School Pride (2010) s01e04 Episode Script
Don't Shut Us Down!
Tonight, on School Pride, Our mission to restore pride and achievement to America's schools takes us to a Detroit High School that's being shut down by the district.
All: CMA! CMA! CMA is living a school's worst nightmare.
They have one of the highest graduation rates in the country and one of the worst facilities.
I'm warning you.
You should enter here at your own risk.
If the school community can't fix up this building, the district will close down CMA for good.
Why did it get on the cut list in the first place? It's difficult to separate the financial operations from the academics.
Being on the chopping block, it's going to force us students to have to be shipped off to different schools, and that's just a horrible place for our kids to be.
Can this Detroit community renovate CMA and keep the doors open for good? All: Three, two, one! [Cheering.]
Four individuals from different walks of life have come together to help communities renovate their schools.
Are you ready? Susie castillo: Designer and former miss U.
S.
A.
It's a proven fact that when children have a better learning environment, like what we're giving them, test scores skyrocket and they get better grades.
Jacob soboroff: Political journalist determined to find out why so many of our schools are on the brink of collapse.
I think that education in America is broken.
No teacher or no student should feel like their school is a prison.
Kym whitley: Comedian and former teacher.
If you can give a child a great beginning, they could become anything.
And me, Tom stroup: Team leader and SWAT commander.
We're basically community organizers.
It's about going to a community, helping the community help themselves.
This week, we're headed to CMA High School in Detroit, Michigan.
Hey, nbc and school pride.
My name is kavon.
Hey, nbc.
My name is torri.
And we're 11th graders here at CMA, communication and media arts, in Detroit, Michigan.
This is the first thing that you see when you're in here in our school.
Paint's chipping, rust.
It's hard to imagine that the kids that come from CMA have to deal with a building like this.
I'm warning you.
You should enter here at your own risk.
Basically it's self-explanatory.
As you can see I'm not even sure what this is.
I just I'm sure it's not supposed to be hanging from right here.
The pipes are showing on the ceiling.
The water fountain.
Just all tore apart.
The tiles on the ceiling.
The tiles on the floor, the bathrooms.
It's terrible.
It's raining right now.
We have a lot of water damage throughout the school.
That's a real big issue in not only the hallways, but a lot of classes.
It's not that the school just looks bad.
Just imagine you'll be in a class trying to pay attention and it starts raining on you.
It's a huge distraction.
And our teachers here at CMA are so great that they tried to put up cardboard and stuff to protect us.
Academically, CMA is ranked one of the top three in the entire city, but yet the district's trying to shut us down.
D.
O.
E.
Doesn't want to pay any money.
They'd rather just close it, because our building is so bad.
CMA is on the cut list for the third time.
The first two times, we had to rally together.
The whole community came out, you know, for CMA.
All: Save CMA! But the building is so bad this time, instead they just want to shut us down.
It's unfair that we have to keep fighting.
We are a good school.
97% of our students come to school every day.
97% of our seniors graduated.
And despite those efforts, we find ourselves again on the chopping block.
CMA is the only option for many of our students.
They don't have the choice to go other places, but being on the chopping block is going to force them to have to be shipped off to different schools, and that's just a horrible place for our kids to be, not to mention our staff members.
They're part of the CMA family.
We're trying to keep this community intact.
We have a lot of pride in ourselves, but please help us to have a lot of pride in our building.
We're a great school, great academics, so please help us, nbc.
Please.
[Bell rings.]
[Siren wails.]
Here we come, Detroit.
All right, guys, we're going to a High School here in Detroit and apparently this High School was slotted, like, twice before for demolition.
Right.
This is the third time and we're gonna say, "we're not gonna let it happen.
" They have a 97% graduation rate.
97%.
That's unheard of.
Instead of closing this school down, the school should be an example for the rest of the country.
- Right.
- This is it.
Here we are.
This week, we're in Detroit at CMA, communication and media arts school, and this is a school that needs desperate help and it needs it right now.
[Fire alarm buzzing.]
