Dangerous Minds

Students are bused in from various neighborhoods to attend school at Parkmount High School. PHS is located in a decent neighborhood, surrounded by nice homes. Some of the students that are bused in come from poorer neighborhoods. This emphasizes the power that White people have over the minority groups.

An unqualified teacher, Mrs. Johnson, is assigned to teach an academy class. This implies that these students do not deserve a quality education, a common vehicle for the oppression of minorities. All of the students in this academy class are either African American or Hispanic.

Mrs. Johnson has internalized dominance as she invites students that win her poetry contest to accompany her to a nice restaurant. Two of the three students invited were unable to come because they had to work. The one student that was able to go felt the need to take out a loan he could not afford so that he could wear something appropriate to the restaurant.  Mrs. Johnson has the privilege to go to restaurants without having to buy special clothes. She is also more respected. This is evident in how the server addresses all of his questions to her as if she were the only person sitting at the table.

There are several stereotypes that I observed in this film. One is that Black parents do not value education. Based on my experience, this is not true. The Black parents I have met have encouraged their students to stay in school. School provides these students with a place to go so they are not getting into trouble and a high school diploma provides them with opportunities to get a better job. Teachers must work with parents, so it is crucial for both parties to understand they have a common goal, which is the success of the student. This is why I plan to communicate with parents on a regular basis, reporting when students are doing well and when they are not doing well.

The assistant principle has complicity as she recommends pregnant young women drop out of school to attend a parenting program. I understand her concern that students may romanticize pregnancy, and in turn, more girls will try to get pregnant. However, there are better ways to address teenage pregnancy than kicking out the pregnant girls. I learned a lot about practicing safe sex in high school. In my opinion, it is best for students to be educated on the other risks that accompany premarital sex, such as STDs and helps students better understand their anatomy. Many students do not receive this education in the home. It is not the responsibility of a Math teacher, like me, to teach sex education, but I would definitely advocate for a program to be implemented in my school.