James Trier
179
Teacher Education Quarterly, Spring 2010
Representations of Educationin HBO’s The Wire, Season 4
By James Trier
The WireisacrimedramathatairedforfiveseasonsontheHomeBoxOf-fice(HBO)cablechannelfrom2002-2008.TheentireseriesissetinBaltimore,Maryland,andasKinder(2008)pointsout,“EachseasonThe Wireshiftsfocustoadifferentsegmentofsociety:thedrugwars,thedocks,citypolitics,education,andthemedia”(p.52).Theseriesexplores,inLanahan’s(2008)words,
anincreasinglybrutalandcoarsesocietythroughtheprismofBaltimore,whosepostindustrialcapitalismhasdecimatedtheworking-classwageandsharplydividedthehavesandhave-nots.Thecity’sbloatedbureaucraciessustaintheinequality.Theabsenceofadecentpublic-schooleducationormeaningfulpoliticalreformleavesanunskilledunderclasstrappedbetweenarampantillegaldrugeconomyandavicious“warondrugs.”(p.24)
My main purpose in this article is to introduce season four of The Wire—the
James Trier is an associate professor in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
“education”season—toreaderswhohaveeitherneverseenanyoftheseries,orwhohaveseensomeofitbutnotseasonfour.Specifically,Iwillattempttoshowthatseasonfourholdsgreatpedagogicalpotentialforacademicsineducation.1First,though,IwillpresentexamplesofthecriticalacclaimthatThe Wirereceivedthroughoutitsrun,andIwillintroducethebackgroundsofthecreatorsandmainwritersoftheseries,DavidSimonandEdBurns.
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
180
The Wire: The Best Show on Television (Ever) The Wiredrewmuchcriticalacclaim,beingdescribedas“themostaggressivelyexperimentalprogramontelevision”(Kehr,2005);as“oneofthemostdemandingandthought-provokingseriesevertogracetelevision”(Lowry,2006);andas“amasterpiece”thatis“oneofthegreatachievementsintelevisionartistry”(Good-man,2006).ThiskindofacclaimisexemplifiedbyJacobWeisberg(2006),who,inafrequently-citedcolumn,describedThe Wireas“surelythebestTVshoweverbroadcastinAmerica,”adding:“Nootherprogramhaseverdoneanythingremotelylikewhatthisonedoes,namelytoportraythesocial,political,andeconomiclifeofanAmericancitywiththescope,observationalprecision,andmoralvisionofgreatliterature.” Weisberg’scomparisonofThe Wiretogreatliteraturederivesfromthevisionoftheseriescreator,DavidSimon,whoconceivedtheshowas“avisualnovel”(Rothkerch,2002),andthisnovelisticqualityhasbeenremarkedonbymanywhohavewrittenabouttheseries,suchasLanahan(2008),whodescribedwhatSimonwasdoingwiththeseriesasfollows:
Simonwaswritingatelevisednovel,andabigone.Innumerablesubplotscameandwent,andmaincharactersdisappearedfromtheshowforseveralepisodesatatime.Nothingeverresolveditselfinanhour,andtherewerenogoodguysorbadguys.Allwereindividualsconstrainedbytheirinstitutions,driventocompro-misebetweenconscience,greed,andambition.Facetsoftheircharactersemergedslowlyovertime.Theyspokeinthesometimes-unintelligiblevernacularsoftheirsubcultures.Allofthismadeunprecedenteddemandsonviewersandprovidedimmenserewardtothosewhostuckaround.ArighteousangeratthefailureofoursocialinstitutionsdrivesThe Wire,butthepassionateideasthatfuelitarehiddenseverallayersdown.(p.24)2
DavidSimonandEdBurnsaretheoriginatingsourcesofwhatLanahande-scribesas“righteousanger”and“passionateideas”—andthesources,too,ofthedeepknowledgeandthemultilayeredexperiencesthatmanifestthemselvesinwhatWeisberg(2006)describedastherealisticportrayalof“thesocial,political,andeconomiclifeofanAmericancity.”Simon—theshow’screator,producer,andchiefwriter—grewupinWashington,D.C.,attendedtheUniversityofMaryland,andbecameacrimereporterfortheBaltimore Sun,whereheworkedfrom1983until1995.Intheearly1980s,SimonmetEdBurns,whowouldeventuallybecomehismaincollaboratoronvariousprojects.Burns,anativeofBaltimore,servedinVietNamand,uponreturningfromthewar,attendedLoyolaCollegeinBaltimoreandearnedadegreeinhistory(withaminorinphilosophy).Upongraduating,BurnsjoinedtheBaltimorepoliceforcein1971andbecameahomicidedetective,aswellasoneofSimon’smainsourcesinSimon’sreportingofcrimeinBaltimore. In1991,Simonpublishedhisfirstbook,Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets,which became the basis for the television crime seriesHomicide (1993-1999),andforwhichSimonwasoneofthewriters.Alsoin1991,EdBurnsretiredfrom
James Trier
181
thepolicedepartmentafter20years,andSimonapproachedBurns,accordingtoWilson(2008),“withanideathatwouldprobablyrepulsemostretireddetectives:spendingayearonthestreetsofadrug-infestedghetto,chroniclingthelivesoftheusersandthedealers—theverypeopleheusedtolockup—forabookthatbecameThe Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhoodin1997.”(HBOsubsequentlyadaptedthebookintoamini-seriesin2000.)AfterfinishingtheresearchforThe Corner,Simon(whowasonaleaveofabsencefromtheSuntoworkonThe Corner)eventually(andbitterly)tookabuyoutfromthenewspaperaspartofthepaper’sdownsizing.AndBurnsthenbecameateacher,spendingfouryearsteachinggeographyinamiddleschoolinBaltimore,andanotherthreeyearsasahighschoolteacherinamagnetschool.Eventually,SimoncameknockingagainonBurns’door,andthetwoconceptualizedtheseriesThe Wire,forwhichtheyservedasthemainco-writersduringallfiveseasons.(AfterThe Wireended,thetwoalsocollaboratedontheHBOmini-seriesGeneration Kill.)3 NowthatIhavepresentedexamplesofthecriticalacclaimthatThe WirehasdrawnanddescribedthebackgroundsofSimonandBurns,IwillexplainwhyIthinkseasonfouroftheseriesholdsgreatpedagogicalpotentialforacademicsineducation.Todothis,Iamimaginingapedagogicalscenarioinwhichallofseasonfourwouldbearequired“text”foracourse.4AnessentialpointthatIneedtomakeclearisthatinthisarticle,Iwillnotdivulgeanyfatal“spoilers”—i.e.,informationthatrevealshowstorylinesendandwhatultimatelyhappenstothemaincharacters.MyreasonfordoingthisisthatIamimaginingreaderswhoarelikemewhenitcomesto theirviewingpleasures.IamahardcorepuristwhovigilantlyguardsagainstbeingexposedtospoilersoffilmsortelevisionprogramsthatIplantosee.So,ifIhadneverseenThe Wireandcameacrossanarticlethatincludedspoilers,IwouldnothavereadituntilafterIhadviewedallfiveseasonsoftheseries.Ididnotwanttocreatethatverysituationwithpotentialreadersofthisarticle.
The Wire as a Required Text for a Course Inthisscenario,perhapsthecourseisan“IntroductiontoSchooling”course,ora“FoundationsofEducation”course,oramethodscourse(allwithinateachereducationprogram).Whatmattersisnotthetypeofimaginedcourse,butthefactthatseasonfourofThe Wirewouldbeassignedasarequiredtext.Inotherwords,Iwillnotbeconceptualizingthecurricularmake-upofthewholecourse.Rather,Iwillbediscussingafewpedagogicalpossibilitiesifseasonfourbecamearequiredtext,withoneepisodeassignedforviewingeachweekthroughoutthecourse.(Sothe13hoursofcontentfromseasonfourwouldfitperfectlyintoatypical15-weeksemestercourse.) Iwanttoacknowledgethatassigninganepisodeeachweekmightseemlikeapedagogicaldecisionthattakespreciousseminartimeawayfromaddressing“thebasics”ofatypicaleducationcourse,includingstatecredentialingrequirements.
