All language subtitles for Wont.Back.Down.2012.720p.BluRay.x264-Counterfeit.eng

"S-S-S-S-t...

S-S-St...

S-S-to...

S-S-Stower-ry."

(VIDEO GAME SOUND EFFECTS)

"Stower-ry."

BOY: "Story."

Idiot.

(DIALING PHONE)

"S-tory.

Put... the...

...story in...

...o...

...o..."

Try it again.

(MUSIC PLAYING SOFTLY)

I can't.

Oh, no.

Come on, come on, come on,
come on, come on.

Hey, bug.

It's time to wake up.

Mmm.

Let's go, we're late.
Let's go.

The new school doesn't care.

I care.

One more bite.
I ate it.

That's why I bought you that
59.99 LeSportsac backpack...

...and I will take it away if
we keep being late. Let's go.

Go, go, go, come on.

Look, what does that sign say?
Go on, read that sign.

It says "stop."
Malia.

Okay, what sound does
that first letter make?

"Stop...

...aggravating me."

Malia. Come on.

I got it, right?

Come on.

Come on. Go, go.

(CHATTERING)

Here you go.

I love you.

I love you, I love you.

I love you, bug.

Sorry we're late.

Good morning.
I just have one question.

At Malia's old school,
her teacher used to

stay late
sometimes after school

to help her a little
bit with her reading...

School's over at 3.

For real?

Yeah, for real.

Okay.

TEACHER: Yesterday we were
learning about nouns.

Today we'll be
looking at verbs.

It's how we express an action,
that's what verbs are for.

So.

In the sentence:

"The penguin
dives into the sea."

Where's the verb?
The action word?

Anyone?

How 'bout it, Tyler?
Wanna take a swing at it?

I'm not doin' this for me.

All right,
let's go back to anyone.

HART: Wait till you see
the deals I got today.

Beautiful Buick Rendezvous.
This baby is loaded.

I'm pickin' her up today.
We're gonna beg

her old school to give
us a break on tuition.

She cannot stay in that class.

No, Liz, that's exactly what I
said to that crazy teacher.

(PHONE RINGING)

Hold on.

Hank Hart Auto.

Sure, I'll transfer you.

Yeah, no, and the principal keeps
blowing me off over and over again.

Oh, God. I'm sorry,
I gotta go. I gotta go.

I'll call you back.
I gotta go.

Hank Hart Auto.

No, I'm sorry, ma'am, Mr. Hart
is indisposed at the moment.

Excuse me, ma'am, would you
please lower your voice?

Oh, my boss can't talk right
now, so I'm a stupid cow?

You wanna talk
to my supervisor?

Okay. Sure, no problem.

Oops, wrong button.

Hey, Jamie.
Oh, Mr. Hart.

Hey, Jamie, check this out.
Hey. Yes.

"We must be the change we
wish to see." That's Gandhi.

And it's good for car sales,
it's good for life.

Boy, that little guy really
knew a thing or two, right?

Listen, I just wanted to talk to
you because Jan mentioned to me...

...that you might wanna cut
back on my hours a little bit.

I'm still behind here.

I completely understand.
You're tryin' to

run an effective business.
I wanna help.

I can't stand her.

I can't. I can't.

We talked about this, Breena.

It's a Deborah-free zone
for our own sanity.

Mmm-hmm. Yeah.

You know, in a way,
I almost admire her.

No ordinary deadbeat could
pull off the highest salary

and the lowest job performance in
school history seven years running.

Seriously, Breena.

Except you're not
getting her subliterate kids

that she passes
on to me. Okay?

And I have to give them two
years of teaching in one.

I know there's a lot of
Adams washouts, but still.

The only thing that the district does
right is protect what it does wrong.

Can't teach your way
out of a paper bag?

Your students can't even spell
"paper bag"? No problem.

We'll just transfer them on to
the next school, and the next.

And if all else fails,
well, hey, there's

Adams, where
education goes to die.

Ahh!

It's my shrink's idea.

Every time I start obsessing
about how bad it's getting,

I just snap myself out of it.

How is that workin' for ya?
(SCOFFS)

(PHONE BUZZES)
Calluses upon calluses.

Give me one of those things.

Uh-uh.

Oh. Really?

Good morning, Nona.

Office needs your
attendance logs corrected.

Oh, Tim.

No use fightin' 'em on it.

Yeah. You have too
many absents then

they can't just
pass them along.

Breakin' the law for the Man.

That gives you a special
feeling, doesn't it?

What?

Just gets to you, you know?

(MAN WHOOPING)

(UKULELE PLAYING)

TEACHER: Now 10 divided by 3

ALL: is 3.33

TEACHER: And straight
on into infinity

Figure it out,
don't listen to me

It's knowledge

To get to college

Come on, come on

Now 50% of 110

Cut it in half, do it again

Double or nothing it's 55

And what percentage
of you will arrive in college

ALL: You're all
going to college

(TEACHER VOCALIZING)

Jazz hands! Jazz hands!

Hurry up! We gotta get to your old
school before the principal leaves.

Come on!
Come on, come on, come on.

You know we'd love
to have Malia back,

but we can't give
you any more aid.

Okay, so, tuition's five
hundred, I'll pay you six.

But I'll pay it
in installments,

like a 0% down,
3% financing kind of thing.

I know, you're trepidatious.

But you're gonna make more
money in the long run.

I'm sorry.

Sit down here for
just one second, sweetie.

Please, please. I'm begging you.
I'm on my hands and knees.

She was doin' all
right with you guys.

This new school can't do
anything about the dyslexia.

And I know it's
only been a short time.

I can feel it changing her.
It's making her hard.

And the school's failing.

It is. They put it online now. You can read it.
They got an F. An F.

There's the Rosa Parks Charter.

They have a lottery
coming up soon.

I know, but they got like 500
people going for three slots.

Well, perhaps
another school, then.

You're acting like
I got a choice here.

It's not personal.

For you!

(EXHALES)

Let's get outta here.
Okay.

Malia, don't worry.
I just gotta get you

into that other
second grade class.

(GROANS)

You look nice,
Mrs. Alberts.

Yeah.
First black Stepford wife.

(PHONE RINGING)

Oh, don't answer that. It's Charles.
New boss, I'm late.

Cody, come on. You remember,
we worked on this. All right?

You take this number here
and this number.

You can do it, come on.
I know you can.

(PHONE RINGING)

All right...

Just tell him
I'm gonna be late.

Good night, Cody.

Alberts residence.

Clay, Valerie, Nona.

So nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

I ordered you the coq au vin
since you were late.

Thank you.

So Charles tells us you
teach in the Hill District.

Now, is that the Rosa Parks
Charter that NPR is so gaga over?

I teach at Adams.

When we first moved here,
Nona made it a point

to find the school
most in need.

That is so admirable.

CHARLES: Very idealistic,
she was.

Well, I guess we both were.
I still wanted to design then.

So we would stay up all night
long planning the schools

that I would build
for her to run.

We were so young.

Now the thought of all that
just makes me wanna take a nap.

(CHUCKLING)

You're gonna rip it!

I don't care! Now give it!

Let go! It's mine!
DEBORAH: Take your seats.

Everybody, sit down now.

Stop. You're gonna rip it!

(RIPPING)

(GASPING)
DEBORAH: All right, that's it.

Come on, sit down.
Everybody sit down.

You both take your seats.

Oh, no.

All right.
Just give me the backpack.

She ruined it.
Everybody sit down.

Sit down.

No. Stop laughing.
DEBORAH: Calm down.

Stop!

Give it to me.

She tore my backpack!

Give me the backpack
and sit down.

Don't be such
a drama queen, Malia. Lord.

JAMIE: That's not true,
there's nothing you could do.

You could put her
in the other class.

I can't do that!
As I've told you

in one of our last
six conversations...

Yeah?

...there are laws about the number
of kids you can have in a class.

So switch her with another kid.

Or, so, get rid
of this teacher.

The whole school
knows she's got

a track history of
complaints against her.

Oh, no, yes,
you can't! Right?

'Cause she's
tenurized. Right?

Yes, along with
a slew of other things

spelled out in her
600 page contract.

Right.

Anyway, look at what she's dealin' with.
30 kids who hate school.

Whose fault is that?

It's not all hers. Every kid can't
rise to the top, I'm afraid.

