Up The Down Staircase Page #7

How stupid can you get, huh?

What are you talking about?

They passed the law.

Bussing kids to school miles away.

We can't be juggled

like different-colored marbles.

Yeah, and go home to the rats

with no toilets.

And the junkies on the road, dope addicts.

...kids who wouldn't even arrive.

All right. All right. All right.

We have time for one last comment.

All right, Harry.

The General Organization of which

l am president of is proud to consider

that other races have just as much right

to be human voters, too.

Get bent!

Get bent!

All right. All right, class. Please. Please.

What we've been saying

is that there are certain similarities

between our period

and the period of Dickens

and the period of Tale of Two Cities.

As we read on, let's continue to be aware

of these similarities and differences

because that will make us understand

why this book still can be exciting

and interesting

after being written 100 years ago.

All right.

All right, Lou, what do you want to say?

With the bombs going up and our morals

going down, we got anti-thesis.

All right, class.

All right.

Miss Barrett, what is the meaning

of this noise?

With Dr. Bester here, you allowed

your class to behave

in this unruly fashion?

l could hear them all the way down

the corridor above the drilling.

lt's the sound of thinking, Mr. McHabe.

This class cannot wait to read

A Tale of Two Cities,

and Lou Martin made a joke with a point,

a serious point.

And Eddie Williams

spoke out in class for the first time...

Mr. McHabe, report to the main office

at once. Urgent.

Mr. McHabe, report to the main office

at once. Urgent.

Sit down in your seats.

Bob Whiteside will handle the class.

l'll be back in a moment. Let's not panic.

Get back in the room.

You are to go to the office immediately.

l'll keep an eye on your class.

Bob Whiteside is taking over mine.

-What happened?

-Alice Blake jumped out the window.

She killed herself?

No, the ledge broke her fall.

Alice Blake?

Thank heavens, someone's come.

The nurse is always forgotten

at a time like this.

-Where is Alice?

-Hospital. Hospital.

-ls she going to be all right?

-lt's too soon. lt's too soon.

lt's too late. Send her health card at once.

Do you have any blank accident reports?

l'm all...

Did you see her jump?

l didn't see anyone jump.

l'm not really a witness.

l was just passing room 309, and l saw

something going out of the window.

Check here. Parent or guardian.

Reached or not reached.

Telephone or telegram, and you fill in here,

jumped or fell.

How is Alice?

The only important consideration

is that the whole disaster

would not have occurred if...

Come in, Miss Barrett. Sit down.

Thank you, Dr. Bester.

ls Alice going to be all right?

Everything possible is being done.

The whole disaster

would not have occurred

if Mr. Barringer's classroom

had not been empty during first period.

l have no class then.

Nevertheless, you know it that

you're supposed to be in the building.

l was having breakfast

at Cora's Coffee Pot on Whitney Avenue.

l see. ls that your usual procedure

during first period?

Sometimes l patronize Harry's

Ham 'N' Eggs if Cora's is crowded.

Miss Finch, you haven't reported

Mr. Barringer's lateness in punching in.

He's always punched in. Always.

On the dot.

Who's been punching

in for you, Mr. Barringer?

Gallantry, Mr. McHabe. Gallantry.

Miss Finch, see that a directive

goes out to all teachers at once.

ln future, no room will be left uncovered

at any time when not in use,

and to prevent further

unfortunate incidents,

all teachers are instructed to re-double

their vigilance at all times.

l punched him in. He's a creative artist.

He shouldn't have to get up at 6:30

like the rest of us.

l have here the girl's PRC, Dr. Bester.

Now, the capsule characterizations

for the past three terms read,

''Nice and helpful'', ''Leadership potential'',

and ''Reliable blackboard monitor''.

Thank you, Miss Friedenberg.

lt's most atypical for a girl

with her stable PPP

to have done what she did,

but there are factors beyond our control

which are frequently the cause

of emotional disequilibrium.

Miss Friedenberg has delicately

brought us to the question of motivation.

lt's my fault, sir. l am to blame.

Are you, Miss Barrett?

Alice came to me this morning

and wanted to talk.

lf l had spent five minutes with her,

this might not have happened.

Well, this letter was found

on the child's person.

Do you recognize it, Mr. Barringer?

Yes, it's a letter she wrote to me.

A love letter, l should say.

Which l corrected for grammar

and spelling and returned to the student.

With no comment on its contents?

No, sir.

Your gallantry seems to vary

from day to day, Mr. Barringer.

May l ask, sir, what l should have done?

Talked to her.

And encouraged a neurotic teenager?

Miss Barrett, this boy is being admitted

once again, as always,

as usual, on probation.

l want you to report the slightest violation

of the smallest rule.

The next time it'll mean expulsion.

Yes, sir.

Look at me, Teach.

Punched in with my own hand.

Miss Barrett. Miss Barrett.

May l remind you

that Alice Blake still has

a library copy of ldylls of the King?

-lt's already 15 cents overdue.

-Well, l'll see that you get it, Mrs. Wolf.

Can l talk to you

for a minute, Miss Barrett?

Good morning, Eddie. Sit down.

l've been wanting to talk to you, too.

You've been doing so much better lately.

Speaking out in class.

-Getting your assignments in on time.

-l'm dropping out.

You gotta sign my book clearance.

Oh, Eddie, why?

Just when you're doing so well.

Do your parents want you to? ls that it?

Do you have to get a job?

Listen, Eddie, if it's a matter of money,

we can talk to somebody.

Oh, Eddie,

you may be ruining your chances.

You may be able to get a job now.

You may be able to get an ordinary job,

but you can get a better job

if you just stick it out.

My brother stuck it out here.

He went up for that better job.

He went up for that ordinary job, also.

The very next day

some whities had both jobs.

Oh, Eddie, l'm...

-Look at the negro teachers in this school.

-l just won't be them, Miss Barrett.

Well, Eddie, what will you do? Nothing?

You gotta sign my book clearance.

Dickens calls the first book

of A Tale of Two Cities, ''Recalled to life.''

Now, what does that suggest?

-Can't be done.

-Dead is dead.

So who's recalling?

Physical death isn't the only kind of death.

The spirit may be killed, or the mind,

or the will,

and then sometimes something happens

to make it come to life again.

ln the case of Dr. Manette,

who's been imprisoned for...

Good morning, Miss Barrett.

As all the world knows by now,

l've no class first period,

so l decided to sit in on yours.

-What's the lesson plan for today?

-Paul...

Surely a dedicated teacher like you

has a lesson plan.

-A Tale of Two Cities.

-Perfect!

May l remind you

that tale is spelt T-A-L-E.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes