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Get out of here! Scram!
C'mon!
Shut her up!
What are you looking at?! I want you in front!
Move it, Chepe!
I'm coming.
Three... Two...
One...
Let's go!
Out in front, Chepe!
BASED ON A TRUE STORY
Shoes on, now.
- I'm not telling you again. - I'm coming!
Hurry up, everyone.
What are you doing?
Chepe?
Chepe!
Two besos, two chocolate conchas,
and two ojos de buey. How many is that?
A dozen.
Today is a big day, why not make it two dozen?
Yeah, right?
Can I?
Hurry, come on.
Good morning my loves.
Everyone had a good breakfast?
Everyone except for Papa. He only took coffee.
Straight home after school, right?
Yes.
Where were you?
Hop on.
Better you get off here.
Chepe, do I have to go?
What did we agree?
Just for a few days.
Right, after that no one will come poking around.
And then I can work with you, no?
We'll see, Nico.
- Morning, Director. - Good morning.
Stay close to the others.
- Look, toys! - Hey, get back here.
WELCOME BACK STUDENTS!
Silence!
Silence, please.
Silence is the foundation of obedience.
Obedience is the foundation of discipline,
and discipline is the foundation of learning.
So, let's review our rules, shall we?
Yeah!
- Good morning. - I brought enough for everyone.
I'm glad to see that everyone -
Uh... Mr. Juárez?
Well, that almost everyone is here.
As you know, Mrs. Álvarez gave birth to a baby boy,
and two days ago decided to become a full-time mother.
Fortunately, we found Mr. Juárez,
He's from here in Matamoros,
and he kindly took the job at the last-minute.
He's got a pulse, he's hired.
There's not much I can say you don't already know, so I'll be
brief
Although primary education is mandatory and free,
over half of our sixth graders
are dropping out. We are failing.
According to our ENLACE test scores we are the very worst.
I'm sure you're all aware of this by now,
this year they approved an incentive bonus
for those who meet certain score thresholds.
If that can motivate us to do our jobs just a little bit
better.
Let's not forget our kids, okay?
So... Let's have a good year, shall we?
Do you smell that? Smells like something.
It smells like... trash.
Hurry up! Quickly now!
- We don't have much time! - What happened to the desks?
- Those aren't desks. - Why are they upside down?
They're lifeboats!
And that's not the floor...
It's the ocean!
Each boat can only hold the same number of passengers.
Those who don't get into a boat will drown.
But be careful -
If any boat has more passengers than the others it will sink
and everyone on board will drown.
There's 23 of us here and only six boats,
so, figure it out. Ready? Let's go!
Five... four...
- Get in! - Three... two....!
One!
Come on!
Don't worry! I'll save you!
Help!
Help me! Please! Someone help me!
Help... me...
Now eight boats!
What the hell is going on here?!
There's one last passenger! Save him!
Five, four, three, two!
No, he's too fat! We won't float!
He'll sink the boat!
Wait wait -
Why would he sink it?
Here's an interesting question.
What makes a boat float?
Or what determines how much weight a boat can hold?
Anyone know?
No one?
Do you know?
No... I don't know either.
Yeah I don't know either.
Where do we find answers to things we don't know?
How about the Internet?!
- I believe there's a computer lab? - Yes.
It's out of service at the moment.
Okay.
Where else can we find answers?
We ask the teacher.
We tried that but as you've seen We don't know very much.
How about books?
Is the library in service?
To the library! Let's go!
Where's the library?
Come on, let's go!
- May I help you? - Yes please... Mrs. Florita.
We don't have any class visits scheduled today.
You don't have anything scheduled for today.
Procedure requires notifying the library at least one day in
advance,
with desired reference materials identified in advance.
Yeah, yeah, but we'll be quick. Where are the encyclopedias?
- They're here in back, BUT - - Come on!
- This way. - Hey!
No running, please.
1974.
What did we come for?
Boats, barcos...
Oh, man.
There's no 'B'.
There's no 'B'. Where else can we look?
How about 'F', for flotation?
You know what?
We don't need the encyclopedia.
You can figure this out on your own.
Tell me.
Why do...
Why do things float?
Anyone?
Somebody. Just take a guess.
It doesn't matter if you're wrong,
what matters is that you try.
In fact, I'd prefer you get it wrong.
Yeah, because when we make mistakes
we learn what we did wrong...
...and that can help us learn what's right.
But, how will we get good grades?
What do grades matter?
We need good grades to graduate,
and so that our parents don't get mad at us.
That's all?
Fine, that's easy.
As of now, you all get a 10.
At the end of the year, when you get your report cards, you're
all going to find there: your 10!
I promise.
Really. Got it?
Now we can get back to the important stuff.
Who wants to be wrong first?
Come on, who?
No one?
Have you ever had a class like that before?
I've never had a teacher like that.
- What were we supposed to learn? - About boats, obviously.
Do you think?
- Walk with us, Romeo? - What?
Don't worry, I can keep a secret.
No, it's just that...
Have you noticed that Paloma seems different this year?
Um, it's called puberty.
Heavy, no? Could be real silver.
You can replace the mirror.
Besides, I'm keeping it.
What do you want for it?
- Do you think he meant it? - Why would he lie about something
like that?
Remember what he said? He wants us to make mistakes.
If we don't have to be right, it's okay if we're wrong,
and if it's okay to be wrong, we can't get a bad grade.
I've never had a 10 before.
Papa, your nose.
It's nothing.
Come help me unload.
Ok.
Fifteen minutes of cartoons while I make lunch,
and then it's homework time.
Aren't you working the night shift, mama?
What are you doing up?
PREGNANCY TEST
Nico!
The pretty boy.
First day of school -
How did it go, man?
- Well - Last year, they suspended him on the first day,
right?
It's not for him man, just like his brother.
Can't sit still, always on the go.
That's my Carlitos.
Staring out the window, doodling, getting in fights...