[Indistinct chatter.]
Come on out! Here we go! Oh, my God.
Come on out! [Cheering.]
This is not a fire.
We are the school pride team and we are here to help you renovate your school.
[Cheers and applause.]
Where is kavon? Where's kavon? Where's torri? We got your tape and it's because of you that we are here to help you renovate your school.
Congratulations! Nice work! Nice work! I want to know: Where are the teachers? There they are.
These students are doing so well and it's because of you, so we're here to make your jobs a lot easier.
Are you ready to do this? [Cheers and applause.]
All right.
We have seven days to totally renovate the school and we cannot do it by ourselves.
We are gonna start that clock right now.
We're gonna count it down.
Are you ready? Here we go.
Ten All: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! [Cheers and applause.]
Let's get busy! Let's go! [Cheering continues.]
My heart just can't stop beating right now.
I'm too excited right now.
Whoo! I'm overcome with joy.
I'm happy for my school and my classmates.
So thankful for school pride that they came out here today.
I'm just really, really excited.
Packing up stuff.
Are y'all excited? All: Yeah.
Oh, my goodness.
Kavon? Yes, ma'am? So this is all because of you? I need everybody to hug him.
I need everybody to give him a hug.
Give kavon a hug.
Aww.
CMA is my second family because I look at my classmates as my brothers and my sisters.
I look at teachers like uncles and aunts, because they go beyond what's required of them and I respect that a lot.
What has CMA given you? Uh, just education and a better perspective on life as far as goals and trying to make it to college and being something in life.
What are you gon' be when you grow up? A psychologist.
Oh.
I'm the first one in my family that will be going to college and I have CMA to thank for it.
Oh, I sure wish I would have met a man like you when I was High School.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I get that a lot.
- You get that a lot? - No, I don't.
[Laughter.]
- You have a girlfriend? - No, ma'am, I don't.
None of the girls here like you? They all like me.
They all like me.
They all like you? Look at 'em laughing.
They all like me.
Girls, do we like kavon? Do we like him? - He okay.
- He all right.
They like me.
They might not know it, but they like me.
They like you.
[Laughter.]
Dr.
ward, how long you been working in the district here in Detroit? Well, roughly, 35 years.
Dr.
ward is a veteran of the Detroit public school system and I figured there's no better person to ask about what's going on here.
I believe that the environment dictates how kids are gonna perform.
In an environment like this, there's not a lot that's demanding excellence from young people.
If this school was closed, what would it mean for you? What would it mean for people like the principal? These people don't have jobs next year.
You wouldn't have a job next year.
The students wouldn't have a place in this community to come to school next year? That is a possibility for us to deal with.
Call it abandoned.
Call it hopeless.
Call it whatever you want, but it means that they're gonna have to find somewhere else to go.
This is, believe it or not, a library.
We haven't used this place all year long.
So what goes on in this room? Absolutely nothing goes on right now in this room.
Oh, my goodness.
All of these High School kids are gonna go to college, and in college, you use libraries almost every single day.
Yes, and if we're expecting our kids to be proficient, we have to provide them with materials that demonstrate how important that is.
The school doesn't have a library because there's no money to keep it open.
It just makes no sense at a school where kids are doing so well.
So the next step for this library is to figure out how to get it back up and running.
Dr.
ward, we need to change what's going on in this room to bring it up to date.
- Well, before we do, let me say good-bye to the past, so that we can say hello to the future.
See you later, library.
This school is in bad shape.
It hasn't had any repairs probably for 50 years.
I think we're gonna have to do every single classroom.
The big goal this week is to get CMA off that cut list forever.
None of this is gonna matter if we can't keep this school open.
Right.
And it's a communication and media arts school, but there's no communication and media arts department.
These guys just need technology.
I mean, I would love to give them a brand-new digital multimedia lab.
I want to just focus in on the teachers this time and find out what they need and what's gonna make them happy.
We got to give these kids a great library.
Because when you're going off to college, where do you go and where do you do your work? Right.
If I may, I'll take the exterior.