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
182
ThatiswhyIwouldassigntheepisodestobeviewedoutsideofseminar.EithereachstudentwouldbuytheboxsetofDVDsforseasonfourtoviewtheepisodesonhisorherown,orstudentscouldformgroupsforviewingtheepisodes.Theboxsetcostsaboutthesameasarequiredtextforacourse,andthetimetoviewanepisodewouldtakeaboutthesametime(maybeless)tocloselyreadadenseacademicarticle.IwouldaddthatviewingamediatextsuchasThe Wirewouldalmostcertainlybeahighlyengagingexperienceforstudents.Also,thepedagogi-caldecisiontotakeupamediatextasaserioustextthatisequalinimportancetoacademicprinttextsenactsacentralculturalstudiespracticeofchallengingthedistinctionmadebetween“high”and“low”texts,sothatthe“low”textofpopularcultureistreatedasbeingasimportantasthe“high”textofacademicprintread-ings(seeFiske,1987,1989a,1989b).Mostimportant,though,isthatseasonfourofThe Wirecancreatepedagogicalopportunitiestoaddressmanyof“thebasics”ofaneducationcourse,asIhopetoshowintherestofthisarticle. Oneobviousmajoreffectoftakinguptheentiretyofseasonfouristhatallofthemainstorylinescanbefullyanalyzedfrombeginningtoend.Theothermajoreffectisthatthemanyinterconnections,intersections,andcollisionsbetweentheeducational,political,social,legal,and“streets/corner”storylinescanbemade.Givenmymainpurposeinthisarticle,Iwillgointomoredetailaboutthetwoeducationalstorylinesandfollowupwithbriefersummariesofandarticulationswithsomeothermainstorylines.Specifically, in thesectionsthatfollow,Iwillcombinepartialdiscussionsofthestorylineswithoneormoresuggestionsforhowthestorylinescanbepedagogicallyengaged.
Prez and the “Stations of the Cross” OnemaineducationstorylineofseasonfourinvolvesaformerpolicedetectivenamedRolandPryzbylewski,knowntoeveryoneasPrez.ThecharacterofPrez(whoisWhite)reachesbacktoseasonone,whenherevealedhimself(duringthefirstthreeseasons)onmanyoccasionstobetotallyill-suited(evenadangertohim-selfandothers)asastreetdetective.Attheendofseasonthree,Prezhadresignedfromthepoliceforce,butinseasonfourPrezresurfacesinthefirstepisode(“BoysofSummer”)whenhegoestoTilghmanMiddleSchoolonBaltimore’swestside,wherehemeetswithPrincipalClaudellWithers(AfricanAmerican)andAssistantPrincipalMarciaDonnelly(White).Prezexplainsthathehasatemporaryteacher’slicense,thatheisamathteacher,andthatheusedtobeaBaltimorepoliceofficer.Heishiredonthespot,whichbeginshisteachingcareer. NearlyallofthestudentsatTilghmanMiddleSchoolareAfricanAmericans,anda storyline involvinganewWhite teacher seemson thesurfaceas thoughThe Wiremightpresentthekindof“teachersavior”narrativetoldinsuchfilmsasBlackboard Jungle,To Sir with Love,Dangerous Minds,Lean on Me,Stand and Deliver,Freedom Writers,andThe Ron Clark Story.JamesHynes(2006),inan
James Trier
183
articleaboutThe Wire,offeredthisdescriptionofthebasicstorylineofmostteachersaviormovies:
WeallknowtheStationsoftheCrossfortheinspirational-teacherfilmbynow:[1]thenaiveyoungteacher’sdisastrousfirstclass[Up the Down Staircase]5;[2]thestaffmeetingthatdevolvesintoabitchsessionaboutunrulystudents,pointlesspaperworkandtheidioticdirectivesoftheadministration[Teachers];[3]theembit-teredveteranteachercondescendingtotheidealisticrookieintheteacher’slounge[Freedom Writers];[4]aclimacticconfrontationthateitherthreatensviolenceordeliversit[Blackboard Jungle];[5]andafinal,tear-jerkingmomentofredemptionas[6]theteach[er]finallyreachesthekids[Dangerous Minds].
Hynesthenobserves:“SomeofthesemomentsshowupeveninThe Wire,”andthisistrue. Forexample,inepisodetwo(“SoftEyes”),Prezattendsafacultyorientation“thatdevolvesintoabitchsession”(cliché2).6ThefacultymeetingisledbyacheerywomangivingaPowerPointpresentationabouttheacronym“IALAC”(“IAmLoveableandCapable”),whichthepresenterhas theteacherssayaloudinunison.Shiftingfromthishokeyself-affirmationtheme,thepresenteraddressesdisciplineissues,observing:“Anotherhotzoneintheclassroomisthepencilsharp-ener,wherechildrentendtocongregate.”TheorientationistotallyirrelevanttothegrittyrealitiesofteachingatTilghmanMiddleSchool,andtheteachersrebelbymockingthepresenteranddisruptingtheorientationasthecamerafocusescloselyonPrez,whohasthelookofsomeonesuddenlybewilderedastojustwhathehasgottenhimselfinto. Inanotherscene(alsoinepisodetwo),fourfemaleveteranteachersschool“theidealisticrookie”Prezintheteachers’lounge(cliché3).Theyexplainthenecessityofenforcingthesameclassrules:double-spacepapers,usethesameheadingonallpapers,keepthewindowsclosed,andtellstudentsexactlywhattodo.Atonepoint,Prezasksiftheycanagreetonothavekidschewgum,whichmakestheveteranssmileathisnaivety.Theteamleader,Mrs.Sampson,thenadvisesPrez:“There’salottolearn,butfornow,buildinlotsofactivitiesinyourlessonplans.Youcan’thaveenough.Youkeepthembusy,youkeepthemoffguard.”Astheveteranteachersleaveforclass,onetellsPrez,“Youneedsofteyes,”whichPrezdoesn’tunderstand(itmeanstoacquireanunderstandingofthebigpicture). In episode three (“HomeRooms”),wewitness “thenaïveyoung teacher’sdisastrousfirstclass”(cliché1)—actuallyweseePrez’sdisastrousfirstdaysofteaching.Duringhomeroom,astudentnamedRandystealsPrez’shallpasses,andPrezgiveslunchticketstothewrongstudents.PrezonlygetsthelunchticketsbackwhenMrs.Sampsonintervenes.Then,duringPrez’sfirstperiod,wesee“aconfron-tation...thatthreatensviolence”whenPrez’slessonisdisruptedbytwogirlswhoalmostcometoblows.Prezcan’tstoptheconfrontation,whichisdiffusedonlywhenMrs.Sampson(again)appears.Studentsimmediatelyquietdownandreturntotheirseats.Andthenextday(sameepisode),theconfrontationthatthreatened
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
184
violencebecomesviolencedelivered(cliché4)whenoneoftheconfrontationalgirlssuddenlylungesattheother,slashingherfacewitharazor,causinghertofalltothefloorasbloodstreamsfromthewound.Amidthechaos,Prezisstunnedandparalyzed,andMrs.Sampsonagainarrivestohandlethesituation,physicallysubduingthegirlwiththerazor,commandingastudentdowntotheofficetocall911,andtellingeveryonetogetintheirseats. Thenextday(episodefour,“Refugees”),thedisastrousbeginningsofPrez’sfirstdaysofteachingcontinue(cliché4).WhenPrezattemptstotalktostudentsabouttheviolentincident,onestudentinterruptsbysayingheheardarumorthatPrezwasapoliceofficer,whichbreedsmanyshoutedquestions, includingonefromastudentnamedNamond:“Yo,Mr.P.,youeverbeenshot,like”—Namondthensimulatesbeingshotandfallstothefloorasotherboysgatheraroundhimandsimulatekickingandshootinghim.AsPrezrushesovertotheboys,Randy(mentionedabove)slipsoutoftheclassroom.Andinepisodefive(“Alliances”),Prezattemptstoestablishasetofrules,butNamondatonepointmouthsoff,whichcausesPreztogivehimadetention,whichNamondrespondstobygettingoutofhisseatandyelling,“Fuckyou,Prezbo!”PrezordersNamondoutoftheroom,andthoughNamondleaves,hefiresoffthispartingshottoPrez:“Getyourpolicestickoutyourdeskandbeatme.Youknowyoufuckingwantto.” ThesedescriptionsofselectedscenesfromthefirstfiveepisodesrevealthatthePrezstorylinesharesmostoftheclichésthatHynes(2006)describedasmakingupthebasicplotofteachersaviorfilms;andinepisodessix(“MarginofError”)andseven(“UntoOthers”),wealsoseePrezlivinguptoanotherclichéwhenhe“finallyreachesthekids,”gainingtheirtrustandrespect(cliché6).
