v Patricia Holmes>Some don't. We feel if we can change the behavior of one child, the program <v Patricia Holmes>has been worthwhile. <v Rashan>You gonna come to class tomorrow? <v Rashan>When I first got here, my friends, I was excited. <v Rashan>My relatives were here. And you know how your friends influence you bad. <v Rashan>They say, "hey, listen, let's go outside, you know, get high <v Rashan>or whatever." But last year, last year I really messed up. <v Rashan>You know, I didn't go to class because my friends say, "hey, listen." You know, I was <v Rashan>ninth grader. I was naive. If <v Rashan>I hadn't gone to DAIC, maybe I would be in 10th grade or, <v Rashan>you know, even worse than that. Or maybe I just would have dropped out. <v Rashan>Because when you get- when you don't go to class, failure. <v Rashan>And then we get all these F's, we get frustrated. <v Rashan>So what's the use of going if I'm going to get all F's? <v Rashan>Luckily, I wised up and the program pushed me into the right direction

<v Rashan>and I, you know, did what I had to do. <v Rashan>But I had to do a couple of things, like go to summer school where everyone was <v Rashan>out, you know, partying. And I said, "no, I can't go to go to school in the morning." <v Rashan>And you know a cause, it seems like a haunts you. <v Coach Kelso>Buck is there. You flash like this meet the ball <v Coach Kelso>I meet. I go straight at the ball to meet it. <v Coach Kelso>OK. Always go straight to ball. <v Coach Kelso>Don't go to the side like this. <v Coach Kelso>Go straight out to and see what happens when you go to the side. <v Coach Kelso>Picks it right off. You go straight at the ball. <v Coach Kelso>The man is trapped. You come straight at it like this.

<v Coach Kelso>Meet the ball. <v Coach Kelso>OK. Do it again,. <v Rafael>Coach Kelso is a basketball coach, but he also helps us to study. <v Rafael>He enforces that you go to class every day. <v Coach Kelso>Ralph, why don't you do us a favor and get ready? <v Coach Kelso>OK, or go sit down. <v Rafael>So he a good coach. He hollers at us, but it's for our own good. <v Rafael>Because if he's not hollering at you, he must don't care about you.

<v Coach Kelso>In this semester, we had a number of guys that <v Coach Kelso>we thought did extremely well, did a great job and made <v Coach Kelso>the honor roll. Now those three guys this semester <v Coach Kelso>was. Andre Rheims. <v Coach Kelso>Joe Conley. And Rafael. <v Coach Kelso>Rafael Peterson. Now we all got to say great job to these guys for doing what they <v Coach Kelso>was expected of them. OK. <v Coach Kelso>Very good job, have a seat.

<v Coach Kelso>OK. Now, a number of you other guys have a chance. <v Coach Kelso>We have got to get more incentive like that into the school system. <v Coach Kelso>We've got to do something more for the entire student body <v Coach Kelso>of kids in order to pull those the right way, because really we're here to <v Coach Kelso>save the majority and basketball, football, sports and so <v Coach Kelso>is only a minority. <v Interviewer>So I see you've been playing basketball for quite a while. <v Interviewer>I see you got a hat on. <v Terrance>Yes, ma'am. <v Interviewer>Are you good? <v Terrance>Yes, ma'am. <v Interviewer>Very good? <v Terrance>Yes, ma'am. <v Interviewer>So you want to become one of the future magic Johnson's, or something? <v Terrance>Yes, ma'am. <v Interviewer>What college are you planning to <v Interviewer>use? <v Terrance>I would like to go to Houston University or maybe a community college in our <v Terrance>neighborhood.

<v Interviewer>Alrighty. The job is not hard, but it does consist of a lot of different <v Interviewer>things. There's no one set thing that you would be doing. <v Interviewer>The job consisting of sweeping, mopping, putting up stock, <v Interviewer>washing dishes, cleaning walls, preparing the food, <v Interviewer>handling money, waiting on the customers. <v Interviewer>The starting pay is three dollars and thirty five cents an hour. <v Interviewer>You can earn up to fifteen <v Interviewer>cent a raise depending on your performance. <v Interviewer>You have any questions? <v Terrance>No, ma'am, not at this point. <v Interviewer>Well, welcome to the King's group. Thank you very much. <v Interviewer>I look forward to seeing very positive things from you in the future. <v Terrance>Okay, thank you <v Terrance>School will get you to prom, but it won't get you food, it won't get you a place to live.

<v Terrance>And I feel right now most important thing I need is a job. <v Terrance>I asked myself, why don't I go back? <v Terrance>Why I got a job now, why don't I just go back? <v Terrance>I just came this. <v Terrance>I just don't know why. <v Terrance>I want to real bad, but <v Terrance>just school sometime, man, it's the piss, but I know I <v Terrance>got a sub. <v Terrance>I got a sub things this, you know, in school. <v Terrance>Right now I feel like I could do it all because it's going to be that hard to get an <v Terrance>apartment. <v Patricia Holmes>All right. Did you get Leroy Browder in?

<v Speaker>No, I've talked to his mother, last Tuesday,. <v Patricia Holmes>OK. He came in yesterday for the first time. <v Coach Kelso>Hi, Leroy, have a seat. <v Coach Kelso>I think his chances right now of making something like <v Coach Kelso>50/50. I try to keep a positive outlook on all <v Coach Kelso>the kids. I think that Leroy's problem is a little more severe <v Coach Kelso>than some of the others. <v Coach Kelso>You know, you're gonna have to do a whole lot of work at the classroom level <v Coach Kelso>before you ever get an opportunity to even just put on a basketball uniform. <v Coach Kelso>You know, you go do all that work that you have not done. <v Coach Kelso>You will not be able to skip a class. <v Coach Kelso>Because if you skip the class, I know it.