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Life & Times Transcript
2/28/07 This program is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- They face language barriers, poverty and neighborhood violence. How are these kids beating the odds? Mikara Solomon Davis>> From the plant worker to the security guard to the kindergarten teacher to the parent that's volunteering in that kindergarten class, it's every single piece that makes it happen. Val Zavala>> And then, there's just one word for it: Mortified. Sharing secrets from your teenage diaries. It's all straight ahead on tonight's Life and Times. Announcer>> Life and Times is made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Val Zavala>> It takes an affluent school with motivated kids and an experienced staff to get those high test scores, right? Not so. An elementary school in Carson is proving that minority students from a poor neighborhood can test just as high as their affluent counterparts. And what's the catalyst behind this success? A first-time principal who took the reins when she was only twenty-seven. Sam Louie has her story. Sam Louie>> Bunche Elementary School in Carson is like many urban schools in low-income neighborhoods. Half the students are black or Latino. All of them qualify for the free lunch program and most are living in bleak and rough neighborhoods. It wasn't surprising that student grades and test scores were well below average. Mikara Solomon Davis>> Academically, very low. Of all of my kids, some knew the sounds. Some knew their letters. None of them could read. Sam Louie>> That was before Mikara Solomon Davis became Bunche Elementary School's principal. Mikara Solomon Davis>> "How are you doing? How did you do today on the tests?" >> "Did good." Mikara Solomon Davis>> "Good." Anne Mills>> When Mikara came to Bunche Elementary is when things started to turn around for us. Sam Louie>> Since 2000, Bunche Elementary test scores have risen nearly one hundred percent. Teachers were relieved from many administrative tasks and she started an after-school and summer tutoring program. Mikara Solomon Davis>> "I like your shirt. Show me your shirt." Sam Louie>> Davis did it with no previous experience as a principal, no charter school status and no mass infusion of monies. Davis is biracial, black and Irish. She grew up in an upper middle-class neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Mikara Solomon Davis>> When I got to the classrooms here in Compton, I was shocked because how is it that because they live in this area, the expectation for them is totally different than what happened to me? Sam Louie>> Davis first came to know the Compton School District as a second grade teacher. After three years in the classroom, Davis decided to go back to school for a Masters degree in education from Columbia. At the age of twenty-seven, with no experience even as a vice principal, the district put Davis in charge of Bunche Elementary. Mikara Solomon Davis>> I really cared and felt like the children were my children and, if they don't get it now, what's going to happen to them in third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade? Sam Louie>> Davis made sweeping changes starting with strict discipline. She issued more than one hundred suspensions among four hundred fifty students. Mikara Solomon Davis>> As a student, if you don't respect the classroom, then you don't need to be there. Sam Louie>> The focus also shifted from just keeping the kids from failing to getting them to dream big. Mikara Solomon Davis>> I wanted to drill in their heads that they have to go to college. Sam Louie>> One technique? Name all the classrooms after four-year universities. Anne Mills was hired three years ago to teach fifth grade. All of the students make field trips to local colleges. Anne Mills>> They're so into going to college. I mean, college for them, you won't see a single child who will not say they're not going to college. Every one of our students thinks that they're going to college, knows that they're going to college and believes that. Alejandra Guizara>> I know school. I like how teachers try to challenge my mind. I love to study. Robert Davis>> We say work hard and be nice and behave and we say where do we go after high school? College, and after college, graduate school. Sam Louie>> So what kind of tangible results have taken place since Davis took control seven years ago? The school's test scores once ranked near the bottom of the California Academic Performance Index. In 1999, the school's average score was four fifty. By the end of the last school year, scores had soared to an astounding eight sixty-eight, well above the state target of eight hundred, and comparable to children from affluent districts. Anne Mills>> All of our students are as successful as the students in Beverly Hills and San Marino. The education that they're receiving here is absolutely comparable to that. It does not shock me at all when the scores come out. Sam Louie>> But there's no denying their surroundings offer challenges not seen elsewhere. Most of the students at Ralph Bunche Elementary School are