Pedagogical Suggestions Atthispoint,IwanttosuggestthatoneanalysisthatstudentsinaneducationcoursecanundertakeconcerningthePrezstorylineistoexamineitaccordingtotheclichés(the“stations”or“moments”)thatHynes(2006)identifiesintheabovepassage.Isuggestthreerelatedactivitiesthatwouldtakeplaceafterstudentshaveviewedthefirstfiveepisodesoftheseason.7 Forthefirstactivity,studentswouldbegivenHynes’spassageaboutthe“Sta-tionsoftheCross”andaskedtodiscusswhichclichésthePrezstorylinehasliveduptointhefirstfiveepisodes(theyarelikelytobeabletoeasilyrecognizetheclichésIhavedescribedabove). Thesecondactivitywouldbetohavestudentsformsmallgroupsforthepurposeofviewingandanalyzing(asanassignment)someoftheteachersavior/herofilmsmentionedabove(Freedom Writers,Dangerous Minds,etc.).Hynes’s“StationsoftheCross”passagecouldserveasacriticallensforstructuringthegroups’analyses.Thegroupswouldthenpresenttheiranalysesoftheteachersaviorfilmstotherestoftheclassduringaseminar,showingselectedscenesfeaturingtheclichésinthefilms.Theoverallpurposeofthisactivitywouldbeforstudentstobecomefamiliar
James Trier
185
withtheclichésoftheteachersaviorfilmsastheyhaveplayedoutinschoolfilmsovermanydecades,whichwouldsetupthenextactivity. The third activity would be to have students analyze the rest of the Prezstorylinetodiscoverifitmirrorsandreinscribestheteachersaviornarrativeallthewaythrough,byculminatingin“afinal,tear-jerkingmomentofredemption”(cliché5,whichisthecentralclichéofthemall)—orifitdepartsfromthatcentralcliché,andifso,inwhatwaysitdoesso.BecauseIhaveconceptualizedincorpo-ratingseasonfourofThe Wireintoaneducationcoursewithinateachereducationprogram,preserviceteacherscanbeaskedtoarticulatetheirreactionstohowthePrezstorylineplaysoutintheend.Sucharticulationscanthenbecomevaluablediscussionmaterialduringseminars.Forexample,ifthestorylinereinscribestheteachersaviornarrative,doesitdosoinamore(arguably)realisticwaythanthetypical teacher saviorfilm?Conversely, if the storylinedepartsor subverts theteachersaviormyth,whateffects(positive?negative?abitofboth?)doessuchacounter-narrativehaveonpreserviceteachers? Theseactivities(relatedtotheteachersaviornarrative)areadmittedlyonlyafewofanynumberofothersthatcanbeconceptualizedaboutthePrezstoryline.Asreaderswilldiscoverwhentheyviewseasonfour,thePrezstorylinealsooffersrepresentationsrelatedtogenderandrace,includingPrez’srelationtotheveteranfemaleteachersofcolor(particularlyMrs.Sampson,averystrongpedagogicalfigure); representationsrelated to teacher-administratorpowerdynamics,whichoccur between Prez and his most immediate administrative superior,AssistantPrincipalMarciaDonnelly;representationsrelatedtosystemicinstitutionalpres-sures(asIdiscussbelow);andmanyothers.IamcertainthatreaderswillbeabletoconceptualizepowerfulpedagogicalactivitiesandprojectsrelatedtotheseandotherrepresentationsofferedbythePrezstoryline.
“Bunny” Colvin, Parenti,
and the Experimental Pilot Program AnothermaineducationstorylineconcernsDr.DavidParenti,aprofessorofsociologyattheUniversityofMaryland,andretiredpolicemajorHoward“Bunny”Colvin.Parentihasagranttostudyviolentoffenders,andheneedsafieldresearcherwhocanhelphimfindsubjectsonthestreetstointerviewandobserve,withthegoalofdevelopinganinterventionprogramforthesesubjects.AfriendofBunnyColvin’spersuadeshimtomeetwithParentiaboutbeingthefieldresearcher.Atfirst,ColvinisskepticalbecauseParentiwantssubjectsbetween18to21yearsold,whichColvinknowsistoooldbecausementhatagearealreadytoofarinto“thegame”foranyinterventionstrategies.Despitehisreservations,though,Col-vinagreestoworkwithParentiandiseventuallyabletoshowhimthatthebestpopulationtoworkwithiskidsofmiddleschoolage.Asitturnsout,thenarrativesteersthemtoTilghmanMiddleSchool,wheretheyaregivenpermissiontodesign
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
186
anexperimentaleducationalprogramforstudentswhoareespeciallydisruptivebehavioralproblemsintheirclasses.Sothiseducationstorylineconcernshowthepilotprogramdevelopsthroughouttheseason.
A Hamsterdam for Tilghman? ThefirststageofthepilotprojectinvolvesColvindoingsomeobservationalresearchbysittinginonclassesandwalkingthehalls(episodefour,“Refugees”).Inanimportantscenesetintheteachers’lounge(episodefive,“Alliances”),ColvinexplainstoDr.ParentiandMrs.Sampsonwhathisobservationshavetaughthimabouttheschool,aswellashisideaforthepilotprogram:
Colvin:Seemstometherearetwokindsofkidswalkinginthisbuilding:stoopkids,cornerkids.
Parenti:Excuseme?
Colvin:Well,stoopkids.They’retheonesthatstayonthefrontstepswhentheirparentstellthem.Theothersgodowntothecorners.
Mrs. Sampson:Theycan’tsitstillintheclass.Theotherscan,anddo.
Colvin:So,weseparatethetwo.
Parenti:That’stracking.
Colvin:Excuseme?
Parenti:Trackingstudents—it’sanastyphraseineducationalcircles.It,itreferstothegroupingofchildrenbasedonexpectedperformance—
Colvin:Wellwhat’swrongwithit?
Mrs. Sampson:Itsaysyouhavereducedexpectationsforcertainstudents,thatyouexpectlessfromthemacademically.
Colvin:Soyoupretendtoteachallthesekids,andtruthisyouain’tteachinganyofthem.Butwhatifthestoopkidscouldbeinclassroomswheretherewasnodisruptions?
Parenti:Andthecornerkids?
Colvin:Imeanthey’retheonesyou’reafter,right?Imeanthat’swhyyougotthegrantmoney?
Mrs. Sampson:As long as this doesn’t involvewarehousing children, I’m foranythingthatallowsmetodomyjob.Everyteacherherewilltellyouthesame.Thetrickforyouistocomeupwithaprogramthatactuallyaddressesitselftothecornerkids.
Parenti:Idon’tknow—ifwestartpullingkidsoutofregularclasses,won’ttheybestigmatized?
Colvin:It’snotastigmabeingbootedoutofclasseveryotherday?
James Trier
187
Parenti:Questionis,howdoweidentifythecornerkids?
Mrs. Sampson:Thatwon’tbeaproblem.
Parenti:Ok.
SoonafterthisscenecomestheoneinwhichPrezkicksNamondoutofclass.Inthatscene,Namondleavestheclassroomangrily,andColvin,Parenti,andMrs.Sampsonhappentobeinthehallway.NamondsnapsatParenti,“Whatthefuckyoulookin’at,bitch?”andColvinremarksthathethinkstheyhavefoundoneofthecornerkidsfortheirprogram. With the program conceptualized and permission received from PrincipalWithers,ColvinandParentirelyonMrs.Sampsontoidentifythemostdisruptiveeighth-gradestudentsaspossiblecandidatesfortheprogram.Mrs.Sampsongetsinputfromtheteachers,whichgeneratesalistofaboutfortystudents,fromwhichsherecommends ten tostartwith(seeepisodefive,“Alliances”). Inaseriesofscenes(episodesix,“MarginofError”),AssistantPrincipalDonnellyentersdif-ferentclassroomsandremovesthetenstudents;amongthemarethreefromPrez’sclass:agirlnamedZenobia,aboynamedDarnell,andNamond(itisimportanttonotethatPrezwasunawarethatanyofhisstudentswouldbecomepartofthepilotprogram—thedecisionwasmadebyothers).