Anything but paying attention, am I right?
But it's ok, Nico. You got us to take care of you.
You wanna learn from books...
...or do you wanna learn from "la vida"?
This is the real school right here, no?
- We better get going. - Word.
Let him carry it.
Mr. Juárez.
I missed you this morning at the faculty meeting.
Yeah, I was... uh...
I had a lot of rearranging to do in my classroom.
Yeah, I saw.
You have something against furniture?
No... just... some.
Like your desk, for instance.
It's just I don't think I need a desk.
You have to have a desk. Every teacher has to have one.
Is there some rule written that says I have to have a desk?
It's not the kind of rule that's written,
but how will the students know who's in charge?
Who's the authority?
Tell me -
You turn your classroom into a playground, what's next?
Turn the playground into a classroom?
What's your story, professor? What do you mean?
This place, you know what they call it?
- "School of Punishment." - Exactly.
Yeah.
Your name was the first on the transfer list.
The only name, in fact.
You asked to come here.
Why?
well...
Maybe I'm crazy?
You're running from something.
No, I just wanted to try something different.
Like what?
I don't know.
I'm still trying to figure that out.
Well, perhaps this is the place to do it.
After all, no one gives a damn what happens here.
Just do me a favor, don't go kicking any hornets' nests.
No... why would I...
No.
The desk...
...stays inside.
Help me push it back?
C'mon...
Hey...
So... What's up with the computer lab?
They were installed four years ago,
and two months later they were stolen.
- That was four years ago? - Mhhm.
There are no other computers here?
The only one that works is in my office.
Welcome to Escuela Primaria José Urbina López, Mr. Juárez..
THE MEGA YACHTS OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS
What was that?
What's this?
I found it on the dump.
You should've left it there.
What use do we have for such fantasies?
Come in, come in.
Sit wherever you like, there are no assigned seats here.
In fact, you don't even need to sit if you don't want to.
Hurry, come in!
We're going to do amazing things in here every day.
but if you come late, you'll miss it.
Have you heard the story of the burro that fell into the well?
No?
Then let me tell you...
One day, a burro fell into a deep well.
Miraculously, it wasn't hurt, but it couldn't get out.
The farmer who owned the donkey
figured that rescuing it would be very expensive,
certainly more than the burro was worth.
And since the well was dry and a danger to his other animals,
he decided he should bury them both:
The burro and the well.
So, he began to shovel dirt into the well.
The dirt fell on the burro, who cried out,
But the farmer kept on shoveling.
After a while, the burro fell silent.
The farmer assumed the animal was dead,
but he had to fill the well so no one else would fall in.
So, he kept shoveling.
Imagine his surprise when he suddenly saw
the tips of two ears sticking out of the well.
He shoveled faster and faster,
as the burro's head slowly emerged, shaking off the dirt.
Instead of letting itself get buried,
the burro used all the dirt that was thrown on it to step up and
up
until the mound of dirt was high enough
that it could jump right out of the well.
From now, we are going to be like that burro.
No matter how much dirt gets thrown at us, no matter how much
shit rains down,
we are not going to let it bury us.
We're going to shake it off, and we're going to use it
to become the very best students in the world.
There IS one thing that can stop you though
if you let it.
It's you.
Now, I understand why you might not
when there are kids your age in the world
who can solve formulas in advanced calculus
or write symphonies, or even build robots.
How could the students at José Urbina ever do those kinds of
things,
if we don't have computers, the Internet,
Sometimes we don't even have electricity.
But, you know what?
We don't need any of that. None of it.
What you need, what each of you needs,
you already have.
And it's called...
Potential.
It's up to you whether you use it or not.
I can't make you.
Neither can your parents.
It's your responsibility to decide if you want to use it,
and how you want to use it.
So let's do this:
From now on, I'm not going to decide what we learn;
YOU will. All right?
So now, tell me:
What do you want to learn?
It can be anything, anything at all.
What do you want to learn?
Oh, nothing.
No one? Nothing?
Perfect.
Easy for me, then.
We'll just sit here then...
...and learn about nothing.
And if you want to, we can do this all year.
What was that?
Who was it?
No one?
On the count of three, I want everyone to raise their pen.
One, two, three!
Come here.
Yes, you in the back.
Yes, you. Come.
- What's your name? - Nico.
I also used to be the class clown, Nico.
I was always punished.
I'll give you a piece of advice:
Don't ever change.
Yes?
No need to raise your hand. What's your name?
- Donovan. - Yes, Donovan?
I'd like to keep learning about boats and ships.
Good, anyone think more about our boats from yesterday?
I realized that sometimes people are going to die
and there's nothing we can do about it.
And that's life.
Whoa, heavy. "There's nothing we can do."
So, we should just let them die?
- Yes? - My name is Lupe.
You don't have to raise your hand.
I don't agree that there's nothing we can do about it.
I think you need to do as much as you can.
You need to do as much as you can for as many as you can.
Very good, very good.
You just said the same thing
as one of the world's greatest philosophers.
His name is John Stuart Mill.
Maybe you could be a philosopher.
What's a "philosopher"?
It's someone who studies philosophy.
Which is a way to explore,
or talk about life's deepest, most complicated questions,
which can be very hard to understand.
and that helps us figure out right from wrong.
But I still want to know why a boat floats.
Oh, right.
Have you thought about why the boat would sink if the director
got on?
'Cause he's a fat ass.
Good job!
You didn't raise your hand, well done!
Very good, thanks.
Tell me, Nico, why would the boat sink because he's fat?
Maybe because he's too heavy?
Did you know a fat person floats in water better
than a muscular person that weighs the same?
No?
Can anyone tell me why that might happen?
Why?
It's a tough one, but I know you can do it.
Think about it. Think, think, think.
Who wants to take a guess? Or, how about this?
Why if I blow up a balloon,
it falls through the air, but floats on water?
Remember a fat person floats better
than a muscular person who weighs the same.