bused in from Compton. Because of the social issues that plague this community such as poverty, crime and single parent households, the school developed a program to address these concerns. Mikara Solomon Davis>> I'm thinking about the fact that whatever is happening at home is happening. You know, my dad got shot last night. If that can't be talked about, then I don't care about one plus one is two. That has to be allowed to breath, to exist and let that part of me be present so that I can now focus on what I'm trying to learn. Sam Louie>> A character education program gives students a forum to talk about their home life. Anne Mills>> Our kids come to school with a lot on their plate every day. But when they get to school, they know that they're in a safe atmosphere and they know that the teachers here love them and will do anything to help them. Sam Louie>> So if this kind of success can be achieved in such a quick turnaround, why isn't it happening more often? John Rogers is an assistant professor of education at UCLA. John Rogers>> From what I understand, you have a remarkable principal here, a well-trained principal who's brought in a staff, who's developed this staff over time, and has worked with the community, brought them in and created a school culture that's just focused on achievement and success. Sam Louie>> In his research, he says time and time again, an effective leader rallies everyone together with a common goal. Rogers runs a leadership program for principals. He says that great principals begin in the classroom as great teachers. John Rogers>> That's where the name of principal comes from. They were meant to be the principal teachers, the lead teachers, people who could lead instruction at a school site, who had a deep sense of what quality teaching and learning was. Sam Louie>> Davis had very little experience, but she did have one distinct advantage. The district gave her full control and oversight of the school much like that of a charter school. John Rogers>> She was able to bring in parents and create a climate where everybody was working together around a common set of themes, this idea that we want all of our young people to move on to college. Sam Louie>> Davis quickly replaced weak teachers with quality ones. Some retired and some left. Today, only two of the original twenty-one teachers remain. The new teachers were a lot like Davis, young, bright and fearless. Mikara Solomon Davis>> An attitude of no excuses for themselves, not being afraid to be held accountable to rigorous standardized state testing. Sam Louie>> But there's another component that's just as crucial: parental involvement. The school requires parents to sign a contract. Mikara Solomon Davis>> Being here with uniform, homework complete and on time really is a parental involvement issue. Karla Morales>> As parents, that's how it was because we know why the teacher has spoken for us, but also we know what we can expect from them. Sam Louie>> So here's the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Can the success here at Bunche Elementary be duplicated in the hundreds of other poor performing schools across the state? John Rogers>> Individual school success does not necessarily point to how you're going to create system-wide success. Sam Louie>> Rogers doesn't think so because of the state's shortage of quality teachers. But that doesn't mean California educators shouldn't aim high. John Rogers>> As a society, we don't want to just have one Bunche Elementary that we can point to and say, "This is a distinguished school." We want to have every one of the nine thousand-plus public schools in California be distinguished schools. Sam Louie>> Davis now sees her job as part of a much larger mission. Mikara Solomon Davis>> I totally see education as a civil rights movement. This is where true equality can happen. "What did you get?" >> "Ninety-three." Mikara Solomon Davis>> "Okay. What did you get?" >> ""Ninety-three." Mikara Solomon Davis>> "All right. What did you get?" >> "Ninety-eight." Mikara Solomon Davis>> "So you guys are ninety percent or higher?" >> "One hundred percent." Mikara Solomon Davis>> "High five. That's awesome. Good job, you guys." Sam Louie>> I'm Sam Louie for Life and Times. Announcer>> Kcet.org is the place to look for the very latest on Life and Times. You'll find previews of upcoming stories, plus transcripts and audio of past episodes and links to some of our most interesting features. Just go to kcet.org, scroll down the page and click on "Life and Times". Val Zavala>> They call it the nanny state. All those government laws that regulate behavior like no smoking, no wearing perfume and, of course, all those warning labels. My favorite is the one on a stroller that says "Remove Child Before Folding". But are we going too far? Probably nothing has been the focus of increased restrictions as much as smoking. Here in southern California, the city of Calabasas attracted wide attention for its prohibition on smoking not just inside, but outdoors. For a provocative discussion, we brought three people together at our Kitchen Table. David Lehrer of CommUnity