NEXT YEAR SHE’LL BE TEACHING AT CHARLESTON ELEMENTARY, FIVE MINUTES FROM HER HOUSE. SO BEARDEN WILL ONCE AGAIN BE LOOKING FOR A NEW SECOND GRADE TEACHER. SUPERINTENDENT HOWARD HOLLINS IS DETERMINED NOT JUST TO FIND MORE GOOD TEACHERS, BUT TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE WHERE THE BEST ONES WANT TO STAY.

Hollins: Can we get better? Yes. Will we be better? I think if we can bring in some stability, and continually work towards it, yes.

IF HE CAN MANAGE THAT, HE’LL SEE A LOT MORE CHILDREN READING WELL.

Commoniece: ‘The kitchen table was set for breakfast, and the room smelled of coffee.’

Act 7 Don’t Call It a Miracle

Walton Elementary Fort Worth, Texas May

AS FIRST GRADE COMES TO A CLOSE, TAVARES IS SLOWLY BECOMING A BETTER READER. WALTON’S ON THE RISE TOO, THANKS TO SUSTAINED WORK BY PRINCIPAL BRASFIELD AND HIS TEAM. TODAY, HE’S HEADED DOWNTOWN TO PICK UP HIS OWN REPORT CARD: WALTON’S STATE TEST SCORES. HE’S CARRYING THE HOPES OF EVERYONE AT THE SCHOOL WITH HIM.

Ms. Kemp: If the scores are not good, the teachers are going to be devastated. They have worked hard. They cannot work any harder. It just is impossible.

BUT MS. KEMP IS CONFIDENT.

Ms. Kemp: I know for a fact that we are going to be recognized or exemplary. We have to be. It’s a matter of life and death. [laughs]

Mr. Brasfield: I’m back!

Ms. Kemp: Okay.

Mr. Brasfield: As James Brown says, ‘I’m back!’

Ms. Kemp: Alright!

Mr. Brasfield: Let’s see what we got.

Ms. Kemp: Gosh, my heart!

Mr. Brasfield: Do we have a drumroll, Mr. Licea. Oh, we’ve been praying all year. Let’s see what we got. Here, you mark ‘em down. Alright?

TO BECOME A RECOGNIZED SCHOOL, WALTON NEEDS AN AVERAGE OF 80% OF THE KIDS PASSING IN READING, MATH, AND WRITING.

Mr. Brasfield: Alright, third grade reading… 86%.

Ms. Kemp: Oh, God!

Mr. Brasfield: …fourth grade reading is 89%.

Mr. Licea: Oh my God.

Mr. Brasfield: Fourth grade math … uh, 91%.

Everyone screams

Audience of kids and teachers scream

WITH 86% PASSING FOURTH GRADE WRITING, AND, IN FIFTH GRADE MATH …

Ms. Kemp: 95%!

Audience goes wild

THE OUTCOME IS CLEAR.

Mr. Brasfield: We got an average of more than 80 here, more than 80 here, more than 80 here – we are recognized!

Everyone screams

Cheers

Ms. Kemp: It means to me that all kids can learn, all kids can be successful, and that I will never ever lower my standard of expectations, because I know now in my heart that it’s real. It doesn’t matter, whether you’re black and poor… And people can say it isn’t gonna happen, but see, it can, cause we did it. … So for me, I’m just fired up that – no one can move me. I’m, I’m fired up.

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Photo Credit for Bearden Elementary: Maude Schuyler Clay
Photo Credit for Walton Elementary: Chris Hamilton