For my final exam I have chosen the movie “Freedom Writers”, starring Hilary Swank. This movie is based on a true story about a first year English teacher named Erin Gruwell, whom through many barriers, improves the lives of the students she teaches. Her students are freshman and sophomores at Woodrow Wilson High School, located in Long Beach, California, which is riddled with gang violence and racial tension. This was in 1994, after the LA riots had reached an all time high.
1. Management issues that occur during the movie start off during Erin’s initial meeting with the Department head of the school. She goes over with Erin the history of the school and how they had one of the highest scholastic records in the district before the school required the program of voluntary integration. She goes on to place blame on the students that have been underprivileged and sent to Woodrow Wilson for schooling. Administrators blame integration for the fact many of their “bright” students have left the district. Another issue is that the school feels that “these” kids can’t be taught. They have no respect for the school or property. Not just the administrators feel this way but some of the teachers as well. The next issue I observed was that when students entered to classroom, as Erin greeted them, they just glared at her. The students just came into the room being loud and noisy, moved their desks around to face one another grouping themselves into sections of race and talked above the teacher. Even when a fight breaks out in the classroom, Erin attempts to break it up and is unsuccessful. She has to get assistance from a security guard. Erin’s father expresses the next concern. During dinner with Erin and her husband, he does not like first of all that she is a teacher and second that she is teaching in an integrated school. He feels she is wasting her time with these students and the fact the school district could care less about the integrated students has him on...