You're afraid?

Have you heard
about those mothers

that lift one-ton
trucks off their babies?

They're nothing compared to me.

No.

Excuse me? He's not going
into a remedial classroom.

But he's been acting out, and
he did test below the norm.

He tested borderline. He's been
goin' through things at home.

I'll keep working with him.

If I may, I think that might
contribute to the acting out.

Do you?

Nona, this is not
a referendum on you.

Maybe we all just need
to back off Cody a bit.

Test results are test results.

Hold up for a second.
Can't.

Rosa Parks got a lottery.
I'm gonna beg to

get him in.
Play the teacher card.

First of all, a new school is not
gonna stop him from acting out.

Why do you think
he's acting out?

Honestly? Because you can't
not be a teacher to him.

You don't think it's 'cause
of what's happening at home?

You are all over
him all the time.

And I know why.

But at some point,
you have to let go.

Nona.

Nona!

Hi.

This is where I'm going?

I hope so.

We need some luck.

Maybe I should
practice my reading.

They'll want me if
my reading's good.

Let's go find someplace to sit.

Excuse me.

Excuse me. I'm trying to
get my son in the lottery.

It's too late. I'm sorry.

Please, I'm a teacher. ls
there anyone I could talk to?

You can try the principal. He's
right over there. Do you see him?

How's it going
poaching my teachers?

Oh, please. We don't
poach, we protect.

Now, that's a good line. You
oughta use it more often.

Oh, I forgot, you already do.

Oh, here we go, union bashing.

Here's a little secret: you can
criticize and support unions.

Hey. How'd it go
with your brother?

Oh, it was great.
He won, 3 to 2.

Almost as good as you.

But you don't support us, you know?
You shut us out.

Yeah, because my teachers
want their freedom.

To be overworked? To be fired
at any time for any reason?

No, freedom to put in extra
time with their kids.

You know, freedom to stay
after school if they want.

Good luck to you.

But do they want it, or are
they too scared to say no?

You forget I was
a teacher once.

No. I don't forget.

You were one of the greats.

Mr. Thompson.
My name is Nona Alberts.

I'll have to talk
to you afterwards.

Good evening, parents.

Here's your charm.
Put it in your right hand.

In our country,

one child out of every four

grows up not knowing
how to read properly.

Let me ask you

does that make you mad?

ALL: Yes!

Good, because
I want you to be mad.

We have 40 spaces
for you in our school.

So that means 400 of you are
going to have to go out there

and fight for something better.

Just like I did 10 years ago.

I was a teacher,
a parent of two.

I was sending my
kids to school,

but they weren't
learning anything.

Now I don't know
everything, but I knew

I had to do something
to try to fix it.

And now, Rosa Parks
is third in the state.

But when I first
tried to start it,

you know what they said to me?

"Hold on. Wait.
We're addressing the problem."

"Hold on, wait.
They're makin' changes."

That word "wait" means they're not
going to do anything about it.

I said then and
I'm saying it now.

We will not wait.

Are we going to wait while our
kids are dropping out of school?

(PARENTS SHOUTING)

Are we going to wait while the
school system is failing us?

ALL: We will not wait.

We will not wait.

ALL: (CHANTING)
We will not wait!

We will not wait!

This is it!
This is our school.

We will not wait!

Okay, now, we're
about to begin the draw.

Close your eyes. Close
your eyes and wish for it.

First grade, three slots.

Okay?

Sarah Troy.

Yes! Yes!

Kenya Randall.

JAMIE: Is that the teacher
in the other class?

Yeah.

THOMPSON: Easton Hawks.

WOMAN: Yeah!

Three slots now
for third grade.

Oh, no. Okay.

Go like this. It's better luck.
Luck's a lady.

Luck is a foxy lady.

LeShonda Jackson.

Go, LeShonda!

Chris Amodio.

MAN: Yeah!

The last slot for
the third grade goes to

Robert Bryant.

We have three
slots for fourth grade.

Elijah Jones.

(CONTINUES CALLING NAMES)

Congratulations to all of you.

And to everyone else,
we must fight on.

This is a new day and we are
taking back our public schools.

Thank you.

Principal,
your car's ready for you.

Listen, can I speak
to Mr. Thompson?

Excuse me.
Mr. Thompson?

Excuse me.

JAMIE: You teach second
grade at Adams, right?

My daughter just started there.

Are you here for yourself
or for your kid?

That's none of your business.

What do you want from me?

I want Malia in your class.

It's a criminality keeping her in
the other class. You have no room?

It's up to the principal!
The principal said no!

Then there's nothing
I can do about it!

That's what you all say!

Would you tell me right
now what you can do?

I can ask him
about it tomorrow.

You're not gonna do that,
but thank you very much.

You're not the only one bein' put off.
I said I'll ask.

I've heard that before.
Not from me.

This is for her.

I understand.
I'll do it.

Thank you!

Can we talk now?

I was thinking about
my mother's funeral.

How word got out and all those
old students showed up.

So many that they
had to wait outside.

And it was galing.

You remember that?

Yeah.

But they didn't care.

They had to say something, remember
her, what she'd done for them.

Nona.

They wouldn't go away.

They just

had to speak.

Needed to...

Over and over, they just
kept saying the same thing.

Her passion,
her passion, that passion.

Nona. Listen to me.

Can you please just not leave
so many empty hangers?

How you doing
with that teacher?

Malia?

She hates you so she hates me.

We're gonna get
you out of there.

Whatever.

Hey, how you doing?

Hi! Well, it's casual Friday, so I feel great.
Can I help you?

I hope so. My daughter's
getting crushed at Adams

so I gotta talk to
your superintendent guy.

He doesn't do walk-ins.
I'm sorry.

Which I figured. I work
reception, too, at Hank Hart.

And I know every once in a
while, there's an opening.

I just figured I would
take a chance because

my daughter is getting crushed.

Wait, did you say
Hank Hart, the car guy?

The guy who has his ads
all over the benches?

Wow.

Can I buy you a coffee?

And I understand that but it's, like awful!
I understand.

And Rosa Parks
was my last chance.

And now I'm like
110 on the wait list.

And that guy acted like he just

extemporaneously went out
and made it happen.

It's not like you can just
go and start a school!

Actually, it doesn't stop
the parents from trying.

And that was even before
they passed the law.

What law?

The one where you can
turn schools around.

What, the parents can?

Yeah. With the teachers,
if the school's failing.

It's called the
Fail-Safe Law.

But you know what?
It never happens.

'Cause the guys here, I swear,

they moonlight at
the Rivers Poker Room.

They just drag
everything out until the

parents just fold.
It's terrible.

But if they kept at it, you think a
parent could turn a school around?

No, the parents always give up.

It's this whole big thing.

Thank you, Collette.

You have to find someone that
has the same idea as you do

about the kind of
school that you want.

Like who? A teacher?

Yeah, like a teacher, or...

The teachers and the parents,
they have to sign off on it,

and then you have
to write a proposal,

then you gotta jump through hoops
to deal with the school board.

They make it near impossible.

Parents need to just bang their
heads against a brick wall.

It'd be a whole lot faster
and easier, let me tell you.

I'm sorry.
No, no.

Thanks for the coffee.

Yeah.

Sorry, I gotta
get back to work.

Hey.

They told me you'd be in here.
(SIGHS)

Hi.

Hi, I'm Nona, by the way.
I'm Jamie.

Sorry about last night.
Yeah. No.

It was a bad night
for all of us.

I asked about
Malia switching and...

Yeah.

And he said no?
Yeah.

Okay, that's...

I'm sorry. You're,
like, the only person

who actually does what she says
she's gonna do around here.

I'm sorry.

You want to start
a school with me?

What?

'Cause I'm sick of this.

I can't take this any more

and somebody told
me that if you

find a teacher and you
stick with it long enough

you can turn a school around.

'Cause I'm just so tired
of getting shafted here.

Thing that keeps
me up at night is

why do I got to
let her down on this?

So you want to
start a school with me?

Listen, I know what you're saying,
more than you might think.

But I'm not who you're looking for.
I wish I could say I was.

I work in sales,
where success rate

is based on need.
And you got need.

I saw it last night.
You don't want to

get left behind,
and neither do I.

So,

I'm gonna go to
District tomorrow

at 9 a.m., figure out
how to do this.

