Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/417576
Learning P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y S C O T T B U S C H M A N Danziger runs POPS with his wife Amy Friedman, author of Desperado's Wife, a book that tells the story of her marriage to a convict whose children she raised while he was incarcerated. When Danziger and Friedman launched the group, they had no idea how many students would join. There are more than 60 members who discuss and write about their experiences and feelings. "Mr. D wanted us to put our sto- ries out there," says Luis Nunez. "It wasn't easy. Having a brother is in prison is really personal. It's something you keep inside yourself and usually don't share outside of family." Eduardo Hernandez confides that it feels good to finally open up about his life. His photos in the book depict the gritty urban landscape of gangs, drugs and crime that other students have written about. "Before POPS, I wasn't part of stuff in school. But it felt good to put my pictures with the stories and be part of something." Being in the club has decreased feelings of isolation for Charles Horin. "It's definitely made me feel more comfort- able. And I feel more of a connection to school." Not just students are benefiting. Danziger says POPS has "reinvigorated" his teaching so much that he post- poned retirement. What makes him happiest is seeing troubled youths blossom as writers. "I didn't think a lot of them were capable of that kind of writing, but they've dug deep with personal essays and poetry, revealing themselves i n a way t h a t yo u d o n ' t s e e i n re g u l a r E n g l i s h c l a s s ," s ays D a n z i ge r, United Teachers Los Angeles. "Not only are they writing better, they t a ke e n o r m o u s p r i d e i n t h e i r w r i t t e n wo r k . A l o t o f t h e m a re i n my classes, and you can see the changes in them. It's not something that you can measure on a test. You see it in their body language and the way they relate to other people." Nonetheless, an attempt i s b e i n g m a d e t o m e a s u r e t h e p o s i t i v e c h a n g e s i n P O P S s t u d e n t s . R a p h a e l Bostic, chair of the Univer- sity of Southern California's Price School of Public Pol- icy, and Danielle Williams, a g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t f r o m U S C ' s p u b l i c p o l i c y p r o - g r a m , w e r e s o i m p r e s s e d with POPS that they put in a r e q u e s t t o L o s A n g e l e s U n i f i e d S c h o o l D i s t r i c t t o r e s e a r c h i t s i m p a c t o n students' academic and per- sonal success. D a n z i ge r a n d F r i e d m a n are convinced that POPS is putting students on a better path. They point to several m e m b e r s w h o h a v e w o n scholarships and essay con- tests based on their writings for the book, as well as students who considered dropping out of school but stayed because of POPS. Guest speakers and celebrities frequently pop in. Members recently had a visit from Scott Budnick, who produced The Hangover movies. Budnick received the governor's Volunteer of the Year Award for his work in advocacy, mentoring and support for those in the juvenile justice system, and recently launched the nonprofit Anti-Recidivism Coalition. He encouraged students to make good decisions and make their voices heard. Danziger says that listening to students is the best way to foster relationships that motivate students to be successful in school and life. "Friends and colleagues who read my students' work often ask: How do these teenagers produce such deeply personal work? How are they able to dig deep and reveal their innermost feelings and share their core stories? There's a simple answer: Stop talking and listen. Students need to know their stories will be taken seriously. They need to know their voices will be heard. And they need to know that their lives — no matter where they live and who they know and love — matter." M o v i e p r o d u c e r S c o t t B u d n i ck j o k e s w i t h J o h n F l o r e s , A l e x O r n a l e s a n d R a m i r o B l a n c o . 49 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 4