Sarah (1975)

Sarah wait outside I'll be with you when I Chris where will you looking at the absence list I see that you were out of school all last week and that you have missed Mr Abrams class three times this week besides that you've been tardy numerous times to his class you understand Sarah that even if your absence I'm only one class with no excuse you're truant and the consequences of truancy can be suspension unless you can give me a good reason to why you shouldn't be suspended exactly what's going to happen well um I'm not doing well in Mr aon's class well that's no reason not to go is it it seems to me if you're not doing well you'd make sure you got there what do you mean that you're going to suspend me for missing Mr abs class unless you can give me some logical reason for being out of his class yes I am Mrs wio I've tried to do well in this class it's just happens to be the worst subject that I take and I I've asked him to help me but he uh doesn't seem to care he's just written me off as a problem the first week I was there he just sort of wrote me off if I'm a little late he sends me to the office and that's the way he deals with me I'm just a problem he could care less are you a problem well I mean would you care about a problem that's the only way you relate to me is if I'm a problem sah it seems to me that if you are not doing well in class that the thing to do is to attend class and prepare yourself and you're not doing that that seems like very childish behavior no I'm not being childish I've tried I I'm just lost interest in the class I don't know what to do he doesn't seem to uh care whether it treats me like a dumbbell Sarah I hear that sort of excuse all day long it's not good enough well what am I supposed to do what am I supposed to do accept your own responsibility I don't believe you're doing accepting my responsibility I don't believe that Sarah I'm going to suspend you take this into the outer office fill it out take it home and have your parents sign it Mrs winow I'll call your parents and arrange a conference with them here take it that's it huh that's [Applause] it [Music] hi Mrs Martin Mr Martin hi oh yeah can I talk to you for a few minutes sure sit down I I just got suspended from school and um Mrs Winslow said she's going to call my parents when they get home I tried to talk her out of it you know but that she's got her mind made up and I thought maybe if if you could talk to her well I I don't think there's anything I could do to persuade her to change her mind if thing like that's been done it's already done I I I don't know I just had the feeling that maybe you were the one you know that could talk to her well sit down a minute and tell me what's happened I've been missing Mr Abram's class you know quite quite a bit too too much and um the rules are that you're truant and then you get suspended well I I didn't realize that and I my parents are going to be involved and I they think I've been going to school and I don't want them to find out any different no you've missed this class A lot too had five absences in the last two weeks oh uh you want to tell me where you've been going and what you've been doing I I haven't told anybody um but I I I've sort of been sick what kind of sick Sarah well I had an abortion and um I'm you know I hadn't Miss some school does anybody know about it no nobody knows about it I mean I can't tell my parents that I mean you know that's have you been to a doctor yeah um you know everything is okay well what does that have to do with missing all these classes aside from not feeling well yes well um Mr Abram's class is well the guy that's um the guy us to go with that um got pregnant you know he's he's in the class and um I hate the class I just thought if you I understand Sarah I'm just trying to think what I could possibly do to help you well you know you could tell her that I'll go to that class you will go I'll go to that class before my parents will ever find out you understand this would this would destroy them all right maybe I can do something um I'll try I'll go I'll go down and talk to her I I don't know what good it will do I don't know if it'll do any good at all it may even make things worse I have no idea but I'll try if you want me to thanks a lot you're welcome I'll talk to you later okay Miss winow I think we're really talking about something that's after the fact and I think that one of the biggest problems now is that when her parents find find out about this there's going to be even more trouble at home well if it is a problem it's very crucial and traumatic in the girl's life I think her parents should be made aware of it I mean a school simply cannot assume that sort of responsibility well I appreciate the school's position and I appreciate your position but I think this one time you're going too much by the book if we let Sarah get away with this with be setting a very dangerous precedent we can't assume responsibility for the child's actions but the crisis was solved it's not a serious matter any longer I think I'm in the best position to judge that well the problem was all solved last Friday and I can assure you that she's promised me and I trust her and she will go to class regularly from now on unless you can give me some good reasons for all that's happening the suspension stands it's my position well then I'm asking you to trust me it's not a matter of trust I think you realize that well I think it's a matter of trusting my judgment it isn't at all I'm sure that you have very good rapport with many of your students unfortunately you don't always see them in the same capacity that we see them in but I do try to see them as individuals try to do that [Applause] too [Applause] [Music] [Applause]