Why?
Because they have different sizes?
Ah, so then it's the size. Maybe.
What if I take a bowling ball that is the same size as my
balloon,
and drop them both on water?
The bowling ball would sink, it's heavier.
- And the balloon would float. - But, how?
If they're the same size?
So, is it the size, or the weight?
I'll give you a clue.
It has to do with the way fractions work.
That's precisely what we were going to talk about today.
Fractions, division, and remainders.
Alright let's see...
Remember the boat game?
Tell me, what were the remainders.
Think about it.
The passengers who didn't fit in the boat?
Exactly!
The passengers who couldn't fit in the boat and drowned.
Well done!
Wow.
You're so smart that, honestly, I don't think that you even need
me here.
So... I'm going to go get a drink...
...and be back in 30 minutes.
I bet by the time I get back you'll have all the answers.
Anyone want anything? No?
I'll be right back.
- Muscle is heavier than fat. - How do you know that?
My mom works at a butcher shop.
A kilo of meat looks like this, and a kilo of fat like this.
Maybe there's air in the fat and that's why it floats.
So if they weigh the same, the fat guy should be bigger.
But what does it have to do with size,
if a big balloon floats on water, but a pebble will sink.
- Because it has air in it. - Yes,
but I I'm sure a giant balloon would weigh more than a pebble.
So that's it then, a fat person floats better because they have
more air inside.
Like Director Chucho.
You must be the new guy.
I'm Arturo... Mr. García.
Hello, I'm Sergio.
Is everything okay, Sergio?
Uh, yeah, I think so.
The kids are getting the best of you.
That's one way to put it.
You can't let them see your weaknesses.
The key is to discipline them from the beginning.
They have to know who has the authority.
Hmm, I think maybe it should be exactly the opposite.
Well, good luck with that.
Thanks.
You know the most powerful words a teacher can say?
I don't know.
Ah, you do!
Shouldn't you be teaching right now?
Better I let them learn.
Mr. Juárez, everything all right?
Sergio, just call me Sergio.
Shouldn't you be in your class right now, MR. JUÁREZ?
Yeah, yeah. So?
The kids are good.
Don't worry, in fact they may be too good.
- This is the school's only computer? - Yes.
- May I use it for a minute? - What? Now?
Yeah, it's just that these kids are incredible.
I can barely keep up with them.
I would've thought that a former middle school teacher
would be qualified to teach sixth graders.
Yeah... me, too.
It's just that they're... moving so fast.
Do you mind if I just...? Come on, only for a sec -
Enough, Mr. Juárez! Let's go let's go.
Three minutes. Out.
I'm sorry, Director. Daniel won't stop crying.
What's wrong, little one? Do you like clowns?
Look! A clown's nose.
What are you laughing at? What's your name?
Hey, come back! Wait!
So, what did we learn?
Have we figured out the problem?
FLOTATION = WEIGHT / SIZE
We think that if a fat man and a muscular guy weigh the same,
then the fat man would be bigger,
because muscle is heavier than fat.
Exactly! Well done!
What? What's wrong?
We were sure that if two things are the same size,
then the lighter would float better.
Ha! You're both right!
How can that be?
It's called an inversely proportional relationship,
and you figured out both parts of it.
What we were calling 'flotation',
is the concept of density.
Where density equals mass over volume.
Mass is another word for weight,
and volume is another word for size.
As the mass increases, we get higher density,
but if volume increases, we get lower density.
Got it?
In Spanish, please!
- Mr. Director, won't you join us? - What are you doing?!
- Isn't it cool? - I mean, why are you out here?
It was your idea, remember?
Turn the playground into a classroom.
You're supposed to be teaching natural science,
Your lesson plan today, if I am not mistaken, should be on the
Solar System.
That was the plan, but right now they're more interested in
physics.
- Physics? - Yeah.
As far as I know, there's nothing about physics on the
ENLACE test.
The ENLACE, sir. Come on.
Teaching to that test isn't going to help these kids.
What does it really even measure?
Teachers.
Did you ever think of that?
Come here.
What have you learned about physics today?
Um... not much.
I mean I understand the 'reverse relationship' of density -
- Inversely proportional. - Yeah, that.
Inversely proportional... between mass and volume
and how that changes density...
But how those huge metal ships are able to float...
I just don't know.
But neither did you.
Well, uhm, that's a tough one.
- It's difficult. - I see...
So, who is more dense, then?
You, or the Director?
Uh, I'm sure that...
the Director is far, far less dense than I am.
You like to push it, huh?
No, not at all.
Although he has a lot more mass and much more volume,
To know who is more or less dense, we would have to measure
ourselves.
How could we do that?
If mass is weight, couldn't we just weigh you?
Yes, we could. But what about volume?
Long by wide by high.
Length by width by height, but very good.
That works for a regular object, like a cube.
What about an irregular object, like a person?
What's the Director's width? Is it this...
or this?
Think about it. You're soooo close.
C'mon you've got this.
You have the answer right in front of you!
Oh, Paloma. One second.
I saw your notebook. You know all the answers,
Why didn't you share them with your classmates?
Look, you have real ability and -
Aerospace engineer?
Pardon?
You told Lupe she could be a philosopher.
Do you think I could be an aerospace engineer?
You want to design spaceships?
Well, several astronauts were first aerospace engineers.
Whoa...
Astronaut.
Okay.
I guess we have our work cut out for us.
Paloma...
If you could try to share a little bit more with your
classmates,
there's a lot we could learn from you.
Do you think you can try?
Why are we going the wrong way?
Can I help you? Um...
Do you have any books about philosophy?
Philosophy?
Or philosophers?
Philosophers?
Maybe John Stuart Mill?
Who?
John Stuart -
Those are college subjects,
I don't know why you'd have any need to read stuff like that at
your age?
Okay, well, thanks.
Is that what you wanted?
Watcha got there?
Did you know you can burn things with that using sunlight?
