Inside Locke High - Student Reactions
SoCal Connected on KCET
Our show, “Inside Locke High” tells the story of the troubled high school’s transition from LAUSD to the charter school company, Green Dot, through the eyes of three typical students - Joanna, Damon and Bryan. They each tell their own story. In their own words. In their own way. It’s definitely not a typical, paint-by-numbers TV show.
Joanna’s brother was murdered a block from her house just a week before she registered for school. He literally died in her arms.
Damon lives with his grandmother who struggles to make ends meet by working the overnight shift at K-Mart. Damon’s mother died from breast cancer when he was 14.
Bryan sleeps on the couch while his younger sister sleeps next to him on the floor in a tiny garage conversion apartment. His dad supports the family doing mechanical work. Bryan says his parent’s breakup was over “economical problems.”
As a producer, I was incredibly touched by their trust, courage and candor when I interviewed them earlier in the school year and now, they’ve interviewed themselves. We loaned each student a “flip-camera” and asked them to share their thoughts and feelings after watching “Inside Locke High” when it first aired on December 4, 2008.
Check it out and see if you don’t agree that these “typical” teenagers break a lot of stereotypes that kids are shallow, self-involved and uncaring.