Advocates; Calabasas City Councilman Barry Groveman who pushed the anti-smoking law through; and Brian Doherty from Reason Magazine who believes government regulations are intruding on our personal lives. Our segment is funded by Ralph Tornberg. David Lehrer>> Barry, you were the author of the smoking regulation. Excuse me, not a ban in Calabasas. Just in brief, what does that regulation do? Barry Groveman>> It's a law that says that you can smoke, you can sell cigarettes, but you can't smoke in places where people congregate. It is a control ordinance so that we can -- look, society is getting very complex. There's a lot of people with a lot of interests and concerns and needs and we have to balance that. In the old days of the Old West, you could fire a gun and the bullet could come down and it wouldn't hit anybody. Now it will because we have a lot of people living in the city. Same thing here. People have asthma, they're sensitive to smoke, they're worried about it. We simply said to smoke, but like at the airport, do it in a designated area. Because we didn't ban anything and we worked hard not to, we've gotten the Chamber of Commerce locally to support it and the restaurants to support it. David Lehrer>> It is banned in the parks, right? Barry Groveman>> No, you can theoretically even smoke in the park if nobody is around, but how are we ever going to figure that out? The real rule is that you can't smoke when others are present. It's giving people the ability to say, "Would you mind putting it out?" because they now have some courage behind that. And people are good citizens and they're doing it. David Lehrer>> So what's your objection? Brian Doherty>> I think the civil way that he mentioned works better because I think it's a bad principle and I would hope most Americans, a country founded on the principle of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, would agree that it's a good principle that the law should not interfere with personal choices you make even if they harm you for any reason other than causing direct provable harm to others, especially in public places which is the significant thing about the Calabasas ban, which makes it the most severe if you don't like it or most far-seeing if you do like it of all smoking bans in California as it applies to almost all open public spaces. There is not any science that establishes that transient exposure to secondhand smoke in an open public space of the sort that's the Calabasas law is mostly dedicated to causes any long-term health problem. It really is a case of merely legislating something that bothers people. Barry Groveman>> But let's look who's behind what I'm arguing. The American Heart Association, apolitical, well-regarded. The American Lung Association, the medical doctors of California. One example I'll give you, I'll pull one out. Dr. Derrick Ragivan is the Chief of Clinical Studies of cancer at the Cleveland Cancer Institute, number three in the country. I asked him this question about inside-outside. He said to me that, in their clinical studies based upon surgery evaluations -- this is not theory now. This is the clinical doctors doing surgeries on lungs -- he said it is their view and his view that it is worse to get secondhand smoke than breath it as a cigarette smoker. I said, "How could that be?" and it's helpful to understand the answer. The answer was the heat of the plume of the cigarette causes a reflex in the lung which causes the smoker to cough. They learn to avoid the cough and they get accustomed to it. When you breath it at room temperature or outside, it's cooler or cool. It doesn't trigger the reflex and they are finding the cigarette smoke from secondhand smokers goes very deep into the cells of the tissue. That's how they can distinguish between a smoker and a nonsmoker and that's why it doesn't matter whether it's outside. It may be worse, but I don't think the average citizen wants to take that chance. You're arguing that there's not enough evidence and the evidence is overwhelming. And who's behind you, I'd like to ask also? Brian Doherty>> Dr. Michael Segal from Boston University School of Public Health who is a dedicated opponent of smoking absolutely believes that, in the workplace, it totally needs to be banned which I don't agree with, by the way, but he happens to. He thinks that these sort of outdoor smoking bans and he actually uses this phrase, "make a mockery of the whole movement to protect workers because there is no evidence that transient exposure in public places causes serious health." Barry Groveman>> So you found a gun. What organization -- Brian Doherty>> -- no, he's a guy. The Boston School of Public Health, a dedicated opponent of smoking, a dedicated supporter of anti-smoking laws. Barry Groveman>> Does the Boston School of Public Health support it? Are you identifying them as -- Brian Doherty>> -- no, I'm quoting him as an expert who someone out there on the internet could look up and begin actually digging to the bottom of this. Barry Groveman>> I don't mean to argue with you. I'm just saying, if the Boston School does tell us, that would be