- I did. - Yeah, who doesn't, right?
What a couple! The nerd and the hoodlum.
Go to hell.
- Afternoon, Director. - Good afternoon, Mr. García.
This new guy, Mr. Juárez...
- What do you know about him? - Well...
I checked his evaluations, his references, the usual.
- Is that all? - Yeah.
That's interesting,
because...
I made a few calls...
Where were you? I was worried.
I guess I've been moving slower today.
What was that for?
I don't know. I had a good day.
Come on.
It floats!
Ok, you won.
But why do you think it floats?
Mr. Juárez, I hope you don't mind.
Not at all, come in.
Please, come in.
- How are you? This way. - I'm fine.
Look, before this goes any further,
I need to know exactly what you're up to.
So, I guess it isn't true that "no one gives a damn.”
It's my responsibility to look out for my kids.
"My kids..."
Listen.
I called your old school.
They told me about an "incident" you had there.
I had an episode in front of the students.
A kind of existential crisis, let's say.
I'm fine.
What else do you want to know?
Nothing, nothing.
I'm only trying to understand what it is you're trying to do
here.
I mean, what's your method?
No, no...
I don't have a method exactly.
I don't understand.
Hey, can I offer you a beer?
- No, I was just - - Please, I'm inviting you in to my home.
Honey? We have a guest.
- Good afternoon. - Hello.
This is my wife, Laura. He's my boss.
Oh, I thought I was the boss.
Nice to meet you.
I'm Chucho.
And this is our little surprise.
He can be a bit impertinent.
Yeah, I've noticed.
I'm going to put the baby down. Make yourself at home.
Thank you. Excuse me.
You asked why I came here.
"José Urbina López Elementary School
receives... grant for a computer lab."
That's dated eight months ago.
It says the funds were already disbursed.
They were disbursed all right, but they never got to us.
- You know how it goes. - Yeah.
"They'll be there tomorrow, no need to press."
In Matamoros you don't press more if you know what's good for
you.
Of course, yeah, sure.
Why the obsession?
We grew up without computer labs and we turned out fine.
You have one of those phones that go online?
Yeah, why?
Can I borrow it? I want to show you something.
By the way,
there's a girl in my class, Paloma Noyola.
- What do you know about her? - Not much. Quiet...
Could apply herself more.
- That's it? - Yeah, why?
- This is the last of it. - Let's see...
18 kilos of iron at 55 cents per kilo,
3 kilos of aluminum, at 11 pesos per kilo,
4 kilos of bronze at 2.75,
and 3 kilos of copper at 26 pesos.
The total comes to 105 pesos.
Let's go.
He shorted you.
What's that?
Papa, he's cheating you.
Excuse me? I think you counted wrong.
It should be 131.9 pesos.
Rounded up, 132 pesos.
Would you check again? Of course...
Look at that... you're right. It's 131.90 pesos.
Sorry. Must've hit the wrong key.
Nico!
What happened?!
You didn't come to Nacho's.
I'm sorry, I just -
Where's your backpack?
It's inside.
You need to think, Nico!
It's okay.
I'll be fine. You sure?
What are you doing?
Ever since I can remember, this thing has been here, rotting
Think you can fix it?
Maybe.
I've been learning about flotation at school.
Flotation? Really?
- How will you get it to float? - Well...
First, I have to keep the water out of it.
- Duh, obviously! - No, what I meant is...
I need to seal all the holes because if water gets in...
What?
Maybe... maybe that's it.
Even though it's not sealed like a balloon,
it uses the air in this space, somehow,
so that it makes the boat less dense than the water!
Yeah! That could be it!
Look at you...
Getting all scientific!
What is it?
Do you think I could stay in school, at least for a little
longer?
Jeez, I don't know, man.
- Let me talk to Nacho, okay? - All right.
You're trying to tell me your entire approach is based on
some... YouTube video?
Yeah, pretty much.
So you said to hell with the curriculum?
Yeah, pretty much.
We'll get it all covered eventually, but,
When they want to, when it's their idea.
Although, after what I saw today,
I'm not even sure they need me.
If they had computers,
they'd learn everything by themselves.
Oh my god.
Here.
Did you ever teach?
It's a requirement to become a Director.
So then you remember why you decided to become a teacher, no?
That was a long time ago.
What was the name of that teacher?
Mrs. Carmona.
Mine was Mr. Chávez.
Profe Juan Antonio Chávez.
He told me I could change the world,
and I believed him.
I remember how I gave him a hug up there, in front of everyone,
at my graduation.
When I started teaching my kids would come up to hug me, too.
but over time, each year there were fewer and fewer,
until last year, not one.
Kids have changed
No.
Kids will always be kids.
The world has changed, Mr. Juárez.
Yes, but we haven't.
Nothing in education has changed in the last 100 years.
Nothing. From the school bell to the uniforms.
"Be quiet! Stand in line! Raise your hand!"
We're training these kids to be cogs in a machine
whose only purpose is to keep running for its own sake.
And if it chews them up and spits them out,
it's because they didn't follow the rules of our little game.
But these kids are so much smarter than that.
They know full well the machine is obsolete.
So they tune out, they drift away...
...and we lose them.
You asked me why I came here.
I don't want to lose any more kids.
Not one more.
Aren't you a little old to be such an idealist?
I'm a little too old to be a new Dad again.
- Okay, Mr. Juárez... - Sergio, just Sergio.
Call me Sergio.
Okay, Sergio.
I'm going to give you a chance...
...just don't piss it away, eh?
Oh, actually...
Can I ask you for one more tiny favor?
It's ready, get in.
Mom, time to get up.
What's going on? Come on, help me out here.
Good evening.
Breakfast is on the table, coffee's ready.
Thank you.
All right, in you go.
No! What are you doing!? You didn't take off your underwear.
Hey...
Get out, get out!
Uhh, get back in...
How much?
- Seven centimeters. - Yeah!
Next. Next!
