# I need movies about a teacher helping underprivileged kids. The more patronizing/cheesy the better. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 17, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267 "2012-11-17T01:57:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/1 "2012-11-17T01:57:07Z")
My best friend recently (this fall) started a new job teaching remedial students at a public school in a very poor urban area. Suffice it to say that he has some frustrations about his job and has been venting to me about them. So, because I possess a bizarre sense of humor and I am a wonderful friend, I have been posting trailers of movies that deal with this subject matter on his Facebook in order to inspire/amuse him. Yesterday it was Dangerous Minds. Today it was Stand and Deliver. Tomorrow it will be Finding Forrester. Unfortunately, I’m running out of movies. The only thing I can think of off the top of my head for Sunday is The Substitute, but that’s really more about a teacher killing underprivileged kids rather than helping them. So any ideas? I want to keep this going as long as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/2 "2012-11-17T02:11:18Z")
[Freedom Writers](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463998/) ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/3 "2012-11-17T02:13:17Z")
[Music Of The Heart](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166943/) ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/4 "2012-11-17T02:17:08Z")
[Edge of America](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363587/) ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/5 "2012-11-17T02:21:36Z")
[Up the Down Staircase](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_e4DfjkUeg) When you run out of movies, you can use a clip of [Welcome Back Kotter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkyw_d6X6i0&feature=related) ETA: forgot about [Lean On Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWW4KogocfQ) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/6 "2012-11-17T02:27:34Z")
To Sir with Love Blackboard Jungle ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/7 "2012-11-17T02:29:29Z")
[High School High](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116531/) ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/8 "2012-11-17T02:29:32Z")
Stand and Deliver is the quintessential example of this. ---
**Author:** ![Kasper1014](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c89c15/32.png) [@Kasper1014](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kasper1014)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/9 "2012-11-17T02:32:25Z")
It’s more about a Coach, but Wildcats, starting Goldie Hawn. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/10 "2012-11-17T02:36:02Z")
Long forgotten but very good: [Conrack](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071358/combined) 1974 - John Voight from a Pat Conroy novel. Music by John Williams. Trailer [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPKzYIs5bDg](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPKzYIs5bDg) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/11 "2012-11-17T02:49:31Z")
Sister Act 2 The Ron Clark Story ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/12 "2012-11-17T03:19:35Z")
There was also a Southpark episode in which Cartman teaches kids in an inner city school how to cheat. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/13 "2012-11-17T03:27:34Z")
Summer School ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/14 "2012-11-17T04:11:15Z")
_Waiting for “Superman.”_ D&R ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/15 "2012-11-17T04:26:39Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > _Waiting for “Superman.”_ > > D&R Isn’t that the one about the evils of teacher’s unions, and how how the world would be abetter place if only it were easier fire teachers? I am not sure it will be much appreciated by an actual teacher. ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ [_To Serve Them All My Days_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080298/) is not about underprivileged kids, but it is a cheesy story about the wonderfulness of the teaching profession. ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/16 "2012-11-17T04:29:39Z")
[_Only The Strong_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107750/): it’s like _To Sir With Love_ with kickboxing. ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/17 "2012-11-17T05:19:28Z")
[The Principal](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8760ji7Ax1k), starring Jim Belushi and Lou Gossett Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/18 "2012-11-17T05:52:50Z")
Best I could do: Billy Jack: Good Morning, Miss Dove: Forbidden Zone–Not a trailer, but exactly what you’re looking for!: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dZrkuPIt2bk/hqdefault.jpg "Forbidden Zone Alphabet Song") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZrkuPIt2bk) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/19 "2012-11-17T05:57:45Z")
Renaissance Man has Danny DeVito teaching underprivileged army recruits the joys of Shakespeare. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267/20 "2012-11-17T06:51:08Z")
> [@SecretaryofEvil](#): > > My best friend recently (this fall) started a new job teaching remedial students at a public school in a very poor urban area. Is he doing this so he doesn’t have to pay back his student loans? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-movies-about-a-teacher-helping-underprivileged-kids-the-more-patronizing-cheesy-the-better/641267.md?page=2)