Could you take a sick day
and meet me there?

Please?

Oh, God.

Oh, jeez.

Oh, man.

I'm just here for
the information.

I'm not saying I'm gonna do anything.
I'm just gonna hear them out.

That's all I'm asking.

Okay!

Once you finish
your proposal...

That's this
400-page document?

Once that's filled out,

then you need to request an
appointment to schedule a hearing

in front of the school board.

That needs to be made on
the first Tuesday of the month

except January and April, when it
needs to come on the second Monday.

So it's not the actual
date we're scheduling?

Oh, no, ma'am. You're
scheduling an appointment

to schedule the date.

You're kidding, right?

No. No, no, no.

It's no joke.
It's a process.

First, we gotta get 50% of the
parents, 50% of the teachers

to sign a petition
in support of us.

That's 400 parents,
18 teachers.

Then we gotta do the proposal

and submit it on
the first Groundhog's Day

of the Chinese lunar leap year.

There's nothing in the
rules about leap years.

And then, finally, we get
that school board hearing.

But the school board term
ends in two months,

which means we've
gotta do this fast.

We gotta book that hearing, and we
can get this going for next fall.

(CHUCKLING)

Something funny?

Start to finish, this process is
three to five years, minimum.

It's just the way these people talk.
You can't go quitting now.

Actually, I think
this is the best time.

It's exactly what
they want us to do.

They've done
a bang-up job.

I can not ask 18 of my friends
to give up tenure and pension

for a school where they're
not even guaranteed a job.

I will. I'll do that.
Listen to me, all right?

When I first started, I would
get so mad at those teachers.

So mad at the checked-out zombies.
The Dawn of the Deborahs.

Yes!
And they said just wait.

Wait until you went through
eight different principals

and parents who could care less

and mountains of
district paperwork

years of students
showing up hungry,

showing up tired,
or not showing up at all.

I can't have this not happen.
I need a teacher.

You think you know what you're doing.
You have no idea.

Where are you going?

To figure out what
to do with my class.

We don't have that option.

'Cause Malia ended up across the hall.
How's that fair?

It's not.

Listen, I'll call you when I
get my first 100 parents.

Or when I get my first 50!

This is not over!

It's not over!

I'm trying to explain to you
why your kid's tanking!

No, honey, I'm not saying your
kid in particular is an idiot.

Good morning. Here.
Give this to your mama.

Here, will you take one?
Just take one. Take it.

Oh, I know you!

Your daughter is in Malia's class!
Sorry.

Morning!

Hey, Daddy Drop-off.

Hi.

My name is Jamie, my daughter
Malia's in the second grade here.

Could I talk to you
for just one second?

I'm running late. It's
cool, I'll walk with you.

I just wanted to ask you if
you'd eat in a restaurant

that had an F
hanging in the window.

You wouldn't, right? 'Cause
there'd be rattails and stuff

in the food, and people's hair.

So now, just envisualize
something for me.

Envisualize an F hanging on the
door of your kid's school.

Because it is, it's there.

It's been hanging
there for 19 years,

and nobody's done
anything about it.

Rat tails,
you know what I mean?

Take a look at that,
and sign that for me.

And I'll find you at pick-up.

Yeah, I'll look it over.

Now you I know!

You're gonna sign this. Okay?

BOY: Excuse me!

Why are we changing
all the desks around?

'Cause we're gonna
try something new.

How we do things.

We're all gonna work a little harder.
Me included.

Hey!

Hi. Come on in.

Thanks.

Just give me a second here.

Can't leave
the Man in Black hangin'.

Oh, yeah.

He's badass.

What?

Your sign. It's badass.

Oh, yes.
(CHUCKLES)

Yours isn't so bad either.

Oh, no.

Sorry.

No, I'm sorry.

Hi, how can I help you?

I saw you teach.

You're really good at it.

Thank you.

You think a whole school could be
like that, like how you do it?

I don't know.
A whole school.

I guess so.
It'd be pretty weird.

Are you that lady
leading the charge outside?

Yeah! Are people
talking about me already?

Yeah, they are.

So do you want to do that?
You want to start that school?

Ahh...

Do I want to start a school? No, I don't.
I just want to teach.

So, what are you doing here?

I chose to be here. Right
out of Teach For America.

All right, Teacher For America.

Meet me here

at 8:00

and I'll talk you into it.

All right, we'll see.

Hey! Oh, good!

Good, you got my message.

Look at those nails. Wow.

Cheaper than therapy.

53 parents?

Yep.

It is crazy how
bad they want it.

So, what are you drinking?

Fresca.

Okay. Better pace yourself.

So I'm thinking we get the parents
to sell it to the teachers.

Which we can totally do.
We do, like, an event.

Because we can do
this in two months.

We do an event,
like at the dealership.

Like an all-out blowout sale.
Something really big.

And I got you some help.

I don't want anyone
knowing about this.

I didn't say you were doing it.

I'm not in it.

He's gonna help.
Trust me.

He thinks this is a date. No.

Yeah. Maybe.

Hey.

I told you I
worked here, right?

No.

Hi. Hey, Nona.

How's it going?
Good.

So, what are you drinking?

JD, straight up.

All right.

So I wanted you to come because
Nona's doing the school thing...

Nana's not doing
the school thing.

...and we need some help getting
other teachers on board.

And I've been
asking around about you.

Everyone who
knows you likes you.

And everybody who doesn't
calls you Sexy Texy.

Well, like I told you, I'm just
interested in teaching so...

Yeah, but you got free whiskey.

So sit for a minute
and listen to the lady.

Okay.

Go, Nona.

Well, if I did it...

And I'm not saying that I am.

We would have to
see how our school

with the same kids
could do even better.

Now, staff participation in the
classroom, articulated course curriculum,

that would mean changing the
whole culture of the school.

Basically, we would have to be the
teachers who made us teachers,

but even better.

Would the teachers
still be union?

Can't be. Our contract has
too many restrictions.

Because that matters a lot.

Okay, so in two days, I got
53 parents and two teachers.

I didn't...
I'm not getting...

I see your lips moving,
but I can't hear you.

You want a refill?

Thank you.

REPORTER: Things are really coming to a head here.
The protestors are defiant.

They're throwing bricks
and poles and trash cans.

Good night, Daniel.

So this is good.

Throwing bricks?

How's that good?

Because it's... You know, they're
lettin' themselves be heard.

It's a waste of time.
It doesn't do anything.

Doesn't do anything?
Really?

You don't believe that.

I don't know.

Like civil rights.

The Selma to Montgomery marches.
All that's a waste of time?

It sends a message.

I mean, that's what
you're doing, isn't it?

No, I just want a
better school for my kid.

Sending a message
is what people who

don't work two jobs
have got time to do.

Can you turn those
lights out for me? Yeah.

You know what?
I really do appreciate

what you're doing
to change the place.

Course.
She's my kid.

And her father,
does he help out at all?

Nope.

I'm sorry. When I drink,
I ask nosy questions.

When I drink, I marry losers.

Yeah, I'd say he's
definitely a loser now.

I think so.
Yeah.

And Malia is a winner,
'cause she's got you.

You need to work on your lines.

That wasn't a line. No, no, no,
it wasn't a line. I'm sorry.

I've been around kids
a lot more than women lately.

That's not a line?

It's not a line.
It's true.

Kids, you know, kids just say what's what.
Women don't do that so much.

Except for you.

That's true. Foot in the
horse's mouth, that's me.

Yeah.

That's why I like you.

That was a line.
I admit it.

No. Cody.

You got this, I know you do.

Yeah, is this
retard-proof?

Stop saying that.

Whole school knows it.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

Are they giving
you a hard time?

Can't I just go to the school near
Uncle Roy while Dad's living with him?

(DOORBELL RINGS)

Pow!

Hi.
Hi.

Come on in, Malia.

Nice. Yeesh!
Oh, no.

Cody.

Ooh la la.
Cody.

Why don't you show Malia around
till your dad comes, okay?

Oh, no, no, he doesn't have to.

She's got her DVD player,
she's good.

Can I watch?
JAMIE: Yeah, sure.

He's not allowed to watch
TV during the day.

(CHUCKLES)

Do you guys want a Snickers?

Come on.

Come on in.
Yeah, go ahead.