Wait, I changed my mind!
Ok, I'm here.
"Tiny favor."
- It's for the kids, remember? - For the kids.
For the kids... This is for the kids!
For the kids!
I'm going, I'm going.
- Ten Centimeters. - Ten centimeters!
Sergio is more dense!
We can build a water heater, or an oven...
I have an idea! Check this out.
- We're going to win! - Hell, yeah!
Hi, there. Can I help you?
Do you have any books about philosophy?
Of course.
Are you interested in any area in particular?
Metaphysics? Ontology? Epistemology?
Morality? Logic? Aesthetics?
Marlene, can you give me a hand?
Here you go.
- This never happens! - Give it a whack.
Sorry.
Over here.
None of that is usable. Take all you want.
Careful not to cut yourself. Good luck.
We believe gravity is that which makes us fall,
but it only seems like we're falling.
When we're actually being pulled towards Earth,
because its mass is so enormous compared to ours.
It's the same reason why the sun pulls the Earth.
Then, if the sun is pulling the Earth how come we don't just
crash into the sun?
Because the orbit is the exact spot where a planet is caught
between falling towards something and falling away from
it.
So, the entire universe, all of us, all the time,
are actually just falling through space?
- Yeah, something like that. - Cool!
- Hey watch where you point that. - Sorry!
Okay, so...
Everyone knows that a magnifying glass can burn things.
This is unfocused light reflected onto my hand.
But what happens if we focus it?
Tada!
I hope you enjoyed our Solar Death Ray!
If you think that was cool, You'll like this even more...
Watch what it does to this bottle of gasoline!
Rotation!
Come on, everyone! Let me see you rotating!
Rotation!
Now revolution!
JOSÉ URBINA ELEMENTARY RECEIVES GRANT FOR COMPUTER LAB
Why so early, Nico?
Everything ok?
All right, tell me.
You said we could ask you anything, right?
Yup.
And there is no question that's too weird or that we shouldn't
ask, right?
That's right.
Okay, so... here's my question.
Shoot.
How do I get a girl to like me?
- See! - No, no!
It's a very good question.
A very important question, in fact.
I'm serious, but...
like all big questions, there's no one answer.
Dammit.
Because there's not only one kind of girl.
What kind of girl are we talking about?
That's the thing.
She's just so smart, and I'm so dumb -
Hey, hey.
None of that.
Every time I try to impress her, I end up saying something
stupid.
Well there's your problem!
What?
You're trying to impress her, show her how great you are.
That works with some women, but...
You're not interested in just any girl, are you?
There you go.
With a girl like that,
you gotta show her how great she is, not you.
Support her, encourage her...
Because she is going places.
Especially someone like Paloma.
- How...? - Eh, it was pretty obvious.
Look.
I was going to give this to her,
but I think maybe you should.
Tell her "look what I found and it made me think of you."
How come you know all this stuff?
Remember when I said we learn from our mistakes?
I've made a lot of them.
Take care of it now, you don't want to lose it -
No!
Sorry, it's just that... I keep important stuff in here.
Let me see that bag, Nico.
It just has my school supplies, a gift from my brother...
- That's all. - Nico!
- No, no, no, - Nico, give it -
Please, we never open it. Please!
Give me that bag.
If they find out, they'll kill me.
Please, I'm begging you. Don't open it.
Give it to me, Nico.
Will you?
What?
If I open this bag,
am I going to find something no 12-year-old should have,
much less bring to school?
I don't know.
Maybe.
Nico, if I find something like that,
I'll have no choice but to report it,
and from then on everything will get much more complicated for
you
So what are you going to do?
That's what you have to tell me.
Good morning.
I looked up your questions,
they're up front with your names on them.
Nico, I know you've had a lot of catching up to do,
but out of all my students, you've made the most progress.
Remember what I said at the top of the year about taking charge
of your lives?
You have to decide which direction you want your life to
go.
Do you want it to go this way?
or this way.
You can't have both.
Almost on time.
At least you're making progress.
Today, we're having Rosita's dance presentation.
It's going to be fantastic.
But before we begin, it's game time.
Pay attention.
There was a famous mathematician named
Carl Friedrich Gauss.
In 1777, when he was a kid,
his teacher wanted to keep all his students busy,
so he asked them to add up all the numbers from 1 to 100.
This was supposed to take them hours,
but Gauss answered immediately.
Can anyone tell me how he did it?
Uh, Team 2? Paloma?
Is it...
5050?
How did you get that?
I added 100 plus 1... 101.
99 plus 2, 101.
98 plus 3, 101.
In total, there are 50 pairs of 101.
Team 2 gets a point.
I need to report an incident.
- Are we done here? - It seems we are.
What happened?
A student may have brought contraband to school.
"May have brought"?
Yeah, I'm not certain.
Who's the offender?
Me.
Come again?
Yes, maybe I should've reported the student.
Isn't that what you're doing right now?
Yes.
No.
No, because I'm reporting myself.
For what?
For failing to report something that... Maybe I should have.
I chose not to look in their bag.
So, who is the student?
No, I can't tell you that.
Because technically, there hasn't been any violation.
And I want to give them an opportunity.
I just... I'm not sure I did the right thing.
This seems more like a confession than a report.
I didn't do it just for him. Or her.
It's just that the whole class is engaging,
the method is working.
If I report this student now, I could lose everyone's trust.
It would ruin the whole thing, and I don't want to lose them.
So what am I supposed to do?
Tell me I did the right thing?
Sergio,
the only thing that you did...
was confuse the hell out of me.
Can I walk you home?
Don't you live by the beach?
Yes, but I'm taking the long way today.
Besides, you'll be a lot safer with me...
Suit yourself.
You can build your own rocket,
and you get to experience a zero-gravity chamber.
And look, there's also a simulation of a failed launch,
where you have to regain control.
And get this:
Three students have become real astronauts.
- Sergio told me that - - Wait a second.