When I first went there, I was appalled by it.
It was rusted, boarded over.
It looked like an abandoned warehouse, so I'll do the front and I would really like to do the landscaping.
- I like that idea.
- Awesome.
Let's get going.
If CMA closes, you just told that community that we're giving up.
This is not just about putting a band-aid on something just long enough to keep it open.
This is about saving a school forever.
Morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Give me some.
Wake on up.
Wait, hold on.
There we go.
There we go.
It is day two.
The volunteers are showing up in droves.
Good to see you coming by and working.
Are you excited about this? Oh, yeah.
I'm real excited about this.
They knew that if they volunteered and made a difference, then CMA can stay open.
All: go to the top and give it all you got don't stop don't stop don't stop until you reach the top we had a good turnout in Detroit, but we always need more volunteers, so I called some of my corporate friends and I said, "you need to get down here and volunteer.
" Hey! Oh, hi! [Cheers and applause.]
Thank you so much for coming.
Okay, now we got a lot of work to do, okay? Onstar's in the service business, so I knew I could count on them to help.
I needed those volunteers to go in a whole lot of different directions.
I needed some in the library.
I needed some in the multimedia center.
I needed some of them painting.
I needed some of them dusting.
There was a lot to be done.
You guys came right on up and got to work.
I appreciate that.
Why did you send the tape in? Why was it important? It was important because this is a great school.
I love the staff.
I love the students here.
I did not want to see CMA close.
How did you feel when you heard about that happening? At first, actually, I'm like, "oh, well, they're just bluffing.
" But then it just got really serious and parents just started coming out and I was like, "whoa.
They're actually gon' close CMA.
" And then after that, I just knew somebody was gonna have to do something to keep us open.
CMA has done a lot for me as far as, like, a lot of life lessons.
One thing I learned is, even though you're young, you're able to make change.
So what would you like to do in communications? Eventually I want to go into, like, broadcasting and stuff.
- Mm-hmm.
- And I like radio.
But, like, we don't have the resources to be able to do communications and media arts.
It's shocking to me that that's the type of school that this is supposed to be but you don't have none of the resources.
Wow.
How we doing, guys? - Good.
- Good.
Let's get started on our ping.
We're using the behr ultra, which is the paint and primer in one.
It's available at the home depot.
We're gonna make sure that the roller cover is not overly saturated.
You want to paint in the "w" pattern.
Down, over, down, over, and then come back and fill in the "w.
" That way you avoid lines.
So are you guys ready to get into it? Both: Yeah.
Hey, kavon.
How you doing? Hey, Tom.
I'll get up here and help you out.
All right, appreciate it.
So, kavon, why did you send us in the tape? Well, because the building was just terrible, you know? It's great teachers, great students, great everything, but even though we were still getting the job done inside, you know, on the outside, you know, it didn't look so good.
It's depressing to know that the school I've been going to for three years could get closed and, you know, I'd have to go somewhere else for my last year of High School.
I can't really imagine having to go through that.
What was your first impression when you came here in 9th grade? To be honest, I hated the school.
- You hated it? - Yeah.
- Why? - It was too strict.
- Too strict? - Yeah.
But now I understand, you know, rules are there for a reason, so.
CMA changes you as a person.
It's not just a school.
It's a motivator.
You just get something at CMA that I can't get anywhere else.
I think you're a born leader, young man.
Thank you, sir.
I mean, I think you had something in you before you came here and this school just helped you find it.
Right.
Mrs.
odom? - Hi.
- Hey, I'm Jacob.
How you doing? Nice to meet you.
- It's nice to meet you.
- Good to see you.
You're the principal here? Absolutely.
You got quite a job at CMA, huh? Yeah, yeah, but it's a great job.
I'm just a little confused, because this school is so great, but it's been on the list of Detroit public schools to close not once, but multiple times.
The district wants to fix the building, but financially, they just they don't have the resources to do it.
There's got to be money somewhere in this school district to save this school.
I need to know who do I talk to that can help me get some answers here.
