aside from half a term in a private school -- in greece -- and a year teaching chorus in hawaii -- ten years ago -- it doesn't look like you've had any other teaching experience.
i'd like to help you, mrs. demetras. brian spoke highly of you and i told him i'd consider starting a violin class.  but without the proper qualifications, and without any experience in an inner city school.
i'm very sorry.
yes?
this is dennis rausch, our music teacher and program coordinator. mrs. demetras, didn't i make things clear yesterday?
how long have you boys been playing?
your mom must be a good teacher.
if you could teach our students to play like that, i'd be thrilled, but --
a lot of our parents are struggling to feed their kids and pay the rent -- they don't have time to help them learn violin.
for now i'll put you down as a sub, but i have to warn you -- even if it works out, the board may not let me create a permanent position for you.
in theory. adam! i want you in my office right after lunch, you understand?
think about it! whenever you pull kids out, it's a disruption, plus it's extra work for the teacher 'cause they have to fill the kids in on what they missed. some teachers resent it.
i took this off a second-grader this morning. i'll help you roberta -- but i can't hold your hand here.
a word of advice? when you're picking up your students, go to alice's classroom first.
why would she give you fifty dollars?
do you know how hard your mother works? do you think it's right for you steal from her?
well let's go call her right now and ask her.
it'll have to wait. come on. in my office.
you wanted to speak to me?
i think what mrs. lamb is trying to say, roberta, is that you're a little too harsh. i'm sure you might be able to soften some of your comments to the children?
i'm giving him a two-day suspension -- but next time he'll be expelled.
have you noticed your son lately? he's tied up in knots and he needs help.
he was choking the kid. nick's in trouble, roberta. you need to deal with it.
today's a very special day because we're starting the tenth year of the east harlem violin program. this is a wonderful opportunity for you, so i want you to talk to your parents about whether you'd like to try this.
that's dorothea van hauften --
-- and she's taking pictures of roberta's classes for a magazine article about music education.
why don't you come in my office?
it's not me, roberta. the board of ed. cut the budget, the district had to comply, and as of the end of this term, the violin program has been.  excessed.
they've slashed the budget -- music and art programs got hit the worst.
things happened very quickly.  i wanted to tell you myself --
shut up, dennis! you're not helping! come into my office, please.
fight it with what? i don't have any other extra programs to give them instead.
you know i don't feel that way and you know damn well i've been standing by you all these years! you think i haven't noticed what you've done for these kids?
i've been on this phone for the past three days trying to "do something" -- the district office can't even stand the sound of my voice. believe me, there are some people around here i'd much rather get rid of. but as far as the board's concerned, violin classes are not a priority.
i don't have the power here, roberta. i'm so sorry.
hello, assunta. how are you?
i would too.
sorry i'm early, but i figured we'd need time to set up.
you are having a meeting here tonight, right? parents and teachers?
take it from me. if you want to get parents to help you with something, you have to feed them.
you have a cutting board for these?
and if you think parents are bad, teachers are even worse, no offense. if you don't feed them, you never get anything extra out of them. that's why i got this.
entenmann's gets them every time.
what? don't tell me you expected me to bring something homemade.
good. because take it from me -- my own family begs me to stay out of the kitchen.
why not? we've gotta figure out a way to fight this. after ten years, roberta, i can't imagine walking through those hallways and not hearing that off-key, screechy, scratchy, nails-on-the- blackboard violin music.
what do you think? cut it into slices now, or leave it whole?
you're wasting your time. the board and the district are not gonna pay for this program, no matter how many letters they get.
i can't see how they'd object to that.
sounds like a plan.
i'll call her house.
no answer at either.
c'mon honey -- let's get you cleaned up.
when i became the principal of central park east elementary, i envisioned a school where children could fulfill their highest potential, despite the challenges of poverty and racism. ten years ago, roberta guaspari walked into my office because she needed a job, and because she had a vision that any child could learn the violin. we put our dreams together and created the east harlem violin program which has helped more than a thousand students expand their vision of what's possible in their lives. when a program like this is cut, our children's future is compromised. i want to thank you for your support. enjoy the concert.