Introduction
The one true lesson that can be taken from the movie “Stand and Deliver” is that any people, no matter their social class, race, or ethnicity can over the disparaging remarks set against them and truly accomplish something worthwhile in their lives. The film itself acts as a microcosm of the current state of society where people coming from distinct backgrounds are assumed to be able to achieve goals only within the context of what society deems them capable of.
That people of Latin American, African American, and White trash can only achieve goals equivalent to crime, corruption, or third rate jobs in fast food establishments. The film challenges this by presenting the idea that students have within themselves the ability to go beyond societal expectations and that it is up to the teacher to help bring this to the surface, to nurture it, develop it and watch it grow to fruition.
Based on what was mentioned in chapter 7 of Ballantine’s “The Sociology of Education”, the video brings to light how expectations of students are invariably based on social and ethnic lines where individuals from different social classes are expected by various school systems to perform at different levels. Divisions are drawn, limitations are set and expectations are limited resulting in a school system that does not take into account the possibility that all students, no matter their race or social class, have it within themselves to truly learn and excel.
Video Reaction Paper
One of the factors in the film, namely poverty, is one of the aspects that would cause a student to drop out of school. While the state of poverty in question, as portrayed in the film, is not as bad as those seen in third world countries the fact remains that the necessities of survival outweigh those of proper education as such most students would opt to drop out of school to get a job to support their family.
Another factor is racial stereotyping where students are discriminated against based on their race and origins, one particular line in the movie says this best “you cannot teach to illiterates who have barely a 7th-grade education”. While I may have edited the phrase slightly, it does show how people coming from a certain community are stereotyped as not being able to achieve anything else. It is this stereotype and the lack of faith the teachers have in students that causes them to drop out of school.
In evaluating the statement “students will rise to the level of expectations” I have to say that I both agree and disagree. I will start with why I disagree; students cannot be expected to rise to the occasion if nothing is done to encourage this behavior.
The difference between Escalante and the other teachers in the movie is that he believes in his students, he encourages the development of proper attitudes towards schoolwork, and finally, he helps to teach in a manner that encourages learning. As such having students rise to the occasion is not just based on what material is provided rather it is encouraging the behavior to come to the surface. People cannot be expected to rise to the level of expectations if nothing is encouraging the rise in the first place.
As for why I agree with the statement, Escalante does make a point that students have it within themselves to be able to become better than what they are perceived to be. It is only the result of racial prejudice, class distinctions, and societal barriers that causes people to believe that some ethnicities are only at a certain level. Based on this if allowed to do so it can be expected that students, regardless of race, class, and distinction, can rise to the level of expectations set by the teacher.