Pedagogical Suggestions Onesuggestionforengagingstudentsinanalyzingthesegmentofthestory-linedescribedaboveistointroduceanimportantfactaboutColvin’sbackgroundasapoliceofficer.Thesubtitleoftheabovesection—“AHamsterdamforTilgh-man?”—alludes to season threeofThe Wire.WhenColvinwasapolicemajorwiththeBaltimorepolice,heconductedaradicalexperimentthatBowden(2008)describesasfollows:
Inoneoftheshow’smostinterestingsetpieces,aremarkablepolicemajor,“Bunny”Colvin,frustratedbytheabsurdityofthecity’suselessdrugwar,conductsanovelexperiment.Withouttheknowledgeofhissuperiors,heeffectivelylegalizesdrugsinWestBaltimore,creatingamini-Amsterdam,dubbed“Hamsterdam,”whereallofthecornerdealersareallowedtosetupshop.Byconsolidatingdrugdealing,whichheknowshecannotstopanyway,Colvineliminatesthedailyturfbattlesthatdriveupthemurderratesanddramaticallyimproveslifeinmostofhisdistrict.Calmreturnstoterrorizedneighborhoods,andhispatrolmen,freedfromtheircarsandtheendlesspursuitofdrug-dealingcornerboys,returntorealpolicework,walkingbeats,gettingtoknowthepeopletheyserve.(p.52)
Colvinendedupbeingforcedtoretirewhentheleadershipofthepolicedepart-mentlearnedofhisexperiment(so,likePrez,heisaformercopwhoresurfacesinseasonfourasaneducatoratTilghmanMiddleSchool). OnepedagogicalsuggestionconcerningtheabovequotedpassagewouldbetoaskstudentstodrawbothcomparisonsandcontrastsbetweenColvin’s“Ham-
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
188
sterdam”experimentandwhatheisproposingtoDr.ParentiaboutseparatingthestoopkidsfromthecornerkidsatTilghman.Forexample,inonesense,thedrugusersanddealersinthe“Hamsterdam”experimentwere“warehoused”—touseMrs.Sampson’sterm—withinaconfinedarea,whichgivesrisetothequestions,“WillthestudentsatTilghmanendupbeingwarehousedandwrittenoffasaresultofColvinandParenti’sexperimentalpilotprogram?”Oristheprogramdesignedtoactuallyengagethestudentsinpositive,productiveways—i.e.,waysnotattemptedwiththedrugusersanddealersinthe‘Hamsterdam’experiment?” Onemorepedagogicalideawouldbetointroducestudentsatthispointtothediscourseabouttrackinginpublicschools,perhapsbyassigningstillquiterelevantarticlesbyOakes(1987,1992)abouttrackingandbySlavinandMadden(1989)andSlavin,Madden,Karweit,Livermon,andDalton(1990)aboutat-riskstudents.OtherrelevantpossibilitiesincludearticlesbyFutrellandGomez(2008),Heubert(2003),andSchweiker-MarraandPula(2005).Thesereadingscanhelpframeanactivityinwhichstudentscanbeaskedtocriticallyevaluatewhetherornotthepilotprogramhassomethingaboutitthatdoesnotfitintothedescriptionsoftracking.Thesequestionsmightwork:Isthepilotprogramreallytracking,orisitsomethingelse?Ifsomethingelse,whatisit? OnemoreveryimportantquestiontoposeconcernswhateffectstheremovalofthethreestudentsfromPrez’sclassproducesontheclassatmosphereandonPrez’steaching.
Getting Ready for Gen Pop Inepisodesix(“MarginofError”),weseeeightboysandtwogirlsofthepilotprogramintheroomthattheywillstayineveryday.Apoliceofficerstandsatthedoorway. In the roomareColvin,Parenti,asocialworkernamedMissMason,andtheteacher,namedMs.Duquette,whoisadoctoralstudentinthePsychologyDepartmentattheUniversityofMaryland.Throughoutthestoryline,Ms.Duquetteremainsabsolutelycalmandincontrol. Mrs.Sampsontellsthestudentstheyhavebeenidentifiedashaving“proventimeandagain”thatthey“arenotreadyforaregularclassroom.”Sheexplainsfurtherthatthisisamandatoryprogram,andthatthesmallclasssizeandspecialcurriculumhavethepotentialtopreparethemtobecomereadytoreturntotheregularclasses.Tothis,Namondobserves:“Readyforgenpop.Thisisprison,yo.Andweinsolitaryandshit.” Inepisodeseven(“UntoOthers”),weseethefirstdayofteaching,whichis(likePrez’swas)apredictablyrockyone.Namondactsout,throwingachair,hop-ingtogetsuspended,onlytolearnthatnobodygetssuspended.Instead,disruptivestudentsaretakentoatime-outroomwithMissMason,Colvin,andapoliceofficer.ThisiswhathappenstoNamond,whoatfirstisdefiantbuteventuallyreturnstothepilotclassroomwhenherealizeshewon’tbesuspended. Despitetheraucousbeginning,oncestudentsseethatthereisnowayoutof
James Trier
189
theprogram,theybegintocooperate,thoughtheycontinuetouseprofanityandgetangrythroughoutthestoryline.Whatcausesasubstantivechange,however,isthatColvinrealizesthatthestudentshavetobeengagedinwaysmeaningfultotheirlivesonthestreets,andformostoftheboys,thatmeanslivesascornerboys.Soinanimportantsceneinepisodeeight(“CornerBoys”),weseeColvinask,“Whatmakesagoodcornerboy?”Immediately,thestudentsanswerinrapidsuccession:“Keepyoureyesopen”;“Keepthecountstraight”;“Don’ttrustnobody”;andmore.Inanotherscene(dayslater,itseems),Colvincontinuesengagingstudentsintalk-ingaboutthelogicofthecorner,thoughnowstudentsaretakingturnsandexpresswell-articulated insights into themachinationsofworkingacorner.Eventually,Colvinhasthestudentsgetintosmallergroupsandwriteuptherulesofbeingagoodcornerboy.Aftertheclass,Ms.DuquettetellsColvinandParentithatshe’sneverseensuchanimated,focuseddiscussionsbeforeinaclassroom. Asthestorylineplaysout,ColvinandMs.Duquettecontinuetogetstudentstoworktogetheringroups.Forexample,inepisodenine(“KnowYourPlace”),smallgroupsareformedandchargedwiththetaskofbuildingatoweroutoferectorsetpieces,withoutanydirectionsprovided.Namond,Zenobia,andDarnellwin,andtheprizeisthatColvintakesthemtoaRuth’sChrisrestaurant.Bythispoint,mostofthestudentshaveshownmarkedimprovementintheirclassroombehavior.However,thenightoutatdinnerdoesn’tgowell.Thestudentsareoverwhelmedbytheforeignexperienceofdininginsuchanupscalerestaurant,andbytheendofthenighttheyareonceagaininsultingoneanotherandnotgettingalong.Inasubsequentscene,thebadexperienceattherestauranthasbecomethebasisforarole-modelingexerciseinwhichoneboyplaysthewaiterandtheotheracustomer,withtheotherstudentslookingon.
Pedagogical Suggestion Alongwithansweringthequestions(posedabove)relatedtotracking,at-riskinterventions,andwarehousing,anotherrelatedactivitytoengagestudentswiththisstorylinewouldbetohavestudentsanalyzeitforitspowerfulrepresentationsofculturallyrelevantteaching.IspecificallysuggesthavingstudentsreadarticlesbyLadson-Billings(1992,1995)andthenanalyzingthestorylineforhow,inLadson-Billings’s(1992)words,theteachersengagethestudentsin“thekindofteachingthatisdesignednotmerelytofittheschoolculturetothestudents’culturebutalsotousestudentcultureasthebasisforhelpingstudentsunderstandthemselvesandothers,structureinteractions,andconceptualizeknowledge”(p.314).Whatstudentculture,exactly,hasColvintappedintothatpullsthestudentsintothedialogue?
No Child Left Behind:
“It’s a national crime, and we’ll pay for it” Asmentionedearlier,writerEdBurnstaughtforyearsinBaltimorepublic
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
190
schools,andinaninterviewwiththemagazineInstructor(2007),Burnsexpressedwhathis experience taughthim:“Education isourbiggest failureas a society.Theinequalityinoursystemdisadvantagesmillionsofpeople.Itbordersonthecriminal.”Burnselsewherealso singledoutwhathe thinks is among themainreasonsforthedirestateofeducation;whentheDVD’s“Commentary”featureisplayedforepisodeone(“BoysofSummer”)ofthefourthseason,wehearBurnsremark(neartheend)abouttheNoChildLeftBehindAct(NCLB),saying,“It’sanationalcrime,andwe’llpayforit.”8SeriescreatorDavidSimonalsosaysthatdoingtheseasononeducationlefthim“furious”overNCLB.Sojustastheydidinthepreviousseasons,SimonandBurnsbuiltasystemiccritiqueintoaseason,thistimeofthesocialinstitutionofeducation.Specifically,thecritiquerevolvesaroundthestandardizedtestsnecessitatedbyNCLB.