I know you're trepidatious
about this whole school thing

and I don't wanna take up
your whole Saturday.

But just to start off the bat,

here is a flier that I made

for the rally.

Get it?
Parentrooper, paratrooper?

Yeah.

That one came to me
from the dead of sleep.

I like it. Except there's a typo, unless
you're gonna have the rally in 2101.

Oh, no.

Yeah,
I'm terrible with numbers.

I also have some
ideas for the school.

About how to make the
school more effectual.

Okay.

So drawing outside the box,

I don't know why,
but I started to think

about those dumb
self-help books

because there's always, like,
a little bit of truth in them.

Like, for example, the whole
Secret-ing thing is so lame. I know.

But I'm still envisualizing
that check in my mailbox.

And I started thinking,

you know, maybe the kids
could Secret things,

like, you know,
I don't know, like...

Like going to college.

And they could
picture themselves

going there and walking on the
campus and actually graduating.

And I think that that
would be good for them

to see themselves that way.

You think that's dumb.

I think it's a knockout.

Really?

Yeah.

Really?
(HORN HONKING)

Oh, can you excuse me for a sec?
Yeah, sure.

Cody, your dad's here!

Why is Cody talking about
going to school near you?

'Cause it's a great school, and
we can't afford anywhere else.

Except that he's not gonna live
with you and your brother.

So you, of all people,

you'd stop him from
getting the right schooling?

Not gonna happen.

And I should trust your
judgment, given what happened?

Once things settle down, he'll stop acting out.
That's all this is.

CHARLES: Come on, Nona.
All-white school,

remedial classroom.
It's killing him.

Oh, hey.

CHARLES: Nona,
please listen to me.

NONA: He needs his mother.

How long have you
guys been split up?

Not very.

Yeah.

Where were we?

We were talking about
ideas for the school.

Ideas, yeah.
I got boxes of ideas.

You know, it comes down
to expecting more.

From yourself, the teachers,
the kids, especially the kids.

What?
My mom used to always say,

"What are you gonna do with
your one and only life?"

You are gonna be
so good at this.

(BELL RINGING)

Hey.

Nona, are you planning
to take over Adams?

'Cause that's what we heard.

What'd you hear?

Someone from
District told Holland

that you were
looking into it, but...

I just went to ask.

What? And you didn't tell us?
You didn't tell me?

Maybe you don't want us
teaching at your school.

Breena, now, come on...

You know, I expect
my kids to be naive.

Sneaking behind our backs,
non-union school.

You're messing with our jobs.

Coulda talked to me.

Thought that we were friends.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Hi.
MICHAEL: Hi.

Thank you so much for coming.
No, don't thank me.

My neighbor's such a flake.

No, it's all right.
I'm glad you called.

Yeah.

Malia, get up and say hey.
Don't be a brat.

You remember Michael.

I'm not gonna be out late.
There's Swansons in the freezer.

'Kay. What's up?

I'm just gonna write
down my number for you.

Okay.

Hey, I'm gonna teach you a
song from an ancient time.

Wanna hear it?

Cool.

There was a young girl
named Malia

The coolest kid
you ever saw-lia

But then she met me
And soon she would see

She was gonna
have a ball-ia

JAMIE: Here you go. Malia.

I love you.

Call if you guys need me.

Okay.

What do you think?

Sweet. I'm still
workin' on it.

Nice place.

You wanna try?

Yeah, you wanna try.

Just put your
finger right there.

Right here?
Right there.

And now hit all the strings.

There it is.

There was a young girl
named Malia

All right, nice!

You're a good listener.

She has a cool

She had cool hair
and big smelly feet-ia

Hey.
Hey.

Sucks about those teachers.

Sucks even more
knowing they're right.

Yeah, well, I brought you
something to cheer you up.

I'm giving you these because I like you.
But I don't want to.

This is my
bobblehead collection.

Now, I counted out 18.

We're gonna put one in the Tupperware
each time a teacher signs on

and you are the first
black-and-gold medal winner.

Sid The Kid or Hines Ward?

Take a guess.

Careful!

You just wait and see how
quick this thing fills up.

Now, we are locking these up.
Let's go get those parents.

Who is it?

Nona Alberts, I teach at Adams.

Hey. This that parent
takeover thing?

It's really not
a takeover, it's...

Hey, Rhonda, it's Jamie.

Yeah. Sorry, Jamie.
I'm giving my kid a bath.

Can I just leave
you with a petition?

Hi, Ms. Bennett. I'm Nona Alberts.
I teach at Adams

and I was hoping that we could
talk to you about this district...

Firing good teachers
to put in a school

where I gotta work 20 hours
on top of my full-time.

Go sell it to some other jerk.

Those jerks, they're
called concerned parents!

Who's telling her that?

Is this what it's gonna
be like all night?

Who's next?

Wanda Williams.

WOMAN: Who is it?

This is Nona
Alberts from Adams.

WOMAN: I heard about you.
I'm not interested.

This is Nona Alberts
and Jamie Fitzpatrick.

We need to talk
to you about Adams.

WOMAN 2: I got the letter.
I'm not interested.

MAN: Yeah,
I got the letter already.

MAN 2: Well, I don't
wanna hear about it.

WOMAN 3: Who is it?

NONA: Miss Maraval?

This is Jamie Fitzpatrick.

I sold you a Buick Regal
sedan a few months ago.

I gave you a great deal. Would
you please give me 10 seconds?

WOMAN: Come on in.

Could they possibly squeeze
one more lie into this thing?

Who wrote this?

Teachers Association
of Pennsylvania, maybe.

It's their job to worry
about the Adams teachers.

This is one school.

I appreciate my union, but TAP
can get kinda hardcore about it.

JAMIE: We'll get around this.

So take me through
this one more time.

A lot of these kids
can barely add,

and you wanna be
teaching them geometry?

Well, the problem is
is that no one expects

them to do well, so they don't.

Come on. Look around. I'm a cop.

There's drugs, there's gangs...

Change the school,
you change the neighborhood.

Okay.

I'll work on my neighbors.

You really think you
could turn this around?

Well, I can't say
for certain, but...

100%, yes.

JAMIE: Did you
sign the petition?

No?
No.

You didn't sign the petition?
No.

Do it. Sign the petition.
It's gonna change everything.

Give me the T-shirt.
Take one.

Hey. Make sure
you get a T-shirt.

Hey. How you doin?

Good.

Hug. One of my
favorite students.

You okay?
I've got my ruler.

Hey.
Hi.

You all right?

Don't be a drag.
Go get in there.

Did you guys sign?

I did.

Let me give you a ruler.

NONA: We want it to be a
school where even at 3:00,

if the students have any
issues or any problems,

then it's up to
the teacher to stay.

Which we can't do now because
of teachers union rules.

Thank you so much for coming.
Here, have a cookie.

Have a cookie.
Have one. Take it.

Have a cookie. I've got a
great photo op coming up.

And don't go burying us after
Doppler Weekend Forecast.

Don't! I know your game, okay?

I'm Jamie, by the way.
All right.

Hey. Oh!
(MEGAPHONE BLARING)

All right. Yeah,
we're goin' to school!

Yeah!

It's crazy! You see
how bad they want it?

Go get 'em, Jamie!

I'm gonna keep this short, 'cause I get
trepidatious about group speaking.

Adams is failing.

This school is failing.

And I can't afford to move,

and I can't afford to put
my daughter somewhere else,

so I'm screwed.

And you know, I... Can I just
say, there's a time limit.

There's a window
with these kids,

and then after
that it's too late.

You know what I'm sayin?

And so we gotta do
something right now.

We gotta do
something to fix it.

Which is also why
I don't appreciate

some scumbag from
TAP writing a letter

with a bunch of lies about
what we're trying to do!

Point here,
the thing I do wanna say,

is we need to fix Adams, and
we need to fix it yesterday.

ALL: Yeah!

Now, I haven't
counted 'em all yet,

but I know we have enough parent
petitions to start this thing!

And, like that guy
Gandhi used to say:

We gotta be the change
we wanna see!

JAMIE: Your turn.

All right, I've been
doing a lot of research

and I read that there
are people out there

designing and building prisons.

And those people
are looking at our schools

and they're figuring out
what kids are gonna drop out

so they know how many
prison cells to build.