interesting. Brian Doherty>> I don't know if that's the case or not. I just know what I know. Barry Groveman>> Because it's not. If it's just one individual, how does that person stand up to the American Lung, the American Heart, California Medical Association? How do they stand up to that? Brian Doherty>> Merely because they all want to ban smoking. Barry Groveman>> Why? They're not making any money on it. Brian Doherty>> Because they don't like people to smoke. The movement is not about public health. It's about making people not smoke. Barry Groveman>> Who funded his studies? Brian Doherty>> It's not for nonsmokers. You're way down the slippery slope of the notion that the state has to control every single aspect of personal and family life. David Lehrer>> Where are you on the issue of trans fats? Trans fats have clearly been shown to be harmful to -- Brian Doherty>> -- sure. Just like saturated fats, which we eat far more of than trans fats, because we like them. David Lehrer>> So would you be in favor of revealing content of trans fats and saturated fats in restaurants? I'm sure you're opposed to a ban. Brian Doherty>> Yeah, most of them already do. Most of them already do. Of course, I'm opposed to a ban. It's another step in the direction that, while I think you don't agree with the trans fat ban, I would maintain that the ideology behind the Calabasas smoking ban is the same one, the notion that the state does have a right to control or have a say in behavior. That's really a personal business. Barry Groveman>> No, you're totally mischaracterizing it. I do agree with some of what you just said, but it doesn't have anything to do with the smoking ban. I made it really clear that, to me, where we have an interest in protecting people, and all cities do, is when they are being threatened with something harmful that is involuntary. There's a major distinction there. When you talk about the trans fats -- David Lehrer>> -- well, if you go to a restaurant, you don't know whether they do use trans fats. Barry Groveman>> Well, that's why I am in favor very much of the disclosure. That is very clear. I would even like to see the numbers given or the letters given on the condition of the restaurant to reflect that. Then people can choose and the market will effectuate the outcome. Brian Doherty>> I'm glad you agree that, in this, people should be able to choose. Barry Groveman>> But it's voluntary. You don't have to go to a restaurant on your way to work. Brian Doherty>> You're correct. Barry Groveman>> You don't have to eat somewhere in order to have a job, but you do have to walk through a building and go to the movies or want to go to a park and enjoy the same rights. There is no right to smoke, by the way. There is a right to be safe. Brian Doherty>> Why isn't there a right to smoke? Barry Groveman>> There's no right to smoke. Brian Doherty>> Why shouldn't there be? Barry Groveman>> Why shouldn't there be? Brian Doherty>> Is there a right to walk? Is there a right to skip? Barry Groveman>> The inalienable rights, the Bill of Rights, the United States Constitution, in every state including this state, there's no right to smoke, but there's a right to be safe. Brian Doherty>> Where is the right to be safe in the Constitution (laughter). David Lehrer>> We have no right to continue this conversation beyond the few minutes allotted to us. I want to thank you, Brian, and thank you, Barry. I think we've cleared the smoke on this very tough issue. Announcer>> To send a comment or a question to our program, you can reach us by mail at this address: Life and Times 4401 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90027 You can also call our viewer comment line (323) 953-5555) or contact us the fast way by e-mail at kcet.org. Val Zavala>> Before there was MySpace and before there was the Blogisphere, there were diaries, that place where you put pen to paper and revealed all your adolescent secrets. Well, now those diaries, complete with teenaged angst, is the latest and hippest form of entertainment. Cris Franco explains. Cris Franco>> Tonight in this trendy Los Angeles hotspot, a social taboo will be broken as grown men and women stand up before a room full of strangers and expose their pubescent problems as they read from their childhood diaries. It's called "Mortified". >> "If anyone is reading this, they'd better shut it now because it's none of your business!" >> "I hate Drake. I hate him with every bone in my body. I hate him. He is the worst curse ever." Cris Franco>> This is "Mortified", the bizarre hit cult stage show where we witness a reader's descent into Dante's teenage inferno. >> "I hate Drake and I want him to burn in a really slow way that hurts a lot because he sucks is why." Cris Franco>> Creator-producer, Dave Nadelberg, came up with the idea upon finding an old love letter. Today it's developed into so much more. Dave Nadelberg>> "Mortified" is this comic excavation of teenage artifacts of letters, lyrics, journals, poems and all this sort of stuff shared with total strangers. You know, they're basically presenting these weird little unintentional biographical