“Juking the stats” The issue of standardized testing first surfaces in the Prez storyline in animportantsceneinepisodeeight(“CornerBoys”).AfterPrezexperiencessuccessteaching“offthecurriculum”byteachingprobabilitiesthroughdice(episodeseven,“UntoOthers”),hefindstheofficialmathcurriculum,whichistiedtothestatestandardizedtests,toodryandprescribed.Inthekeyscene,Prezcomplainsintheteachers’loungetothesamefourveteranteacherswhoearlierhadschooledhimaboutclassrules.Atonepoint,thisdialoguetakesplace:
Mrs. Scott:Thethingis,it’syourcurriculum,andyouhavetosticktoit.
Prez:Ican’t.It’sabsurd.
Mrs. Scott:Youhaveto.ThattestinAprilisthedifferencebetweenthestatetakingovertheschoolornot.9
Prez:Maybethestateshould.
Mrs. Shapiro:Look,youdon’tteachmath,youteachthetest.NorthAvenueisallabouttheLeaveNoChildBehindstuffgettingspoon-fed.
Prez:Andwhatdotheylearn?
Mrs. Sampson: Find some middle ground. Everyday, try to do a little for thestatewide,andkeepaunitproblemontheblackboard,forDonnelly,youknow,ifshecomestovisit,shethinksyou’reonpoint.Therestofthetime,dowhatyoufeellikeyouneedtodo.
Mrs. Scott:Butbecareful.You’restillonthefarsideofyourevaluation.
Prez:Yeah.
Anotherteacher(whohadgivenhimthe“softeyes”advice)tellshim,“Thefirstyearisn’taboutthekids.It’saboutyousurviving.” Inanotherkeysceneinepisodenine(“KnowYourPlace”),AssistantPrincipal
James Trier
191
Donnellytellsteachersduringafacultymeetingthatforthenextsixweeks,theymustallteachlanguageartstest-preparationskills,nomatterwhattheirsubjectareasare.Infact,theyaretoteachtheveryquestionsthatwillbeaskedonthetest.Theteachersgrumble,andPrezandMrs.Sampsonhavethisconversation:
Prez: I don’t get it.All this so that we score higher on the state tests? [Mrs.Sampsonnodsyes.]Ifwe’reteachingthekidsthetestquestions,whatisitwe’reassessinginthat?
Mrs. Sampson:Nothing.Itassessesnothing.Thetestscoresgoup,theycansaytheschoolsareimproving.Thetestscoresstaydown,theycan’t.
Prez:Jukingthestats.
Mrs. Sampson:Excuseme?
Prez [Referring to his police experience]:Makingrobberiesintolarcenies,makingrapesdisappear.Youjukethestats,andmajorsbecomecolonels.
Alsoinepisodenine,weseePrezleadinghislistless,uninterestedstudentsthroughatest-prepstrategy,andthenlaterintheteachers’loungeheventstoMrs.Sampson,saying:“TohellwithDonnellyandtohellwiththeirstatewidetestscores.Icameheretoteach,right?”Mrs.Sampsonoffersanempatheticsmile.
Pedagogical Suggestions Mostpreserviceteachersatsomepoint,mostlikelyduringtheirstudentteach-ing,comefacetofacewiththerealitiesofend-of-yeartesting.Inmyexperience,Ihavehadmentorteacherstakecoursesbackearlyfromthestudentteachersduringstudentteachingbecausethey(thementors)neededtodothetestpreplessonstoensurethebestpossiblescores.Sooneinquirythatstudentscouldbeengagedinwouldbetokeepajournalofhowthediscourseofstandardizedtestingplaysoutforthemduringtheirstudentteaching.Whatdotheylearnfromtheirmentorteachersandotherteachersabouttheirexperiencesandwaysofdealingwithstandardizedtesting?DostudentshearechoesofMrs.Sampson’sadvicetoPrezaboutfindingsome“middleground,”andifso,whatdoesthat“middleground”looklike? AnotherwaytoengagestudentsinthediscourseaboutstandardizedtestingandNCLBwouldbetoassignthebook(orselectedchapters)titledMany Children Left Behind(Meier,et.al.,2004),whichwouldhelpinformstudentsaboutthewidernationaldebatethathasbeengoingonforyearsaboutNCLB.
“We can’t lie. Not to them.” TheissueofstandardizedtestingandNCLBenters intotheColvin/Parentistorylineinepisodeten(“Misgivings”),whenDonnellycallsColvinandParentifromthepilotclassroomtotellthemthattheymustbeginpreparingtheirstudentsforthestatestandardizedtests.ShealsotellsthemthattheAreaSuperintendent,Mrs.Conway,wantstomeetwiththem.Duringthatmeeting,Parentiarguesthat
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
192
thestudentsaren’tgoingtobeabletositthroughtest-preplessons,towhichMrs.Conwayasks,“So,we’rewritingthemoff?”SheaddsthatColvinandParentidonotseemtobeeducatingthestudentsbutrathersocializingthem.Parentigetsangryatthis,butColvintriestoexplainthesituationtoher:
Whenyouputatextbookinfrontofthesekids,putaproblemontheblackboardorteachthemaboutproblemsonastatewidetest,itwon’tmatter.Noneofit.Cuzthey’renotlearningforourworld.They’relearningfortheirs.Andtheyknowexactlywhatitisthey’retrainingfor,andwhatitiseveryoneexpectsthemtobe.
Mrs.Conwayinterjects,statingemphatically,“Iexpectthemtobestudents.”Colvincontinueshisexplanation:
Butit’snotaboutyouorus,orthetest,orthesystem.It’swhattheyexpectofthemselves. I mean, every single one of them know they headed back to thecorners.Theirbrothersandsisters—shit,theirparents—theycamethroughthesesameclassrooms,didn’tthey?Wepretendedtoteachthem,andtheypretendedtolearn,nowwheretheyendup?Samedamncorners.Imean,they’renotfools,thesekids.Theydon’tknowourworld,buttheyknowtheirown.Imean,Jesus,theyseerightthroughus....Wecan’tlie.Nottothem.
Mrs.Conwayreluctantlyagreestolettheprogramcontinue,thoughsheintendstokeepacloseeyeontheprogram.WhenMrs.Conwayvisitstheclassroom,Chan-draandZenobiaarerole-playingascenariothatChandratakestoofarbyslappingZenobia,whointurnshovesMissMason(thecounselor)tothefloorwhenshetriestointervene.Inameetinglater,Mrs.Conwayisangry,sayingwhatshesawwasdefinitelynoteducation—nordidthestudentsseemverysocialized.Sheaskshowmanyofthetenstudentsmightbeabletorejoinregularclasses,andisnotimpressedtohearthatmaybethree,atbest.WhensheasksDonnellyandWithersfortheirviews,bothsupportthepilotprogram.MissMason,however,disagrees(seemingtobelookingforsomepoliticalgainwithMrs.Conway),sayingsomeofthestudents“areprofoundlydamaged,”andshepronouncestheprogram“flawed.”
Pedagogical Suggestions OneactivityIsuggestatthispointwouldbetoshowstudentstheHBO(2007)documentarytitledHard Times at Douglass High: A No Child Left Behind Report Card,whichtheycouldsubsequentlyanalyzefora“realworld”representationofacritiqueofNCLBthatmirrorstheoneofferedinThe Wire.TheDVDboxcoverconveysasenseofwhatitisaboutthroughthisdescription:
TheNoChildLeftBehindActwascreatedtoboostacademiclevelsofAmericanstudentsbysettingstandardizedgoalsacrossthenation—andholdingstates,dis-tricts,andschoolsaccountableforperformance.Forurbanschoolsinhigh-povertyareas,reachingthesegoalsisadauntingtask,andmanynowfacethepossibilityofbeingtakenoverbythestate—evenbeingshutdown.AtFrederickDouglassHighSchoolinBaltimore,MD,theexpectationsraisedbyNCLBhavereacheda
James Trier
193
criticalpoint.[Thefilmmakers]offerayearlonglookinsideastoriedinstitutionatatimewhenitsveryexistenceisindoubt.Fromcautionaryprofilestotrium-phanttales,Hard Times at Douglass Highservesasareminderthateducationisinevitablyanachievementofpeople,notpolicy.
