The Wire-Season 4

We've been watching season 4 of The Wire, a season that deals with police work and problems in an inner city middle school in Baltimore.  It  amazes me how a television series gets what kids and teachers are going through and the people who make school policy don't.  The writers understand that good test scores don't mean kids are learning.  They understand you have to make kids like school first and to sometimes trick them into learning. They understand juking test scores is all test prep is doing.  They know removing a group of hardened, disruptive kids will help others succeed.  They know that first you must civilize and teach relevance before you can educate.  They also know that new books and computers sitting unused in a book room do nothing to enhance learning.

Of course the series in unrealistic.  A police officer turned math teacher might have the desire but not the skills to do all he has done in such a short time.  Not all teachers and school administrators are as dedicated as the teachers in this school although more are than the media leads us to believe and getting a major grant to have three adults working with ten students is probably not going to happen but the show is good.  It shows what is possible, not for all, but for some, given the right situation and support.