Sergio gave you this?
Wanna see something?
- Are you okay, Papa? - Yes, don't worry.
I'm just a little beat today.
Who's this? Good afternoon. I'm Nico.
We're partners on a science project.
Let me take my bag inside, I'll be right back.
Eh, how are you, sir?
Okay.
Come on.
- Sorry about the smell. - What smell?
Here.
Where did you get that?
I... found it.
- Whoa. - You haven't seen anything yet.
Here.
- What's that? - My tripod.
Doesn't it have to be nighttime?
Look.
- Where? - There.
Where the ocean meets the sky.
What - what's that?
SpaceX. It's the launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.
Soon the world's biggest rockets will be launched from there.
And we can watch them from right here.
They're asleep.
What are you reading?
About moral dilemmas.
I don't understand a lot of it, but it's very interesting.
Like...
let's say you're the captain of a sinking ship.
You have 30 passengers, but the lifeboat only holds 15.
How do you choose who to save, and why?
- What class is that for? - It's not for school.
I got it from the university. For myself.
Wait, what?
That library is amazing, you should see it.
I thought I'd like to study philosophy,
but after seeing all those books... I dunno.
But I want to be a professor, that's for sure.
Philosophy?
Professor?
Honey...
You're not even going back to school next year.
I have to work, who's going to look after your baby brother,
huh?
Look, if it means a lot to you and you really want to,
I'm sure you can get back to it after, once he's in
kindergarten.
Let's go, Paloma.
Oh, there you are! Special presentation today.
Your class gets the first slot. 9:00 am. Computer lab.
Okay.
The District sent a technician.
He'll show some basic concept to the kids
He'll explain to them how a computer works.
Really? Yes, he's setting up now.
- Really? - Yes, he's setting up now.
What happened?
I insisted, I pressed.
I could kiss you.
Please don't...
I haven't brushed my teeth.
See you there.
Nico!
- How did it go? - I think... good?
- What's this? - A little gift.
Call it a Christmas bonus...
I'm not big on tests, much less practice ones.
You see the date?
2012? But that's this year.
It's not a practice test. It's the real deal.
- Where did you get this? - It's everywhere.
You just have to know where to look.
Thanks but...
No.
It's ok. We're all together on this.
You can keep doing your thing if you prepare them with this
the other teachers won't be so bothered by your little...
experiments.
Thanks, but... Count me out.
Thing is, we're evaluated as a whole.
If your students do poorly, you bring us all down.
So you kind of... have to be in.
What about the kids?
They'll have no idea.
If they excel, they graduate. If they fail, they graduate.
No matter what happens, they graduate. That's how it's always
been.
The only difference is whether we get a bonus along the way or
not.
No, the only difference
is whether or not we teach them to cheat.
That's the difference.
Laptops? Even better!
- Good morning. - Morning!
Believing computers are a vital part of the modern economy...
- Eh, the government of Matamoros - - Cut to the chase,
man.
Okay.
This is a CPU, or Central Processing Unit.
It's the brain of the computer...
The CPU stores the data and executes
the operations that make a computer work...
Did you know that a computer can execute up to...
four million commands per second...
Hey!
- What are you doing? - Excuse me?
I assume you gave this to my daughter?
You must be Paloma's father.
Twelve hundred dollars.
- I don't make that in a year. - No, no, uh...
They offer scholarships, the school would recommend her.
Paloma has a good shot.
We could hold a fundraiser for her travel expenses.
- I'm sure that - - Look, Maestro.
I may be poor.
I've worked all my life sifting through trash,
but I'm no beggar.
Oh, no, no. That's not what I meant.
Look.
I know this may seem like a big stretch for you,
but Paloma isn't just any student.
- She can get that scholarship. - And then, what?
When she goes to this "space camp" and sees all that crazy
stuff,
And then returns here? To reality?
You know...
You blast these kids off like rocket ships into space,
after packing their heads with all these ideas.
But when they leave your class and return to the real world,
when they come crashing back down to earth, where will you be
then?
Will you be here to catch them and tell them to keep trying?
No...
You'll be filling another bunch of heads with your crazy ideas,
reminding them of what they can't have,
what they can never be.
Papa?
Please, Maestro.
Don't do that to my daughter.
Come on, Paloma.
- You can't go in! - Excuse me.
- I know you're busy. - I tried to stop him.
- Sorry to interrupt, but - - Who are you?
I'm Sergio Juárez Correa.
I teach at Escuela Primaria José Urbina López.
I wanted to talk to you about...
About the situation with...
with our computers.
It's fine, Martha.
We always make time for our soldiers on the front line.
- Interesting choice of words. - Pardon me?
Soldier. Front lines...
As if I were at war, fighting an enemy.
But no. I...
I spend all day with...
Children.
So, tell me...
How can I help you?
Nacho asked about you today.
"When is the pretty boy going to start?"
Now that school's winding down, he wants to show you the ropes.
What is it?
Do you see out there?
You can't tell where the ocean ends
and the sky begins.
Did you know that right now, technically,
we're standing in outer space?
What?
Yeah, it comes all the way down to here.
What we think of as the sky is just a layer of gas.
It doesn't feel like there's anything, it seems empty,
but it actually has mass -
like weight -
and it's always being pulled towards Earth.
It's trapped here.
Just like we are.
- Hey, I'm not going to work for Nacho. - Are you serious?
But you hate school. What happened?
I don't know. I just... like it.
There's this teacher,
who does things differently.
With him, I think I could actually be smart.
And, there's this girl...
Ha! The truth comes out.
Check out our little Don Juan!
Listen...
If you had a shot to do something else, I'd want you to
take it.
But with Nacho, once you're in, you're never out.
But I was never really in...
Right?
Hey! Need a ride?
I was enjoying the walk, but sure.
Your car in the shop? Yeah.
Forever.
I traded it for something more useful.
Is that what I think it is?
Now you'll see what they can do.