Well, Robert bobb, who is our emergency financial manager.
He would be able to give you some input on the financial situation of the district.
I honestly believe that the district wants to close a school that's performing so well because they haven't looked closely at the school.
You know that there's something wrong here.
How much fight do you have left in you? Are you getting wiped out? I'm not tired for myself.
I'm tired because I see the disappointment in the kids' eyes every day, and when you see that, it really wears you down.
Sometimes I want to give up, but I can't, so I have to muster up enough fight to keep on going.
There's some kids that this is all they have.
School is such an intricate part of their lives.
They eat here.
They socialize here.
They learn here.
They get love here.
And it's very difficult to see that they're lost.
It's hard.
Well, we're here to fight for you, all right? Thanks.
We need everyone we can get.
Miss torri, hi.
Hi.
I heard you were in here.
Yeah, I'm here with my favorite teacher, Mr.
fentin.
Hi, Mr.
fentin.
How are you? - This is susie.
- Pleasure.
Mr.
fentin is my favorite teacher.
He still gets excited about his job, so I just love that, 'cause if you come into a classroom and your teacher is excited, it's like, "well, maybe I should be excited about what I'm about to learn.
" How long have you been at this school, Mr.
fentin? - This is my 16th year.
- Wow.
So this must have been devastating for you when you heard that the school was on the cut list, right? This is not the school you close.
This is a school you hold up as an example Yeah, yes.
And we're kind of familiar with this process of getting the parents organized and speaking publicly about the benefits of this school, why this school should stay open.
But we had two big public meetings with Mr.
bobb and the students spoke and wrote letters.
What sort of things did you talk to him about? What he was saying was, you know, he wants to make other schools small, you know, great academics, great attendance.
And my thing is that's CMA right here.
Right.
So why are we being closed? Here I am, 11th grade, going into my senior year.
I don't want to graduate from another dps school if it's not gonna be CMA.
It was devastating.
There is no way that the department of public school systems here in Detroit should close CMA down.
Robert bobb has got to do something and he has to make a decision and I hope he makes the right decision, because these kids, they deserve to have this school now and it should always remain open.
Hey, everybody.
How are you? - Good.
How you doing? - Good.
I want to help you.
Oh, thank you, sir.
There you go.
- Are you a parent? - I'm a teacher here.
- Oh, you're a teacher here? - I'm a teacher.
This is my room.
I teach English at communication and media arts High School.
I've been there for 13 years and loved every minute of it.
Why is this school so special? At this school, your child's gonna be taken care of.
Your child's gonna be looked after.
And be sure that your child gets the best education possible.
Well, then how does it make you feel when you hear that they're gonna shut this school down? Well, it makes you get you know, you're irate.
You know, you're angry.
You're upset.
You're frustrated, 'cause you put your heart and soul into something for 13 years and you didn't want it to go away.
What I love about Mr.
sharpe is that he is a person that will make do even if they're on the cut list and he's not gonna let his students know that there is a problem.
What are the things that would make you at home here? Pictures up around the room of the kids.
Why would you like that? Well, because they're my students, so I think of it as my kids.
So when they walk in the room, they feel like they're at home.
"Oh, look.
There's my picture.
" I want to give Mr.
sharpe a place where he can take his special pictures and put it in a beautiful, bright room.
Can I hug you? - Now wait a minute.
Wait.
Time-out.
Time-out.
Hey, girls, can I show her? Come on over here.
We show how we do it.
Okay, okay.
Now show her how we do it.
First, we pound it.
- You pound it.
- Then we blow it up.
Okay.
Blow it up.
- And then - we lock it.
Now you know what that means, don't you? - Uh, "hang loose"? - No.
- "I love you.
" - It's "I love you.
" "I love you" in sign I knew that.
Yeah, okay.
All right, okay, let's all do it together then.
All four.
Ready? - Pound it.
- Pound it.
Bam.
All: Blow it up.
- I love you.
- I love you.
- I love you.
- There we go.
Yeah! [Applause.]