AnotherHBOdocumentarythatstudentscouldviewaspartofthisactivityisI Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary(1993).Together,thesedocu-mentariesprovidepowerful,informativecritiquesofstandardizedtestingandthetravestyofunderfundingofurbanschoolsinAmerica.
Situating the School within the Political Storyline Atthebeginningofthisarticle,IstatedthatIwouldgointomoredetailaboutthemaineducationstorylines,andthatIwouldalsoprovidebrieferdiscussionsofothermainstorylines,whichiswhatthisandthenextsectionsareabout. Oneotherimportantstorylineofseasonfouristhepoliticalstoryline,whichbeganinseasonthree.ThisstorylineconcernstheraceformayorofBaltimore.Thetwo-termincumbentisMayorClarenceRoyce,apopularBlackpoliticalfigurewho,whentheracebegan,expectedtowineasilyagainsthismainopponentinthedemocraticprimary,aWhitecouncilmannamedTommyCarcetti.DespiteMayorRoyce’scontrolofmunicipalpower,CarcettiprovestobeastalentedatplayinghardballpoliticsasRoyce,andas theelectionnears, thepossibilityofCarcettiwinningbecomesmorereal.Carcettiendsupwinning(that’snotaspoiler—theoverallseasonstorylinenecessitatedCarcetti’swin),basedonahostofpromiseshemade,includingafive-percentraisetothecity’spoliceforce.Onceinoffice,however,CarcettiandhisadministrationdiscoveradeficitmessthatRoyceleftthem:thecity’sschoolbudgetis$54milliondollarsinthered.
Pedagogical Suggestion Episodeseleven(“ANewDay”),twelve(“That’sGotHisOwn”),andthirteen(“FinalGrades”)aremostrelevantintermsofhowthepoliticalstorylineintersectswiththeoveralleducationalstoryline.Intheseepisodes,MayorCarcettiandhisadvisorsconsiderblamingthepublicschoolsformismanagingtheirownbudgets,andtheyalsoconsidercuttingtheschoolsystem’soverallbudget,therebyfindingnecessaryfundstomaintaintheirpoliticalleverage,thoughriskingthesupportoftheunionizedteachersthroughoutthecity.ThestorylineinvolvingColvinandthepilotprogramisespeciallyaffectedbythepoliticalstoryline,andstudentscanbeaskedtoanalyzehowthestorylineinvolvingTilghmanMiddleSchoolbecomesintertwinedwiththepoliticalstoryline.
The Gravitational Pull of the Streets and the “Corners” Anothermainstorylineofseasonfourconcernsthepoliceinvestigationintothedrugorganizationrunbyayoung,cunning,andutterlyruthlessandmurderous
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
194
drugkingpinnamedMarloStansfield.Havingputtheheadsoftheonce-dominantBarksdaledrugorganizationoutofbusiness,MarlohasbecomeintentongainingcontrolofthedrugtradeoverhismanyremainingcompetitorsonBaltimore’sEastside.Marlo’stwomainenforcers,ChrisPartlowandFelicia“Snoop”Pearson,havebeenmurderinganyonewhogetsinMarlo’sway,anddisposingthebodiesinvari-ousvacantbrickrowhousesonthewestside.Eventuallythebodiesarediscovered,whichintensifiesthewireunit’sinvestigationintoMarlo’scriminalactivities.
Pedagogical Suggestions OneactivityIwouldrecommendis forstudents toanalyzehowtheMarlostorylineintersectswiththestorylinesinvolvingtwoboysfromPrez’sclasswhoMarlohasdesignson. OneboyisMichael,aquiet,reservedboywhoisverycapableofhandlinghim-selfwellwhileboxingataneighborhoodgymorinastreetfight.Michaeldevoteshimselftobeingtheguardianandprotectorofhislittlebrother,Bug.HeandBuglivewiththeirmother,acrackaddictwho(hazily)seeshertwochildrenasobjectsthatenablehertoreceivethedisabilitychecksthathelppayforherdrugs.Bugneedsalltheprotection,guidance,andlovethatMichaelcanprovide.Unfortunately,MarlowantstorecruitMichaelintohisdrugorganizationbecauseherecognizesMichael’sstreetintelligenceandbroodingstrength.ThoughMarlomakesoverturestoMichaeltojoinhiscrew,Michaelkeepshisdistanceasbesthecan. MarloalsohasdesignsonanotherboyinPrez’sclass,Randy.Randyisanim-mediatelylikeableboywhohasaquicksmileandthecharmofabornentrepreneur.(Atschool,hefrequentlyslipsoutofclasstosellcandyatdiscountratestoyoungerkidsinthelunchroom.)RandyhasbeenawardofthestateofMarylandmostofhislife,havinglivedinmanyfostercarefacilities,thoughhecurrentlyliveswithMissAnna,astrictandcaringwomanwhoprovidesRandywithastablehomeenvironmentthatisrareforRandyandthathevaluesmorethananything.Despitehisgoodnatureandlikeability,troublefollowshimeverywhere,andeventsandcircumstancesbothwithinschoolandoutsideonthecornersconspiretothreatenthestabilityofhishomesituationwithMissAnna.Specifically,Randyunwittinglybecomesinvolved(throughthemanipulationofoneofMarlo’screw)inaseriesofcircumstancesthatleadstothedeathofacornerboywhocrossedMarlo.Putanotherway,Randydiscoversheplayedaninnocentyetactualroleinthedeathofsomeoneelse.TheresultisthatheiscaughtupinapoliceinvestigationandisalsothreatenedbymembersofMarlo’screw(tokeephimsilent). IndescribingseasonfourofThe Wire,Tyree(2008)statesthatitoffers“anhonestdepictionofthegravitationalpullofthestreetsanddrug‘corners’foragenerationofAfricanAmericaninner-cityyouthwithfewotherprospects”(p.32).Tyree’sstatementcanbeusedtoengagestudentsinanalyzingthedegreetowhichthe“gravitationalpullofthestreetsanddrug‘corners’”affectsbothRandyandMichaelastheirstorylinesunfold.Also,andnotatallincidentally,thesamekind
James Trier
195
ofanalysiscanbedoneforthestorylinesinvolvingtheothertwoboysdiscussedabove,DuquanandNamond.Andtodeepenthisanalysisofthepullofthecorners,studentscanbeassignedtoviewtheaforementionedHBOminiseriesbyDavidSimonandEdBurnstitledThe Corner,whichwonanEmmyin2000asbestmini-series.ThesubtitleofthebookbySimonandBurnsthattheminiserieswasbasedonis“AYearintheLifeofanInner-CityNeighborhood,”andthatneighborhoodisWestBaltimore,wherethefourmainboysofseasonfourliveandstruggle.Theseriesbrilliantlydepictsthe“gravitationalpullofthestreetsanddrug‘corners’foragenerationofAfricanAmericaninner-cityyouthwithfewotherprospects.”