(CROWD MURMURING)

In the last 19 years,
seven out of ten kids

who leave Adams
can barely read.

And we wonder why Adams kids
end up in Penn State Prison

instead of the
University of Pittsburgh.

And you know what I want to
say to those prison folk?

I wanna say...

I wanna say, hands off my kid.

Yeah!

MAN 2: Hands off our kids!
MAN: Absolutely!

(PEOPLE SHOUTING IN AGREEMENT)

ALL: (CHANTING)
Hands off our kids!

Hands off our kids!
Hands off our kids!

Hands off our kids!

Watching you up there,
it was really...

I don't know,
it reminded me of...

Don't say your mother.

Reminded me of something
I've been missing.

It's really good
for the spirit.

I know. Right?
Yeah.

So how come you're not
buying what I'm selling?

Because of the whole
union-slamming thing.

"Union-slamming"?
Yeah.

I wasn't slamming the unions.
Yeah, the union-slamming.

They wrote that letter.
That was true.

I know they wrote that letter.

I was saying
something that was true.

That's not the point.

Look, Jamie,
when I was in high school

I had this teacher
and his name was Mr. Cooper

and he was, like, an incredible teacher.
He was like a father to me.

And they tried to fire him

because he was supposedly
teaching us works

that were promoting
an immoral lifestyle.

It was Hair.
It's a musical.

There was all these, like, screaming meetings.
It got so ugly.

But in the end
the union stood up,

they protected him,
he kept his job

and that's why I became a teacher.
He made me what I am.

I just want a better school.

I can't figure out how
to put it all together.

GOULD: Rally was
an embarrassment.

We used to be the heroes.

When did Norma Rae
get to be the bad guy?

Right? I hate gettin'
called out like that.

Takes me right back
to third grade,

with Ray Franks bullying
me in the school yard.

I put a tack on his seat.

Yeah, I lost recess for a week.
But you know what I learned?

The futility of retaliation?

The truth of social Darwinism.

Hey.

Did you write that
letter to the parents?

Yeah, course I did.

I'm just trying to stop the
pandemic of union-gutting

that's going on in
this country right now.

As if the teachers unions are
responsible for failing schools.

No need to convince me.
But, the letter was...

The letter was what? These
gals look motivated, yes?

They do, they do.

If they push this through, then
floodgates are gonna open,

a lot of schools
are gonna start falling apart,

and a lot of good teachers
are gonna get pushed out.

Folks don't get
that this is not good!

No. Because they
want change. Now.

'Scuse me.

I don't want it
to be like this.

I didn't tell you sooner because
I wasn't sure I wanted it.

And when I realized I did,

and how bad,

I was scared you'd say no,
or you'd be pissed off,

so I fouled up.

And it was my fault,
so I'm sorry.

I'm gonna call a meeting

to find out how we
can make this work.

If you want it.

Okay, this could
be our chance to be

the teachers we
always hoped to be.

Who's saying we're not?

I really need you to
go to that meeting

and convince them.
They really look up to you.

I just wanna teach.

I just wanna put my feet up and
watch Steelers Saturday Night,

but I can't, do you
know what I'm saying?

I do.

It's just, I don't understand you.
You're confusing me.

I thought you were somebody
that stood up for things.

And now it's not all
black-and-white and comfortable

and so you freeze?

I don't freeze,
I'm just not doing

what you want me to do.
There's a difference.

Hello to you too, missy.

MICHAEL: She's 8 years old.

When she pushes you away,
it means she wants you more.

She should learn that that's
not how it works in the world.

She's fighting
me on everything.

Getting her to read is like
getting blood from a stone.

You know, she asked
if I would help her.

She didn't want me to tell you.
I don't really know why.

That's fine.

Will you come to this meeting?

I'll think about it.

Really?
Yeah.

Yeah.

What?

I've just never
been able to talk

smart people into
doing things before.

All right, all right.

Come on, Malia, dinner's ready.

Hey.

Go on, hurt me.

I got all your apologies.

I can explain.

No need, TAP already did.

What did they say?

What I already know.

That most of these
new schools fail.

You wanna know why?

Because no one has the first
idea how to run them.

Can you look me in the eye and
tell me that that won't happen?

I can't.
Well, that's great.

That's great.
What about all the kids

that are gonna get
left behind, huh?

Nobody gets left behind,
I promise.

And without a union contract,
teachers will get forced out.

Not teachers who wanna teach.

I'm just getting
through days, Nona.

So am I.
So are we all.

Breena, I'm just
trying to get back to

the way things were,
and I need you.

Hey, Ben, this is Jamie.

Hi, how you doin?

All right, so, look, I'm
gonna come to your meeting.

All right, that's all I can promise.
That's great.

Well, do you have any
questions we can answer now?

No. Good night.

Can I just pop in
and check the score?

What are you, a Penguins fan?

Don't insult me.

All right.
First playoff win.

1970. 2-1.
Oakland Seals.

Harbaruk scored on a one
timer from Wally Boyer.

What qualifies
you to run a school?

I mean, you're not exactly a shining
star in the classroom, are you?

Oh, shut it, Deb.

But the point is,
don't you wanna

have a say in what
gets taught and how?

I mean, we're the ones
who know these kids.

Now, you all have documents
with some thoughts,

but this is our
time to share ideas.

Yeah, but we won't be union.
Do you understand?

But will you be able to teach?

Are you guys not listening?
There is no union here.

If we're gonna make this work,
take the risk...

Yes, but listen, listen.
But listen.

The union won't allow
us to spend the time

that we have to
spend with them.

They won't do it.

BREENA: Not only that,
what other business

says that you get a job for
life after two years? Come on!

BEN: Oh, no, don't do that.

Everybody wants to laser-focus
on how TAP protects bad teachers

when mostly they
protect good ones.

Yes, but you make it
harder for the good ones

when you protect the bad ones.

But you know what? We're
gonna give up something,

but we're also gonna get.

We all getting the same, Nona?

Or is it seniority?
Exactly.

MAN: It's all right
for you younger people.

BREENA: Stop it, Ben.

Seriously. No. You just
keep going on and on.

You know what, who else
is in this for the money?

Put your hands up, come on!

I know I'm not
the only money-grubbing

bastard in the room!
Put your hands up!

I mean, seriously, why else are
we doing it if not for the money?

Why are we gettin' up
at the crack of dawn

and paying for pencils
out of our own paychecks

and babysitting screaming brats

for seven hours if
not for the money?

It's not like anyone in this room
ever wanted to teach, right?

And getting a school where we could
actually do what we wanna do,

who needs it, right?

Right?

You know what,

feel free to blow past
the dream school part

and skip to the cash
figures on page seven,

but either way,
do yourselves a favor.

Take the 10 minutes
and read the damn document.

DEBORAH: "Dream school."

You'll march yourself right
into the welfare office.

Right out of here,
right into welfare.

Good riddance.

Who needs a pen?
I got one free.

Yes.

No, no, no.

Yes.

Yes, yes, yes.

Oh. Stop. Stop.

We got more. Yes.

Are you sure these are virgin?
'Cause I'm feeling something.

Yeah, it's called success.

No wonder it tastes new.

Yo, JD, get out there
and get these ladies to dance.

I don't dance, sorry.

Yes, you do.
I saw you dancing at school.

That was line dancing.

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
I liked that.

I'm in if he
takes his shirt off!

That's not gonna happen.

All right.

All right, who here
knows the Texas Tush Push?

I kinda know it.

Come on, come on.

Okay, let's do this!
Come on, guys.

Give me, like,
two lines over here.

I like you again.

Proud of you.

MICHAEL: Ready?
Okay, check it out.

All right, it's very simple. So we
start feet together. And you go:

Heel together, heel, heel.

We've got our parents,
we've got our teachers.

I am looking forward to
getting to that school board.

Heel, clap.

Maybe less Riverdance and a
little bit more, just like...

A little bit more.

I wanna see you dance.

Come on, I wanna see you dance.

I haven't danced since "Gettin' Jiggy
Wit it" and I wasn't jiggy then.

So it's time!
I wanna see you dance.

No! MICHAEL: Jamie, get up here.

Come out here. Come on.

That's right.
You get up here too, Nona.

No. I can't and I won't.

Come on, Nona!
(ALL CHANTING)

No! No Nona!

Nona! Nona!

Come on.