Good deal.
The scope of work at CMA is huge.
Flooring, ceiling, lighting, everything.
None of these ideas are gonna come to fruition without a good builder.
That's where statewide comes in.
What's the progress report? Well, progress is progress is looking good here.
- Yeah? - Fixtures are already done.
It's really gonna light up this hallway compared to what it was before.
How many square feet of ceiling tile? We got about 5,000 square feet of tile we're gonna be putting in the school and we're gonna add some additional air conditioning.
So why are you doing this? For me, I always love whenever I can do any project, but especially when it's involving kids.
And, you know, I've done a lot of work with the district, so it's our opportunity and our chance to give back.
To be able to get in here, do all this work, we're really hoping that they see the effort that we put in here and this school not only stays open for another year, that this turns into a school that they say, "you know, CMA will be here for years to come.
" We not only got a great builder, we got somebody who has passion and that wants to help rebuild this city.
Hey, girls.
- Hello.
- Hey.
Mr.
sharpe's students.
Both: Yes.
Mr.
sharpe likes to decorate his room with pictures of his students so they can feel like they're at home.
Let me get a picture.
Okay.
One, two, and there we go.
So now I say, "you know what? I'm gonna take pictures of all of Mr.
sharpe's students.
" Stay right there and freeze.
Hey, good shot.
And click.
Clickity-click.
Get your head over here.
Don't let the weave scare you.
Oh, look at us! Why you look who made that face? I'm calling your mamas.
I'm going downtown to talk to Robert bobb.
He's the emergency financial manger for the Detroit public school system.
He was appointed by the governor of this state.
He is the man who is putting CMA on the list of schools that were gonna close in this district.
Mr.
bobb? How you doing? Good.
Thanks for having me in.
We're good.
The parents, teachers, the students, the administrators have fought the fight to save this school when it was on the close list the previous times.
If CMA closes, they're gonna have to find somewhere else to go.
Our school system is in a serious financial deficit, and my job is to bring us out of the financial deficit, which is a very heavy lift.
Part of it is also to strengthen the academic performance of the overall school district, because it's difficult to separate the financial operations of the school district from the academic side.
- Let's talk about CMA.
- Sure.
CMA twice was named by U.
S.
news and world report as one of America's best schools.
- Mm-hmm.
But CMA was put on the close list.
I guess the question that I have still is why did it get placed on the close list in the first place.
That question became more pronounced in my mind after I picked up your school brochure, 'cause there were some startling facts in this brochure.
Targets for the dps public schools for 2015 include 98% graduation rate, 100% post-secondary acceptance.
CMA is already meeting those goals now.
Yeah, absolutely.
Why did it get on the cut list in the first place if it's already meeting those goals? The whole issue around CMA was not its academic programs.
It all centered around the condition of the building itself.
Of course I'm concerned about safety.
We have an obligation to put our kids, our students, in better facilities than they're in now.
I mean, here's a building which was in need of a new roof, a new heating system, new windows.
I placed it on the closure list strictly based on the condition of the buildings, but it was a very difficult decision.
I completely understand the argument.
You can't keep a school open that endangers the lives of the students.
Thanks again for your time.
But this district has the power to fix this school and they haven't.
Instead they put it on the cut list.
I just hope that once we leave, he changes his mind and this school gets to stay open.
Wow.
We're scraping gum off the desk? Yes.
Serious about your scraping too.
Are you guys teachers, volunteers, parents? I'm a teacher.
- What is your name? - Mrs.
bayles.
Mrs.
bayles? Bayles.
[laughter.]
So what made you come back and help with this renovation? 'Cause I wanted to make sure they didn't close us or move us.
Miss bayles is one tough cookie.
It has to be difficult to instill in your students to be positive with the constant threat that they might be closed.
What would you want in your classroom? What do you need? Just tell me.
The rain and the windows.
I haven't been to a school where it rains in the classroom.
It rains in your classroom? Rains all along there.
And the kids say, "miss bayles, it's raining.
" I say, "okay, here's a paper towel.
