homework 48

possible film treatment:
Jake a normal teenager is having breakfast with his father. We learn that his mother and father are both very intelligent and his father is a member of Mensa. The intellectual environment causes Jake to value his education highly. during the breakfast the father expresses his anger with Jake's school, saying that he isn't challenged enough and no one in the school cares teacher or student. Jake explains to his father that he agrees with him but it is something that happens everywhere and in much of the system. The father continues to talk about the problem but Jake doesn't really listen. after a short while he leaves for school.

Jake's school is obviously bad, from the exterior it looks old and without any funding for renovation and all the kids are completely distracted, no one but Jake is going to class. Jake goes to his class and walks in with all his friends who do care about school more than most of the students in the school but not as much as Jake. after a while a teacher walks in, he looks tired and out of it. he puts his feet on the desk and tells the kids to take the period off because he has a hangover. No one is shocked by it because it has become a frequency. Jake turns around and talks to his friends. They talk about how crazy it is that this is their school. They talk about how they wish they could be learning and being prepared for college, all of them are upset but eventually change the subject to something else.

Jake goes home and watches TV. his father walks him and asks him if he did his homework, he tells him he had no homework then his father leaves the room and comes back and throws him a book and tells him to read it before tomorrow night. Jake looks like he is upset but inside is actually excited to be getting something to do.

At dinner Jake tells his father about what happened in school that day. he also tells him about about other problems at school and that they have one of the lowest college acceptance rates in the state. Jake's father becomes angry and tells Jake he has decided to take him out of the school and will home school him for a few months, maybe more. Jake asks him not to but the father doesn't budge. he tells him he will finish out the semester which ends in a few days then will start being home schooled.

The next day Jake tells all his friends they say their upset he wont be in school but at least he might learn something. Jake starts his homeschooling and is doing fine academically but bored and misses his friends. he is still in contact with them and they tell him that the school is getting worse and worse. and that they are getting sick of it.

About a week into the homeschooling the doorbell rings during a lesson they go to answer it and its Jake's friend Steven. Steven tells them he can't take the school anymore and wonders if it is ok if he gets taught by Jake's father too. Jake's father reluctantly says yes. they go back and continue the lesson both Jake and Steven are thrilled.

A few days later the doorbell rings again it is the rest of Jake's and Steven's friends they too want to be home schooled. The father says no but Jake appeals to his compassionate side and he agrees. there are now five students in the living room.

The five students continue to be taught by the father all of them happy and moving at a much faster level than they ever would in school. we then learn some administrators have learned about the switch and don't know if it is legal, they decide they should try to stop it.

The administrators call the father and tells him he must stop the home schooling. He refuses and hangs up, he tells the kids he doesn't know how much longer they can work together but nothing more.

Eventually the administrators meet the father at the house and demand that he sends all the kids to school or he will go court and eventually prison. The father tells them the students need him and he is served to court.

At the court they plead with the judge. Each student tells the judge about the sad excuse for education they are given. the father tells the judge that although he too is upset with the school system it is not the place of the father to take the place of the state, the students must go back to school. The father works out a deal with the judge so they can finish out the year and then go back to school. The father doesn't tell the kids until the next day.

When he tells them he is nearly in tears and the kids are obviously upset. they complain and complain and are angered but the father tells them that its OK, they only have a year of school left and they will all go to college.

They finish out the year and everything is very sad, and disappointing. the father tries to cheer them up but it is no use, all they wanted was a quality education and the moment they got it it was taken away. right when he was about to say goodbye he tells the kids to wait a minute. he walks out of the room, calls the principle of the old school asks for a job gets it then calls his boss and tells him he permanently quits. he ten goes to tell the kids he will be their teacher next year.