Come on, come on.

Come on, let's shake
those hips, all right?

Here we go.
5, 6, 5, 6, 7, 8.

ALL: Clap.

Good morning.
I'm Evelyn Riske.

Yeah, I know who you are.

Do you have a moment?

Not unless you
wanna buy a Buick.

If you sell cars like you sell
schools, I'm walking out with one.

Don't talk down
to me, Ms. Riske.

Oh, I'm not.

Let me tell you why I'm here.
Yeah.

I still think it's a long shot
you get this by the Board.

But I can't ignore what you've
been able to do with the teachers.

And if you're gonna do this,

you might as well have all
the information possible.

There's a school
I want you to see.

They got a lot of great ideas.

Ideas you should look into.

How about you meet me there tomorrow.
(PHONE RINGING)

Yeah, you gotta go.
She's itching to fire me.

Let me call you with a time.

Hold on one second.

Hank Hart Auto.
Please hold.

Yeah, okay.

Okay.
Perfect.

See you tomorrow.

Okay, good.
Hi. How are you?

JAMIE: Ideas are good.

I'm working.

I'm working.
Unlike your husband.

AUTOMATED VOICE: This is the Department
of Education scheduling hotline.

You are currently number...
MAN'S VOICE: 45.

...in queue.

Ms. Lopez?
I'm Nona Alberts.

I've been trying to get in touch
with you to talk about Adams.

You've got an appointment?

The next available's
five weeks away.

I very much look forward
to seeing you then.

That's the day your term ends.

Look, I live and breathe this bureaucracy.
I share your frustration.

What can I say? I read Kafka
to make myself feel better.

I want a hearing for my
school before the term ends.

Dreams are important.

Then we don't stand a chance of
getting this done for next year.

Which you don't anyway,
not in this system.

But the time can
be a gift, trust me.

You'll hone your proposal,
build support.

Then you'll soon come
to embrace futility.

It's a win-win.

I can't wait. I won't.

See you in five weeks,
Ms. Alberts.

I'm sorry. I had to
take three buses.

And you're apologizing?

Wow.

My daughter would love this.

She wants to be a computer
engineer when she grows up.

While at the same time
being a hair colorist

and President of
the United States

and a veterinarian
for lost dogs.

My niece is gonna be
a professional princess.

Good luck to her.

I know.

So when you picture
the perfect school

for Malia, what's it look like?

Like this.

That's why I
wanted you to see it.

I know Malia has dyslexia

and most private schools are not
helpful with learning disabilities.

This one is.

Yeah, I'd never want her to
be in the dumb kids' class.

Oh, they don't do that here.
No otherness.

They do it right, but it took
them years to get it right.

And that's why I worry for
you with your school.

You've looked into all the
possibilities for her, right?

While you're working on Adams?

Oh, man. I have. I just
can't afford anything else.

The tuition's 23 grand.
That's what I make in a year.

Schools have aid packages.

Almost half
the kids here get help.

Let me put in
a good word for you.

What, for Malia to
have a scholarship here?

Are you buying me off?

I'm giving you an option.

Which is the
whole point, right?

Look, I'm not against what you're
doing, but it is so complicated.

We gotta catch up.
You need to give us time.

No, I don't have time.

But you're a great mother.

You really wanna sacrifice your
child's interests to send a message?

Okay, so how about Nona?

Sometimes public
school teachers

have a really hard time sending
their kids to private schools.

It's silly, because half the
Board of Ed's kids go here.

Really?
Yeah.

You come on board though, and it
might make it easier for Nona.

The numbers don't lie.

At Adams, 2% get to college.

Here, 2% don't.

That's crazy.

All-out war is how we gotta look
at it with this school board.

Still no read on Olivia

despite my e-mail assault.

Schwartz might be our only yes.

She likes new things.

Southwick,

she'll go no. She's had five
campaigns underwritten by TAP.

Same with Brandt, he's a
stickler for line-item stuff.

Parrish, Mannie,

who knows?
But I'm guessing no.

King, he's a wild card.

Apparently he's been legally
dead since the late '90s.

He sleeps through the meetings

and then he shows a faint
pulse right before the vote.

So.

We might be looking at
six out of seven votes

against us.

And that's if we
even get a hearing.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

It's just Malia stuff.

Okay.

I think I'm gonna
run for School Board.

See all those Beemers outside?

What's wrong with you?
You seem antsy.

It just bugs me.

Oh, here she comes.

Oh, jeez.

I read through those ideas.
Very impressive.

Thank you.

But we've heard lots of
big ideas about schools.

Big ideas are big fun,

but you can sink or swim
on the practical ones.

I have those too.

Ones that work.

Come watch me teach.

I don't usually do that.

Then how do you
know what works?

I'll consider it.

In time for us to get
a hearing this year?

Don't you know
the moral of Icarus?

Yeah, wear sunscreen.

That's a little
post-modern.

I'll give it some thought.

And I did like your ideas.

She liked our ideas.

They're your ideas.

Shut up and take
the compliment.

Hi, I'm Jamie Fitzpatrick.
Go ahead.

Thanks.

Hi. I'm not gonna take it. I'm
not gonna take the scholarship.

Our school's gonna work out.
Our ideas are really good.

And my daughter is already gonna
have a hard time respecting me

'cause I didn't go to college.

If I also give up, sell out,
screw over my friends...

Your daughter will respect you

because you made
the right decision for her.

In your opinion.

In my educated opinion, yes.

And what about Nona and her son

and all the other kids at Adams

who you're not
offering scholarships to?

Look, I admire your ideals.

But Malia will suffer for them.

In your educated opinion.

No, that's a fact.

Don't do that.

Don't use my
daughter to scare me.

There's another thing that's bugging me.
You knew about her dyslexia.

You must have been talking
to somebody at Adams.

Okay, now you're
being paranoid.

It's not paranoid if it's true.

No.

You have no idea what's true

and what's not,
so let me help you with that.

My parents organized
the first union

in a textile mill in Marion, South
Carolina in October of 1967

and as a daughter,
I know what it cost.

And the truth is,
at the end of the day,

it's very unlikely
you'll get your school.

Your daughter will
still be at Adams.

And you will have deprived her

of the one opportunity
to turn her life around

so that she can become
a computer engineer

and President
of the United States

and a veterinarian
for lost dogs.

And there's your truth.

Thanks.

You can't be here.

How come you didn't tell
me about Riske's offer?

She called you already?

JAN: You just had lunch.

Can I talk to you outside?

JAN: This is not break.

I can't talk to you in here.
Can I talk to you, please?

JAN: Jamie, you just took
an hour and a half for lunch!

I didn't do anything.

I was just talking to her.
Yes, you did do something.

I didn't want to upset you. Could
you give me a break, please?

I'm talkin' to Hank.

Would you do that?
Could you get me down

to one job by
the end of the day?

Anyway...
What?

No, it doesn't matter.

It matters! It matters!
You lied to me.

Not telling you is not the
same thing as lying to you!

Yes, it is! What, to a second grader?
What did you say to me?

"She's the only one here who does
what she says she's gonna do."

That's what you said!

How is that workin' for you?
I said no!

Why? Why?
What did you...

Because I believe in you!

What great thing
happened to me?

I got a phone call from Tyler.

And he called me on the
phone number I gave out.

Why'd you call me, Tyler?

I had a question.

He had a question
about the famous speech

I sent home with you last night

to discuss with
your parents and

grandparents.
And did you do that?

ALL: Yes!

Very good! Now, we're gonna get
to Tyler's question in a minute.

So the speech,

"Let us tenderly and kindly
cherish, therefore...

"...the means of" what?

ALL: Knowledge!

Knowledge!
Which is why I sent it

home with you in
the first place.

The means of knowledge.

So you ready for
the second part?

ALL: Yes!

"Let us dare to"?
ALL: Read!

"Let us dare to"?
ALL: Think!

"Let us dare to"?
ALL: Speak!

"Let us dare to"?
ALL: Write!

"Let us dare to read, think,
speak and write."

And, Tyler, who wrote that?

John Adams.

John Adams, our country's
second president.

Tyler's question,
his question was,

"Is that the same
Adams that the school

is named after?"
And I told you...

Yes.

Yes. And the reason
why that is a perfect

question is that
you dared to think.