Let's keep moving.
" Taking on the teachers this week is important to me because I want each classroom to be special.
These teachers need to be rewarded.
I'ma help you out.
I need to know what's gon' make you smile, what's gon' make you go, "oh!" You got to have, you know, the nice blinds, 'cause it's broken.
So sometimes they fall on the kids' heads.
That does say, "do not pull up.
" It's broken.
Miss bayles wanted simple things.
She didn't want the room to have rain inside of it.
She wanted new blinds.
Just simple things.
What I really want you to do is you walk in your room and the genie has done it and you pass out you want me to pass out? Oh, okay.
I'll give you a great big hug and I'll be so happy and I'll jump up and down for you.
Is that what you'll do? [laughter.]
All right, we're at Walmart.
You guys all graduated from CMA? - Yes, we did.
- Do they have needs now? - Oh, my goodness.
- Yeah.
Well, we're gonna fix that.
We're gonna do some major shopping.
Best news is Walmart is donating all of it.
[Cheering.]
Yeah, Walmart! Yeah, exactly.
Look at all of these tvs.
Is this different than the tvs you had when you were in class? Yes, absolutely.
There something I can help you with, sir? Yeah, please.
I'm here for CMA.
We need three of your biggest tvs.
All right, well, I carry all the top leading brands.
Say if the classroom has a lot of natural light coming in, that won't affect the clarity? Uh, no, actually, one of the newer tvs, they're coming out with ambient sensors, so it'll actually adjust to the surrounding area.
Fantastic.
If this students of CMA had the proper equipment, it would get this school off the cut list.
Look at these flip cameras.
Load 'em up.
This equipment is vital for the future of this school.
Let's get this stuff back to the school and get it installed.
Are we ready? All right, let's do it.
You girls got to see this.
Wait till you see this.
Miss bayles just wanted things that would help the students.
What is missing from the equation is technology and we're here to make that happen.
Look at that.
That's a promethean activboard.
This right here, this is a 3cam.
Now look at this.
See? Flat picture, right? - Mm-hmm.
Now watch this.
Bam! You see that 3-d? Isn't that cool? - Wow.
- How did you do that? Logical choice is installing technology in all the classrooms.
Well, this is great because it's gonna help teachers teach better.
It's gonna help students learn better.
And the best thing of all? It's gonna get more students excited about learning.
That is technology at its best.
Attention, all students and teachers.
I have a quick announcement.
Because of all your hard work this week, we're sending you to the Michigan international speedway for the nascar racing experience.
[Cheers and applause.]
When you return, you'll have a brand-new school.
[Cheers and applause.]
Happy racing.
[Cheers and applause.]
It is good to see the students just being able to hang out and not worry about the school and will it be open.
Let's go.
[Tires screech.]
[Cheering.]
Whoa.
Yeah, I was scared, but let's keep that between me and you.
I've never been in a car that fast before.
It's like an adrenaline rush.
Oh, my God.
[laughs.]
[Cheering.]
- Hey, miss odom.
- Hi.
How are you? Good to see you.
Good to see you.
I'm meeting up with miss odom.
She's got a lot on her shoulders.
There's a whole lot going on at this school right now and she's got to be on top of all of it.
What have you learned this week about the people here? That they're extremely resilient.
That they truly care about their community.
It's not just talk.
It's action.
I just feel so indebted to the community.
I hope getting the school rebuilt will get this black cloud off of us and we don't ever have to deal with being on the chopping block again.
Well, listen.
Here's the deal.
I invited Robert bobb to the ribbon cutting.
Now we just need to hear that he's not gonna let this place close.
To have a glimmer of hope, I'm extremely happy about that.
You know, CMA was put on that closure list and Mr.
bobb and his office has to decide whether we stay there or not.
Because of all the things that happened this week, the school being on the cut list, I just wanted to let everybody into that school and just let 'em see what we've done.
A lot of hard work this week.
I mean, we had the technology in.
We had all sorts of stuff done.
We still have to hope that that is enough to keep this school open.