Other Approaches for Pedagogically
Drawing upon The Wire Atthispoint,IwanttoreturntothescenarioImentionedatthebeginningabouttheinstructorwhowouldliketotakeupThe Wireinherteachingbutisnotabletoassigntheentireseason.Whatcanbedone?Iwillsuggesttwoapproaches. ThemorecomplicatedapproachwouldessentiallybetoreproducethemethodIusedtoanalyzethetwoeducationstorylinesofseasonfour.First,asI(re)viewedthe13episodesofthefourthseason,Inotedtheexactbeginningandendingtimesofevery“school”sceneineachepisode—i.e.,eachscenethattakesplaceinsideor justoutsideof theschool(PrezorColvinareinmostof theschoolscenes).Then,tofacilitatemyanalysisofthetwomaineducationalstorylines,Iusedsomerelativelysimple-to-usesoftware(iMovie)toedittogetherallthescenescompris-ingeachstoryline,whichresultedintwovaluable“mediatexts”(mpg.4format).Forexample,thePrezstorylineismadeupofapproximately65scenesthattotalabout75minutes.Afewbrieferscenesspanlessthanaminute,somelongersceneslast4or5minutes,butmostofthesceneslast2or3minutes.AbouthalfofthesescenesfeaturePrezwithhisstudentsinhisclassroom,andintherest(withjustafewexceptions),weseePrezeithersomewhereelseintheschoolbuilding(thelounge,inall-facultymeetings,inthehallwaysoftheschool)orjustoutsideoftheschool(exitingtheschool,gettinginhiscarinfrontoftheschool).IalsodidthesamewiththeColvinstoryline,whichiscomprisedofapproximately45scenesthat,wheneditedtogether,formamediatextofabout65minuteslong. Itshouldbeeasy to imagine thegreatamountof timeandlabor thatwentintothisprocessofmakingthesetwomediatexts,butforthosewhowouldliketoincorporatethestorylinesintotheirteaching,thelaborandtimepayoffpedagogi-cally,forobviousreasons(allthescenesaretogether,andanysceneonthemedia“vignette”canbenavigatedtoinamatterofseconds).Eachvignettecanalsobeshown in its totalityduringaseminar.Assuch, thevignettesbecomepowerfulcasestudiesoffictional (yetall-too-real)educatorswhoseexperiencesstudentscanvicariouslyidentifywith. Iwouldalsorecommendalesscomplicatedyeteverybitaspotentiallymean-
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
196
ingfulapproachfortakingupselectedscenesinone’steaching.Simplystated,thisveryarticlecanbeusedtogetideasforparticularscenestotakeupinone’steachingbecauseIhavedescribedmanyspecificscenesfromvariousepisodes,andIhavealsoidentifiedtheepisodesinwhichthescenesoccur.Forexample,aninstructorwhowishestodiscussthenegativeeffectsoftheregimeofstandardizedtestingthatNCLBhasinstitutedcanskimthroughepisodeseight(“CornerBoys”)andnine(“KnowYourPlace”)tofindthescenesinwhichPrezwrestleswiththenecessityofteachingtothetest.ThesescenesalonewouldbeenoughtosparkadiscussionaboutNCLB,andthesuggestedreadingsIgivecouldalsobetakenup.ThisveryselectiveapproachtoshowingspecificscenescanbetakenfortheotherissuesIhaveaddressed,suchas thatof tracking.ThesceneinwhichColvinarticulateshis “stoopkids/cornerkids” analysis toParenti andMrs.Sampson (episode5,“Alliances”)canbeshowntostudents,andthereadingsIhavesuggestedcanbeassigned,whichtogetherisenoughtointroducethetopicoftrackingandgeneratesubsequentdiscussionsabouttheissue. IwouldaddthatforinstructorswhoarelikelytotakethisapproachtoshowingjustselectedscenesfromThe Wire,theycanreadotherarticlesIhavewritteninwhichIexplainhowIhaveengagedinthisveryprocessofrelyingonlyonspecificscenesinmyteaching.Forexample,IhavetakenupselectedscenesfromthefilmThe Paper ChaseandarticulatedthosesceneswithselectedreadingsbyFoucault(1977)andGore(1998)toengagestudentsinthinkingcriticallyabout“techniquesofpower”andthevariouswayspoweroperatesrelationallyinschools(Trier,2003).Thisisoneofanumberofsuchaccountsthatcouldbeusefulinconceptualizingfurtherhowtotakeupselectedscenesinone’steaching(seealsoTrier,2002,2005,and2007).
Conclusion Inthisarticle,IhavepartiallydiscussedthetwomaineducationstorylinesofseasonfourofThe Wire,andIhaveshownsomeofthewaysthatbothstorylinesareimpactedbytheregimeofstandardizedtestingasaresultofNCLB.Ihavealsomorebrieflytouchedupontwootherimportantstorylines,andthroughout,Ihaveofferedsomepedagogicalsuggestionsforengagingstudentsinactivitiesandanalysesofthestorylines.OnepointthatIwanttomakeisthatIamcertainthatmanyotherwaysoftakinguptheseriescanbeconceptualized.Anotherpointisthatinhavingsetmyselfthetaskoffocusingmainlyontheeducationstorylines,coupledwiththe“nospoilers”approach,Ihavereallyonlyscratchedthesurfaceofallthatremainstobeanalyzedandarticulatedaboutseasonfour,andIlookforwardtoseeingpublishedaccountsofothers’criticalencounterswithThe Wire.WhatIhopeIhaveaccomplishedistointerestreadersenoughinThe Wiresothattheywillviewittodiscoverifithasanypossibilitiesforbeingtakenupaspartoftheirteaching.
James Trier
197
Notes 1Withitsfocusonapopularculturerepresentationofeducation,thispapercontributestotheexistentliteraturethatexploressuchpopularrepresentations—i.e.,representationsofteachers,students,principals,and“schooling”ingeneral.Withinthisliteraturearebooksandbookchaptersthatanalyzewhatcanbecalledthe“schoolfilm”genre,suchasConsidine’s(1985)The Cinema of Adolescence;Reed’s(1989)“Let’sBurntheSchool”;Farber,Provenzo,Jr.,andHolms’s(1994)Schooling in the Light of Popular Culture;Shary’s(2002)Generation Multiplex;Dalton’s(2004)The Hollywood Curriculum;andBulman’s(2005)Hollywood Goes to High School.Alsowithinthisliteratureareideologicalanalysesofrepresentationsofteachersaviors,suchasAyers’s(1994)critiqueoftheentiresubgenreoftheteachersav-iorfilm,Giroux’scritiquesofthepedagogyofMissJohnsoninDangerous MindsandMr.KeatinginDead Poets Society(inGiroux,2002),andBanksandEspisito’s(2002)critiqueofeducatorsinthetelevisionseriesBoston Public.Anotherveininthisliteratureismadeupofarticlesandbookchaptersbyacademicswhodiscusshowtheyhaveincorporatedschoolfilmsastextstoengagepreserviceteachersinavarietyofcriticalprojects(forexample,Robertson,1995and1997;WeberandMitchell,1995;Paul,2001;FreedmanandEasleyII,2004;andTrier,2001,2002,2003,2005,2006and2007). 2Moreexamplesofcriticsdescribing thenovelisticor literaryqualityofThe Wire includeO’Rourke(2006),whonoted“theremarkablenarrativecompression”oftheseries,explaining that,“as in thebestnovels, there isasense thateverydetailhasapurpose.”Kulish(2006)describedThe Wire“astheclosestthatmovingpictureshavecomesofartothedepthandnuanceofthenovel,”addingthatfilms“arefartoobrief,akintogoodshortstories”(p.11).OthercriticshavecomparedThe Wiretogreatliterature:Stanley(2008)calledtheshow“Dickensian”andalsolikenedit“toasprawling19th-centurynovel,asluridandengrossingasBleak HouseorLittle Dorrit”;Kehr(2004)sawtheseriesasexhibiting“thedimensionsofaZolanovel”(p.3);andTyree(2008)describeditasbeing“closelyakintoGreektragedy,”butpossessing“amoreepicquality,”being“acontemporaryversionofCrime and Punishmentwithouttheinevitabilityofredemption.Dreiser’sAn American TragedyandtheschoolofAmericanNaturalism,especiallyitspulpversioninfilmnoir,seemapropos”(p.36). 3ForthesebiographicaldetailsaboutSimonandBurns,seeGuensburg(2007),Lanahan(2008),Talbot(2007),andWilson(2008). 4Attheendofthisarticle,IdiscussthesituationofareaderwhowouldliketotakeupThe Wireinhisorherteachingbut,foravarietyofreasons,isunabletoassigntheentirefourthseason.So,Iwillanswerthelogicalquestion:“WhatifIonlyhavetimeinmycoursetodrawuponselectedscenesfromvariousepisodes—whatdoyousuggest?”Inanswering,Iwillbeabletoleveragemuchofthecontentthatcomprisesthisarticle. 5Theseexamplesinbracketsaremyown,notHynes’s(2006);also,thenumbersinparenthesesidentifythesixclichésofteachersaviorfilms. 6Thisquote(alongwithothersinthefollowingparagraphs)concerningtheclichésoftheteachersaviornarrativeisfromtheabovepassagebyHynes(2006). 7Though students could be involved in these activities before they begin viewingseasonfour,Ithinkdoingsorisksfocusingstudents’attentiontoonarrowlyattheoutsetontheteachersaviortheme.Instead,Ithinkitwouldbebesttointroducetheteachersaviorthemeafterepisodefive,whenstudentshavehadtheopportunitytodevelopadiversityofimpressionsaboutthecharactersandtheactionuptothatpoint.