"Dare to read, think, speak
and write." Who wrote that?

ALL: John Adams!

Our school's name is...

ALL: Adams!

All right!

(BELL RINGING) Beautiful.

You did well.

BOY: Bye.

GIRL: See you tomorrow.

BOY 2: Bye.

NONA: I didn't know
you were watching.

Lets me see what kind of
teacher you really are.

Also, I hate
social pleasantries.

Then I'll just
keep it at thank you.

Don't thank me.

Ever had a Blue Mojito,
Mrs. Alberts?

I don't drink.

Well, now, see, that's something
else you could work on.

I mention the Blue Mojito

because the only thing
standing between it and me

is you.

And right now there's
a lovely place in

Coconut Grove
with a chilled glass

waiting for me to fill
out my retirement papers

pack up my condo and get a
one-way ticket to Miami-Dade.

Well, I understand...

No, you don't.

Look, I'm running late.
Walk with me.

I didn't drink
before I got to this job.

I was a go-getter
like you.

And next thing I knew,
I'm this.

The Queen Bureaucrat.

Now, that's not something
I want on my headstone,

"She filled space,
RIP."

So you're saying don't bother?

I'm saying I want to help.

Hearing in 10 days.
You want it?

Yes, absolutely.

Great.

Now, listen to me carefully.

This board finds
reasons to say no.

Last year we killed a proposal
for not having a proper index.

So, I's dotted, T's crossed.

And good luck and so forth.

You need help?

No, I got it.

You sure?

You got the 446 Provisions and
the Writers' Mentors Program?

Yup, I got 'em both.

I's dotted, T's crossed.

I heard you
the first six times.

Hi.
Hey.

How is she?

Aces.

Starving.

Look at this.
Did you see these?

They're goin' up around the
streets, all around school.

It's got my name on it.

Big deal.
Sticks and stones.

It kind of is a big deal,
because I'm not anti-labor.

I think you don't really
know what you're asking.

I don't know what I'm asking?

I've spent most of my life without
job security. It's awful.

There's other ways
to fix this problem.

Yeah? Like what?

Like figure it out
with TAP, for instance,

because it's not
all on the union.

There's other
things at work, okay?

There's community,
there's poverty...

I can't wait to figure it
out with 10,000 studies

about how being
poor affects education!

I can tell you being poor
sucks and my kid can't read!

I'm not gonna be
a part of this.

So you're gonna do nothing.

I don't do nothing. I teach.
That's not doing nothing!

That's great for your 30 kids!

How 'bout the rest of the kids?
How 'bout Malia?

This whole system
is broken. It's dead.

I need you to take a stand on this.
I need you in this fight.

If there's a problem,
I'm getting rid of it.

That doesn't just go for
the school, by the way.

Really?

Okay.

Hi.

See you next weekend.

I got a surprise for
you in the dining room.

Cool.

Hey.

Ask him about his shirt.

What about it?

He wouldn't tell me.
Just ask him.

This is awesome.

What's that?

Nosebleed.

That's not true.

Why are they on you?

Because I'm slow.

You know you're not slow.

I know you don't want
me to think I'm slow.

(IMITATING LASER GUNS)

(PANTING)

GOULD: This is the
eleventh hour, Evelyn.

Don't quit me here. Don't
underestimate this, okay?

It's a feeding frenzy.

District offices
all over the state

are getting slammed with calls.

"Oh, let's do what
they're doing at Adams."

We're still fine
with the school board.

Right now we've got it at 5-2
against, if King sticks.

No, that's too close.
Go back to the teachers.

Seriously, this would be like
handing over planes to passengers.

I'm not gonna let that happen.

But don't we have some
responsibility to the kids as well?

That's what they asked
Albert Shanker. Okay?

He was the FDR of
teachers union presidents.

You know what he said?

I'm sure you'll tell me.

He said, "When schoolchildren
start paying union dues,

I will start representing the
interests of schoolchildren."

What?

I lost it on Jamie Fitzpatrick.

For a second I saw
how she saw me, and I...

Do you ever wonder
if we all stepped back...

No. No doubts.
No pussy-footing.

Are you not aware of what is
going on in this country?

People, you should
hear this. Okay?

We're under attack. Labor.

Unions are getting pulverized.

And how is it that unions,
of all things

are getting blamed for the
economic cesspool that we're in?

Not greedy management, unions.

Same unions that
Clarence Darrow once said

have done more for humanity than
any other organization of men

that ever existed.

All we want

is for teachers to be well
paid and secure in their jobs.

Who could argue
with this philosophy?

It's for teachers.

Remember that.

Under attack,
we attack, Evelyn.

Did you fix those
attendance records?

You know I did.

How would I know that?

Because you told me to.

I would never tell a teacher
to fix attendance records.

It's illegal,
not to mention unethical.

Is this because of our hearing?

Unfortunately, the rules on this
kind of infraction are clear.

Immediate academic suspension.

Robert, don't do this.

It's already done.
It's for the kids' sake.

The same kids you
cared enough about

to mark present
when they were absent?

I need to talk to them.

Academic suspension means
you cannot be on campus.

Now, if you're on campus,
you will be arrested.

I just wanna say goodbye.

I was worried you
might get feisty.

If I've made it a little harder

for you to take
my job, I'm glad.

That's feisty!

Sorry.

What happened?
Where is she?

I got a call.

'Scuse me,
this class is in session.

Where is she?

Excuse me.

Landri, what happened?

She had an accident.

Nobody's looking for her?

Malia!

Malia!

(WHIMPERING)

Malia?

Oh, bug.

She wouldn't give
me the bathroom pass.

Oh, no, sweetie.

I simply told
her that big girls

wait until
the appropriate time.

You punished her because she
had to go to the bathroom?

DEBORAH: I punished her because, like
her mother, she cannot follow rules.

Girls her age need
an example of how...

Rules about...
Are you insane?

Let me go!

This is all your fault.

It's all my fault, is it?
You make everything bad.

I make everything bad.
Sticking me here,

where I'm never
gonna learn anything.

Don't talk to me like that!
So I can end up like you?

Like what?
Poor and dumb!

Did you hear me?
You're stupid!

Go take your jeans off.
There you go.

RISKE: The thing is,
you can't go back.

For those of you who
have given up on us,

you've given up on us.

You won't have the
union to protect you.

Now, I don't know if it's
been made clear to you,

but supporting this new school
does not necessarily mean

you'll be signing
a contract to teach there.

Even if you are hired,
there are no guarantees.

That's what's been happening
all over the country

with these kinds of schools.

Six months later they're failing,
and people are out of a job.

So, what really worries me
is human nature.

It's human nature to be afraid.

And we've got administrators at
other schools who are afraid.

They're afraid of the same thing
happening at their schools.

And they're telling us

they don't want to hire the
teachers who got all this started.

'Scuse me.
'Scuse me, please.

Yes, Breena.
'Scuse me.

So basically what
you're telling us

is if we go along
with this "takeover"

TAP will blacklist us.

No, that's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying we can't guarantee
how other schools might react.

Is this confusing? I mean,
does this make sense?

No, no, it does not.
It doesn't make sense.

Sorry about that, Michael. How
can I elucidate this for you?

I'm a member of this union.
Great.

And I'm also a human.

And I'm sorry, I just don't agree
with your view of human nature

about your assessment
of our humanity.

I'm not afraid, and the teachers
that I know, we're not fearful.

In fact, the teachers that
I know are bold at heart

and they want change because it's
what's best for our students.

And what we've been
lacking is leadership.

Well, guess what?

We found some.

Holland saw me come in,
so I just have a minute.

Here's the thing.

We're all scared of something.

I'm scared of things staying the
same, you're scared of things not.

This is what we're giving the board.
This is your school.

Standardized
test study programs

integrating
competitive hip-hop,

that's Breena's idea.

Community outreach programs and service
field trips, that's Michael's.

Thattagirl.

Fifth graders reading and acting
Shakespeare, that's Ben's.

Nona, none of this means
anything if we can't teach.

You will teach.
You'll teach here.

Look what they did to you.

Yeah. They did.

And it's true
that having your kids

taken from you
just about kills you.

But it's worse for the kids.

And it's them, the kids, that
I'm tryin' to think about.

Just them now.

You get what I'm saying?

Security is on its way.

Yeah? You gonna arrest me?