- You didn't have to do that. - Oh, I did.
- I'm sorry, I really thought - - It's okay, I know.
In fact, I really appreciate your effort.
Your wife didn't get mad?
- Are you married? - No.
Good, because...
I think I'll be staying at your place for a while.
His approach is unorthodox, but the results are compelling.
Yes, I'm sure.
We have visitors. To what do we owe the honor?
I take it you know each other -
What are you doing?
Meditating.
We were having a discussion and things got pretty intense,
so we were taking a moment to cool down.
Don't mind me. Please, continue.
I'm just here to observe.
What were you discussing?
We were discussing... morality.
Morality?
That's not a subject we're familiar with.
According to the lesson plan... March 20th...
you should be preparing for the ENLACE test.
Yeah, but Lupita has taken an interest in philosophy.
Philosophy? And she was sharing with the class
some of the things she has learned.
Last year, in the fifth grade,
this class's scores were among the worst in the nation.
I find it strange you have time to do anything but prepare for
the test.
Well, like I said.
Someone told Lupita she was far too young
to read about philosophy.
So, we were trying to see if it could answer some difficult
questions.
Like which?
I wanted to know what John Stuart Mill would say about
abortion.
Abortion?
- And what do you think he'd say? - Well...
If we want the greatest good for the greatest number of people,
I think that if you're struggling to afford rent and
food,
It's better not to bring more children into the world who are
only going to suffer.
And that would also cause more suffering for others.
So, yes.
There are cases where abortion might be the right thing to do.
My god.
So, how do you feel about this conclusion?
Well, I think about my own siblings.
Sometimes they are a lot of work,
but I also don't like imagining them not having been born.
I don't know.
It's very complicated.
But it's cool.
We all agreed that condoms are the obvious answer.
- Condoms?! - Well, not everyone agrees.
In fact, we had quite a debate about that, didn't we?
According to Stuart Mill, something can be good or bad
depending on the situation.
Is there something that in his view
would always be immoral in every case?
Anything that hurts many for the benefit of a few.
Like what?
Like if someone steals something that is meant for everybody?
Very good, Nico. So something like...
Corruption?
Given you have the time to discuss such advanced subjects
in class,
You must have total command of the basic sixth grade skills
You, tell me...
What's the square root of 256?
What is that supposed to show?
No? With whom was Mexico at war in 1846?
He hasn't gone over that yet, he's -
Explain Darwin's Theory of Evolution.
Hold on -
As I suspected...
This child lacks the basic knowledge expected from a sixth
grader.
Mr. Juárez, he's the definition...
...of an ignoramus.
Now wait - Hey Nico!
And undisciplined too!
What's wrong with you? Why did you do that?
To me, say what you want, but don't you talk to the kids that
way.
The square root of 256 is 16.
Mexico fought the U.S. in 1846.
Darwin's theory of Evolution is the survival of the fittest.
Thank you, Mr. Juárez. See me in the Director's Office.
I've been thinking about our game from the first day,
remember?
The boats and the passengers?
There's an obvious solution.
You shouldn't sell more tickets than there are spaces in the
lifeboats.
- Wait, Sergio. - I bet he's taking bribes from those
assholes!
Wait, Sergio!
I asked you not to kick the hornet's nest, and what did you
do!?
Abortion? Condoms? Corruption?!
I can't ask my students to be fearless learners, to do
whatever it takes -
to go wherever their inquiries take them -
And then what?
Turn into a bootlicker right in front of them?
Think of the big picture
What matters is that they keep you as their teacher.
So what if you have to lick a few boots?
Are you serious?
Mr. Director? I'm waiting...
Right away, sir.
Mr. Juárez...
I must say I was very disturbed to receive numerous complaints
that your kids aren't being prepared for the ENLACE test,
But I didn't imagine the situation would be this bad.
So you are hereby suspended for two weeks.
What?!
Until after your class has been prepared for the ENLACE test,
For which you have obviously so little regard -
Look...
You're right, I won't deny it.
I think it's a useless test.
but don't take that out on the kids.
OK I'll do it, I'll prepare them.
For the next two weeks, that's all we'll do: prepare for the
ENLACE.
But please... don't suspend me.
To bring in anyone else but me to prepare them would just be...
stupidity.
You can thank your Director that this is only a suspension,
and not a permanent dismissal.
But to be honest, I'm starting to reconsider my decision.
That won't be necessary.
Anything else to add?
No.
Good day, Professors.
This is insane, Chucho.
Did you know that in my class, right here in this school,
there's a girl who I'm sure is a certifiable genius?
The only thing you knew about her before I got here was that
"she could apply herself more."
Really?
How many kids in this country could be like her?
But as long as we tolerate this deliberate ignorance, we will
never know.
I'm sorry, Sergio.
My hands are tied. Yeah, yeah.
Consider it a vacation.
Go spend some time with your wife and baby.
Hey, you okay?
You know? You're not stupid.
Or an ignoramus, or whatever that man called you.
I mean it.
You always come up with the most clever things to say, so
quickly...
I could never do that.
There's the pretty boy!
Chepe says you're confused about who you work for?
I couldn't believe it, so I wanted to see for myself...
So? Do you work for me, or not?
It suddenly occurs to me that the reason you're confused
is because we never gave you a proper welcome to the family.
A real initiation, you know?
Who's this?
She's no one, just a friend.
Go home.
- Hang on, love. - Hey!
- What's going on? - Are you a virgin?
- What?! - Nacho, don't!
- She'll do. - She's just a kid, man!
Hey!
Look at your brother, trying to act tough!
They're just kids, man!
- Wait, Nico! - What the fuck?!
Lupe... Lupe!
Are you okay?!
Are you all okay?
Are you ok?
Paloma, are you all right?!
Nico...
Carlos ate 3/8 of the pizza,
whereas Ricardo ate 1/4 of the same pizza.
How much of the pizza did Carlos and Ricardo eat?