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
198
8ThecommentarybeginswithcreatorandchiefwriterDavidSimontellingtheviewerthattheseason’sthemeiseducation,andthatitisfittingthatco-writerEdBurnsisdoingthecommentarywithhim“becauseitreallyisEd’sseasoninthesensethathetaughtforsevenyearsinthecityschoolsystemandthisreallyisrootedinhisexperience.” 9ThislineofdialogueseemstobearareerrorforThe Wirebecausethetestisgivenattheendofthefirstsemester.
References Ayers,W.(1994).Ateacherain’tnothin’butahero:Teachersandteachinginfilm.InJoseph,
P.,&Burnaford,G.(Eds.),Images of schoolteachers in twentieth-century America(pp.147-156).NewYork:St.Martin’sPress.
Banks,C.,&Esposito,J.(2002).Guns,Prozac,andpedagogy:RepresentationsofteachersonBoston Public,thefirstseason.Educational Studies, 33(2),236-245.
Bowden,M.(2008).Theangriestmanintelevision.The Atlantic, 301(1),50-57.Bulman,R.(2005).Hollywood goes to high school: Cinema, schools, and American culture.
NewYork:WorthPublishers.Considine,D.(1985).The cinema of adolescence.JeffersonandLondon,UK:McFarland
&Company.Dalton,M.(2004).The Hollywood curriculum: Teachers in the movies.NewYork:Peter
Lang.Farber,P.,Provenzo,Jr.,E.,&Holm,G.(1994).Schooling in the light of popular culture.
Albany:StateUniversityofNewYorkPress.Fiske,J.(1987).Television culture.NewYork:Methuen.Fiske,J.(1989a).Reading the popular.Boston:UnwinHyman.Fiske,J.(1989b).Understanding the popular.Boston:UnwinHyman.Foucault,M.(1977).Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison.NewYork:Random
House.Freedman,D.,&EasleyII(2004).It’smywayorthehighway:Academicsuccessandsocial
mobilityinDangerous MindsandBoston Public.Race, Ethnicity & Education, 7(1),73-83.
Futrell,M.,&Gomez,J.(2008).Howtrackingcreatesapovertyoflearning.Educational Leadership, 65(8),74-78.
Giroux,H.(2002).Breaking in to the movies.NewYork:Routledge.Goodman,T.(2006).Yes,HBO’sWireischallenging.It’salsoamasterpiece.SFGate.com,
Sept.6,retrievedURL:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/06/DDG7BKV7HK26.DTL
Gore,J.(1998).Discipliningbodies:Onthecontinuityofpowerrelationsinpedagogy.InT.Popkewitz&M.Brennan(Eds.),Foucault’s challenge: Discourse, knowledge, and power in education(pp.231-251).NewYork:TeachersCollegePress.
Guensburg,C.(2007).EdwardBurns:BringingrealityeducationtoTV.Edutopia.org:TheGeorgeLucasEducationFoundation.URL:http://www.edutopia.org/edward-burns
Heubert,J.(2003).First,donoharm.Educational Leadership, 60(4),26-30.Hynes,J.(2006).EducationalTV.Salon.com,September20,retrievedURL:http://www.
salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/09/20/the_wire/index.htmlKehr,D.(2004,Oct.12).Thedayaftertomorrow.The New York Times,p.E3.Kehr,D.(2005,Feb.1).The Wire:Thecompletesecondseason[reviewofDVDset].The
James Trier
199
New York Times,p.E7.Kinder,M.(2008).Re-wiringBaltimore:Theemotivepowerofsystemics,seriality,andthe
city.Film Quarterly, 62(2),50-57.Kulish,N.(2006,Sept.10).Televisionyoucan’tputdown.The New York Times,Sect.4,
p.11.Ladson-Billings,G.(1992).Readingbetweenthelinesandbeyondthepages:Aculturally
relevantapproachtoliteracyteaching.Theory into Practice, 31(4),312-320.Ladson-Billings,G. (1995).Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy.American
Educational Research Journal, 32(3),465-491.Lanahan,L. (2008).Secretsof thecity:WhatThe Wire revealsabouturban journalism.
Columbia Journalism Review, 46(5),22-32.Lowry,B.(2006).The Wire.Variety,Sept.8,retrievedURL:http://www.variety.com/index.
asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VE1117931487&categoryid=2352Meier,D.,&Wood,G(Eds.).(2004).Many children left behind: How the No Child Left
Behind Act is damaging our children and schools.Boston:BeaconPress.Oakes, J. (1987).Tracking in secondary schools:Acontextualperspective.Educational
Psychologist, 22(2),129-153.Oakes,J.(1992).Cantrackingresearchinformpractice?Technical,normative,andpolitical
considerations.Educational Researcher, 21(4),12-21.O’Rourke,M.(2006).BehindThe Wire:DavidSimononwheretheshowgoesnext.Slate.
com,Dec.1,retrievedURL:http://www.slate.com/id/2154694Paul,D.(2001).CriticallyinterrogatingHollywood’svisionoftheurbanclassroom.Multi-
cultural Review, 10(1),20-27,58-60.Reed,J.(1989).Let’sburntheschool:Thehighschoolpicture.InJ.Reed(Ed.),American
scenarios: The uses of film genre.Middleton,CT:WesleyanUniversityPress.Robertson,J.P.(1995).Screenplaypedagogyandtheinterpretationofunexaminedknowl-
edgeinpre-serviceprimaryteaching.Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education,1,Spring,25-60.
Robertson,J.P.(1997).Fantasy’sconfines:Popularcultureandtheeducationofthefemaleprimary-schoolteacher.InS.Todd(Ed.),Learning desire: Perspectives on pedagogy, culture, and the unsaid(pp.75-95).NewYork:Routledge.
Rothkerch,I.(2002).“Whatdrugshavenotdestroyed,thewaronthemhas.”[Quotefromdialogue serves as title here]. Salon.com, June 29, retrieved URL: http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/tv/int/2002/06/29/simon/print.html
Schweiker-Marra & Pula. (2005). Effects of a homogeneous low-tracked program onacademicperformanceofat-riskstudents.The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 71(2),34-42,58.
Shary,T. (2004). Generation multiplex: The image of youth in contemporary American cinema.Austin,TX:UniversityofTexasPress.
Simon,D.(1991).Homocide: A year on the killing streets.Boston:HoughtonMifflin.Slavin,R.,&Madden,N.(1989).Whatworksforstudentsatrisk:Aresearchsynthesis.
Educational Leadership, 46(5),4-13.Slavin,R.,Madden,N.,Karweit,N.,Livermon,B.,&Dolan,L.(1990).Successforall:
First-yearoutcomesofacomprehensiveplanforreformingurbaneducation.AmericanEducation Research Journal, 27(2),255-278.
Stanley,A.(2008).NohappyendinginDickensianBaltimore.Nytimes.com,Jan.6,retrievedURL:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06stan.html
Representations of Education in HBO’s The Wire
200
Talbot,M.(2007).Stealinglife:ThecrusaderbehindThe Wire.The New Yorker, 83(32),150-163.
Trier,J.(2001).Thecinematicrepresentationofthepersonalandprofessionallivesofteach-ers.Teacher Education Quarterly, 28(3),127-142.
Trier,J.(2002).Exploringtheconceptof“habitus”withpreserviceteachersthroughtheuseofpopularschoolfilms.Interchange, 33(3),237-260.
Trier,J.(2003).Inquiringinto“techniquesofpower”withpreserviceteachersthroughthe“schoolfilm”The Paper Chase.Teaching and Teacher Education, 19(5),543-557.
Trier,J.(2005).“Sordidfantasies”:Readingpopular“inner-city”schoolfilmsasracializedtextswithpreserviceteachers.Race, Ethnicity, and Education, 8(2),171-189.
Trier,J.(2006).Reconceptualizingliteracythroughadiscoursesperspectivebyanalyzingliteracyevents represented infilmsaboutschools.Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 49(6),510-523.
Trier,J.(2007).The 400 Blowsascinematicliteracynarrative.Teacher Education Quarterly, 34(3),35-51.
Tyree,J.M.(2008).The Wire:Thecompletefourthseason.Film Quarterly, 61(3),32-38.Weber,S.,&Mitchell,C.(1995).“That’s funny, you don’t look like a teacher”: Interrogating
images and identity in popular culture.Philadelphia:TheFalmerPress.Weisberg,J.(2006,Sept.13).The Wireonfire:Analyzingthebestshowontelevision.Slate
(onlinejournal),URL:http://www.slate.com/id/2149566/Wilson,M.(2008,July6).AfterThe Wire,movingontobattlesbeyondthestreets.New York
Times,Sect.ArtsandLeisure,p.1.