You betcha.

That's one good thing
about bein' out of a job.

You don't have to
worry about getting fired

when you tell your boss
to go screw himself.

Read the future.

All right,
just so everybody's clear...

BREENA: 'Scuse me.

This room is for teachers.

Seventeen

plus one

is eighteen.

They're all still with us.

Let's celebrate.

Hearing in two days.

Hey.

I heard about what you did.

Are you apologizing?

(PHONE RINGING)

Take a message.

(CELL PHONE RINGS)

(EMAIL ALERT BEEPS)

He says the next time he
calls it'll be to fire you.

I remember when I was 6 and
the union first came around.

We'd go to the
meetings as a family.

When they were finally
voted in, my father cried.

The only other
time I saw him cry

was when I told him
I was coming here.

Oh, boy.

Don't send it.

Mr. Gould already did.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

I told him you were coming.

You want me to go up with you?
No.

He said to wake him
up if he was asleep.

Cody.

Cody.

Cody, wake up, wake up.
Come on.

Wake up.

Wake up.
Listen to me.

I've got something to
tell you, 'cause you

can't hear it from
someone else, okay?

Something called colic.
Have you heard of colic?

No.

It's something that babies
get and nobody knows why.

But it makes you cry
for hours and hours.

And when you have a colicky baby,
you just have to deal with it.

And a lot of good mothers can.

But I had a hard time.

One night,
you were crying real hard

and I had a little wine.

More than a little.

And then it got worse, so I decided
to take you to the doctor.

And I should have called
someone, but I didn't.

Sol put you in the car and I
tried to drive you myself,

but I didn't make it
because I smashed up the car.

Really bad.

More people
found out about this

and they might
say something to you

and I want you to
know the words to say.

What are they gonna say?
Bad things.

I mean, bad.

Like, "Why should
she get a school when

she can't even take
care of her own kid"?

And what do I say?

You say your
mother made a mistake

and she wishes
she hadn't done it.

She wishes it
with all her heart.

Because she loves her son.

And that she's sorry.

But it was a mistake

and I'm okay.

But, no...
But that's the thing.

I forgot the strap.

That second strap.

I forgot to click it

and you were
thrown from your seat.

And they thought that maybe
it had got to your brain.

And that's the thing that's been
taking hold of me all these years.

That maybe it had.

And I'm sorry.

But it didn't.

No, it didn't.

If you wanna lie
down next to me,

that'll be okay.

GOULD: God bless her
for cleaning herself up.

But is it wrong to ask
if this is the best person

to be making
decisions for our kids.

It's completely fair
to question whether

parents want her
leading this school.

JAMIE: Yeah?
Look at us all here.

Asked and answered, cupcake.
Asked and answered.

Now look what
you gone and done.

Good luck.

Come on, you guys.

(CROWD CHANTING) Education is our right!
Fight! Fight! Fight!

WOMAN: It's about the curriculum
and things are going to change!

They're here! They're here!

LOPEZ: And so it begins.
The hearing on proposed

changes to John
Adams Elementary.

(GAVEL BANGING)

Okay, that's not happening.

Now, after three hours
of executive session

and a review of statements
submitted from all sides,

the board has determined

that the petition submitted by
Ms. Alberts and Ms. Fitzpatrick

will be denied.

Quiet. Quiet.

Tell us why we
didn't get a vote.

It's not board policy to
divulge that information.

For once, believe it or not, the
board will make an exception.

People should know
this has nothing to do

with the recent character
attacks on Ms. Alberts.

Mr. Brandt, you made
the motion to dismiss,

so step up and
enlighten us as to why.

Points for brevity.

As I just said,
board policy stipulates...

Sir.

I'm chair of this board
for one more week,

which means today
I am board policy.

I call your attention to
the proposal, line 322.

The remedial education section.

The budget amount on line
322 says $431,054.

Now there's some
backwards math.

A wild guess tells me
the intended number

was 134, not 431,000.

But please,
correct me if I'm wrong.

Mr. Brandt, you're right.

The numbers were wrong.

I must've reversed them.

BRANDT: So we should entrust the
teaching of basic math skills

to someone who can't
even do it herself?

Come on.
That's ridiculous.

The proposal needs to be
corrected and resubmitted.

But that's next year.

BRANDT: Let's move on.

But it's ridiculous.

Let's move on.

Can I say one thing?

Please, go ahead,
Ms. Fitzpatrick.

The numbers are flipped
because I flipped the numbers

one time in this whole proposal,
because I'm dyslexic.

I'm dyslexic.

I'm dyslexic.

I never even said that word
when I was my daughter's age

because the school I went
to made me feel dumb.

And they didn't do anything about
it, they just passed me through.

Malia.

I will not let
that happen to you.

I need you to go to a school
that knows what I know.

That you are so smart.

You're so smart.

Do any of you even remember
what we're doin' here?

Because we're
not here for this.

We're not here for unions
and teachers and parents.

We're here for our kids.

And me and all of these
teachers and parents,

we didn't go through all this
to get turned down for a typo.

Now I know

you're gonna find any reason you
can to turn this school down

and that it doesn't
really matter what we do.

But even so,

I'm not leavin' this room till
you give us some kind of a vote.

Let's see how this plays out.

Vote.

Vote.

Vote!

Okay, all things considered, I say
it's a good day for a voice vote.

Thank you.

Now, I'm gonna vote first
because I bought the gavel.

My vote is yes.

Mr. Brandt.

No.

Ms. Southwick.

I know you're all
well-intentioned people

and I applaud your commitment,

but I see no reason
you're best-equipped

to handle a job
of this magnitude.

I think we let the professionals
be professionals.

My vote is no.

LOPEZ: Mr. Mannie.

If the parents and
teachers want it,

so do I. Yes.

LOPEZ: Ms. Schwartz.

I'm all over this.

Yes.

Mr. Parrish.

At a time when half...

I mean,
half of all new teachers

quit in their first five years,

we need to be
creating more incentives

and more protection
for them, not less.

No.

Thank you, sir!

Thank you.

One more. One more.

And Mr. King.

You have the deciding vote.

Like this, remember?
For lady luck.

Yes. Yes.

You're my luck.
You're my luck.

This school is failing.

It's been failing for too long.

It's a broken school.

Thousands of kids getting
passed on who can't read.

Can't write, can't add.

I'd like to think the ideas
in here could fix Adams.

Frankly, I'm not sure they can.

Oh, no.

But we must start somewhere.

Yes.

LOPEZ: The motion is carried
by a vote of four to three.

John Adams Elementary,
your future begins again.

You ready to start an appeal?

I'm quitting.

Whoa, whoa. To do what?

What else?

Teach.

(UKULELE PLAYING)

MICHAEL: I do not shrink
from this responsibility

'Cause the energy,
faith and the devotion

That we keep bringing
to this endeavor

Will light our country
and all who serve it

And the glow from that fire

Will surely light the world

KIDS: So ask not What your
country can do for you

Ask not What your
country can do for you

But what you can
do for your country

MICHAEL: Yeah!

(WHOOPING)

Nice.

All right, now before assembly
ends, we have a few announcements.

The first is about next
week's service field trip.

Malia Fitzpatrick.

GIRL: Go, Malia!

"For next week's
f-field trip,

we're going

to the Northside Food Pa...

Pantry.

Bring your permission slips

so you can come.

We hop you can."

Hope.

Well, I won't back down

No, I won't back down

You could stand me up
at the gates of hell

But I won't back down

Hey, baby

There ain't no easy way out

Hey, I will stand my ground

And I won't back down

Well, I know what's right

I got just one life

In a world that keeps on
pushin' me around

But I'll stand my ground

And I won't back down

Hey, baby

There ain't no easy way out

Hey, I will stand my ground

And I won't back down

No, I won't back down

Live your life right
'cause in case you forgot

It's the only one that you got

Live your life right

Put up a fight

The world starts
in the city of steel

Let's stick around

'Cause there are colours
that we 're gonna reveal

Starting now

Live your life right

Put up a fight

Giving up is what
they want you to do

But things must change

Pay no mind
to discouragin' fools

We will not wait

I'll be all I was meant to be

And you can never stop me

We were promised liberty

And together we're an army

A community

Live your life right
'cause in case you forgot

It's the only one that you got

Live your life right

Put up a fight