Anyone?
Good morning, Laura.
What a surprise.
Maybe you can get him out of bed.
Excuse me.
Can we talk for a minute?
Sergio, the ENLACE test is tomorrow.
That means your suspension is over.
We're understaffed, we could use your help.
We haven't heard anything from you.
I need to know if you're coming back.
You know I couldn't do anything about what happened.
You know I was against it.
Sergio, open up!
I'm not leaving. I'm staying right here.
I'm going to eat your food, crap in your toilet...
Whatever it takes, I'm not leaving until you come out.
Sergio...
You can't walk out on these children.
They're traumatized enough as it is.
Maybe it's the best way to prepare them for the future.
- Hi, how are you? - Go.
Seriously?
That's it? You're gonna give up so easily?
Yeah, why not?
You don't want to finish what you started?
Sergio...
You saw for yourself that you were succeeding.
Want to know what I succeeded at?
I succeeded at getting... they killed... one of my...
Look, look...
If you don't want to, you don't have to come back...
Great, so why are you here?
For the kids...
I want to get my kids back.
They stopped coming?
I want them to take the ENLACE test.
That fucking test...
Chucho...
Look, like I told you...
I failed...
Them -
Nico.
I thought...
I thought I was doing things the right way.
Really, but -
I should've checked the backpack...
No, if I come back they're just going to end up paying the
price.
Again.
- Sorry... - Wait a minute, Sergio.
I really do think you were on the verge of something big with
them.
I saw it myself.
I have never seen children respond like that before. Ever!
Or make such progress in so little time.
But no one gives a shit what we think of this method.
No one will care unless we show measurable results.
That's what the test is for.
You said it yourself. Paloma might be a genius.
But, how would we know -
Paloma stopped coming?
Good afternoon.
Paloma?
What are you doing here?
The director said he'd leave me alone if
...I convince you to come back to school.
You're not going back?
I don't know if I can.
Why not?
Maybe your dad was right...
Maybe I've done more harm than good.
I can't come back.
I have to look after him now. He's sick.
I'm so sorry, Paloma.
I'm so sorry.
But my dad wasn't right...
You told us we had as much potential as any other kid.
But what we didn't have before you, was the belief...
That we could fulfill it.
I never could have allowed myself to imagine the things I
did in your class.
About who I could be, what I could do.
And that's something I get to have now.
I wouldn't have that if it weren't for you.
And I'll never...
ever forget that.
But sometimes, believing is not enough.
Sometimes...
the reality is the reality.
Look around...
This is my reality.
There's no escaping it.
And people like me...
like Nico...
We don't get to escape.
I understand.
Mr. Juárez.
Mr. Noyola.
Paloma doesn't need this anymore.
You should take it back. It might get damaged here.
But... what is it?
She borrowed it from school, for a science project.
The school could never afford something like this.
She didn't borrow this.
She made it.
What...?
That's impossible.
Isn't everything impossible until it is done?
Wow.
Paloma is an extraordinary girl, Mr. Noyola.
I only wonder if you know just how extraordinary.
Don't say that, Maestro.
This is hers.
It's hers.
Can we make one more stop?
Paloma?
You should be resting, Papa.
Come, sit with me.
Are you feeling all right?
It's all gonna be ok.
That list of yours... have phone numbers?
Profe?
Look at that!
Over there.
Sit wherever you like.
Hurry up, everyone.
- C'mon, guys, we're running late! - I'm coming!
How are we doing?
Just a few more.
Look.
- What's up with him? - Due to numerous reports of
irregularities,
they decided to change this year's test.
Perhaps they got a lot of tips from concerned citizens.
At least we're all on a level playing field.
What?
Everyone take your seats...
Do not touch the materials in front of you until the test
begins.
Ok everyone, let's quiet down please.
We're about to begin.
All right guys, listen; real quick.
This test measures how much you know, okay?
Maybe... this year I didn't teach you everything you need to
know.
But you did learn how to think.
So, there might be some things that you don't recognize...
but there's nothing in this test you can't figure out.
Okay?
Got it?
Actually...
Actually there is one thing I want you to know before you take
this test:
You have all taught me so... very much.
And I am so very proud of each and every single one of you.
All right! Now let's go kick some ass!
You will have three hours to complete the test.
You should try to answer as many questions as you can.
Any answers left blank will count against you
Good luck!
And...
...let's begin.
The year before Sergio's arrival, only 55% of his
students passed the ENLACE in Math and 69% in Language.
None received a score of "Excellent."
In 2012, after a year with Sergio,
93% passed the Mathematics portion, with 63% scoring
"Excellent",
and 97.5% passed the Language portion, with 72% scoring
"Excellent".
Ten of Sergio's students scored in the top 0.1% nationally in
Mathematics.
Paloma Noyola achieved the highest score...
...in all of Mexico.
She became a national sensation and received a private grant
that allowed her to move to a new home.
Sergio Juárez Correa still lives in Matamoros
where he continues to teach sixth grade.
José Urbina López Elementary School still has no computer
lab.
Like a flame flickering in the wind
It's the sand that rises
The sorrow that time heals
And knowing, knowing, knowing, knowing
The sun will rise, come morning light
Like the angel of destiny
Casts stones along the way
It's my voice, my light, my heartbeat
And knowing, knowing, knowing, knowing
The sun will rise, come morning light
The laughter that sweetens life
The fight I embrace each new day
All those pearls are hidden
In the darkness they'll remain.
Let's push against the current
Through seas and rivers, a tidal surge
A strong burst of faith is what's needed
Where will it lead?
Where will they go?
The light looks at us serene
Restless upon waking
A song that lives and resonates
And knowing, knowing, knowing, knowing
The sun will rise, come morning light
It's knowing, knowing, knowing, knowing
The sun will rise, come morning light
Knowing, knowing, knowing, knowing
The sun will rise, come morning light
“The only thing that interferes with my learning is my
education”
Albert Einstein