portraits. Cris Franco>> It's all one hundred percent true and audiences find these intimate diary diatribes one hundred percent hilarious as they explore the ups -- >> "We did it!" Cris Franco>> Downs -- >> "Dear Family: I am tired of always being pushed around all the time. Wherever I go, I can't find anyone who appreciates me or my work -- I was twelve." Cris Franco>> And all arounds of adolescence. >> "A lot happened today. I made out five times with Jose. He said I kiss like a rich girl." >> "When you play football, you got to get into a state of mind in which there's no fear. Also something else. I guess that something else is a kind of really intense anger and frustration bordering on a complete loss of self-control." >> "So Jackie's cousins took us to a street where I bought a watch and a hair clip. We had pizza for lunch. I also saw "Pocahontas"." >> "Picturing myself giving an interview on Arsenio's couch just always seems to give me hope. After that, we had a seminar. It was an optional mandatory one and I attended a discussion about the existence of God. It was okay." >> "You have to go out there believing in yourself, fearing no one and wanting to literally tear the heads of your opponents off. I think this is a healthy attitude." >> "Then Doogie Howser, MD came on and I thought everyone seems like a sidekick, which made me think am I a sidekick or do I have a sidekick? Am I the Doogie or am I the Vinnie?" >> "July 23. I am really feeling homesick and I feel as if I have no friends here. I hate being sick and I hate missing every activity and I hate that I have no friends here. I hate being alone and I hate being afraid of Natalie and I hate that I can't see my parents for a month and I hate that Andrea is being mean to me. And I hate that no one will talk to me and I hate not having anyone to talk to and I hate being the only one awake in a room and I hate that we have to choose our own rooms here and I hate everything here and I hate that I hate everything here and I want to go home." Cris Franco>> What do you think is the appeal of "Mortified" and why are people flocking to see it? >> I think everyone relates to the vulnerability of the pieces. Dave Nadelberg>> Everyone knows these moments and, I mean, if you paid a thousand writers, gave them a thousand years and pointed a thousand guns at them, they couldn't come up with this and then you just grab the diaries and, boom, boom, boom, it's perfect. They're not laughing at them. It's more they're cheering for them. They're relating to these people. >> It's sort of this beautiful, endearing weakness that we all had and sort of the rawest moments that are brought forth (laughter). Cris Franco>> Here's to those raw moments. >> "July 19. The bathrooms are gross. The third floor doesn't even have showers, so we use the ones on the second floor which are really gross. We have two gross bathrooms on our floor. We have two gross toilets and two gross sinks. It's really gross." >> "I now understand how those movie stars feel who kill themselves because they're lonely." >> "This letter is in no way an insult. It's merely some helpful hints so that next year the girls will fall all over you." >> "I mean, I would never turn to suicide. I'm going to live no matter how much nobody wants me to." >> "Dad, you never pay attention. When you do, you're never on my side. Usually you only care for Johnnie. Mom, me and you can never talk. The only thing you do is yell at me. You worry about Johnnie too much." >> "Right now, I think that you might repulse some girls. My hints are to make it so the girls will run towards you, not away." >> "Peg, you always watch out for Johnnie. You try too hard for Mom's favoritism towards you. Johnnie, you are always on my case. The rest is obvious." >> "And last but not least, I'm going out with Antonio. We have been together for nine days. I really like him. I'm planning on sleeping with him. Oh, and I tried cocaine. It's the coolest thing on earth. I think I'm addicted. Oh, well." Cris Franco>> So perhaps that's the attraction. It's sort of cathartic to peek into another person's tormented teenage years perhaps seeing in them the same awkward, naïve thirteen year old that we all once were -- and perhaps still are? >> "That I have the best writing style of anyone in history. It's stunning in its simplicity." >> "This is not another game. This is my destiny." >> "I just went right up to her and I said, look, I like you. Will you go out with me?" >> "I plan at future dates to make a human fly up in the air to one hundred feet or more." >> "I like Italy so much. One day I will learn the language and move here. I already know a few words. Ciao." Val Zavala>> Okay, I'll confess. Paul Bracey, I did have a crush on you in fourth grade. And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. For everyone at Life and Times, thanks for watching. We'll see you next time. Announcer>> Life and Times was made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. This program was made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. Sponsored in part by:  | |
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