All these efforts this week have not been in vain, no matter what happens.
I would be heartbroken if, after all this hard work, this school still shut down.
Now we just need to hear the words that Robert bobb is not going to shut this school down ever again.
- Guys! - Guys, ten All: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! - Yes! - Another great week.
Another great week.
Yeah! Another great week.
2,400 volunteers came out to CMA.
The spirit and the passion of the people is so strong.
It's time to reveal CMA to the people that deserve it most.
All: CMA! CMA! We're on the bus.
We're excited.
We're hyper.
Just anxious about seeing the building.
[Cheering.]
Oh, wow! [Cheering.]
We get off the bus and we see this curtain with this picture of our little raggedy school and I know that hope lies beyond this curtain.
Who's ready to see the new school? [Cheers and applause.]
Seven days ago, we came together and we asked you to help us rebuild and renovate your school and you did it.
[Cheers and applause.]
Kavon and torri, this journey began with you two.
I think you should have the honor of cutting the ribbon.
[Cheers and applause.]
Yeah.
Cutting the ribbon with torri, I feel honored.
I feel like I'm the start of something new at CMA.
All: Three, two, one! Cut it! [Cheers and applause.]
When the curtain dropped, it was amazing.
Like, we was always proud of ourselves, but now we can actually be proud of our building now as well.
[Cheering.]
I was just in awe.
All of our dreams about having a great school just came true.
It's beautiful.
It's beyond my wildest imagination.
[Cheering.]
Welcome to your new library! [Cheering.]
I've never seen a library like this before.
I've never seen a room like this before, period.
All the technology is just amazing.
- Pretty tight, huh? - Yeah, this is nice.
This is nice, man.
Dr.
ward! Dr.
ward! You told me you needed a new library.
And you followed through.
Jacob delivered not only what we discussed, he brought an ambience that is indescribable.
This is just unbelievable.
Just look at the students.
Thank you.
Thank you.
[Cheering.]
Here they come! Come on in, miss bayles! Come into your new classroom! [Cheering.]
I had dreams about what my room might be like.
It touched me so much because it was above what I thought it was actually going to be.
Look at your desk! Look at your windows! No rain, floods! I won't get no rain in my room! [Cheers and applause.]
Miss bayles wanted simple things and she didn't want the room to have rain inside of it.
She wanted new blinds and I think that we went above and beyond.
So you can do so much with this.
You have no idea.
I feel that this is something my students deserve.
This means that we need to keep up our game as teachers and enhance it via the technology.
Aww.
You deserve it.
[Cheering.]
Come on in! Whoo! Welcome to your student lounge.
[Cheering continues.]
Walmart donated all of the electronics in this room, so come on in and look around.
Come on in.
[Cheering.]
The students at CMA are good kids.
They work hard, so having a space of their own is very deserved.
[Cheers and applause.]
Mr.
sharpe! Whoa! Whoa! You're kidding me! This is great! Check it out! You're gonna love it! You got to be kidding me.
This is wicked cool.
Oh, this is great.
And you can put up any pictures that you want.
Oh, I love it! I love it! That's the best part of the room.
In bold letters there, you know, "we are family.
" I think that says it all right there.
That is great! I can't think of anything that could have been done that would have been more meaningful.
Aww! And you hooked me up.
- I hooked you up? - You hooked me up.
Pound it.
Pound it, blow it up.
Yeah! It's like you received a Christmas present and you just kept unwrapping stuff and everything that you unwrapped became better than the next.
Whoo! Whoo! It's just phenomenal.
Whoo! [laughter.]
[Cheers and applause.]
You can't have a school called "communication and media arts" and not have a communications and media arts department.
And with this new multimedia lab, the technology that I'm giving them this week, their entire world is gonna change.
Welcome to your multimedia lab.
[Cheering.]
[Cheering.]
One of the reasons CMA has been on the cut list is because it was a communication and media arts school that had no communication department at all.
And with this new multimedia lab, the technology that I'm giving them this week, their entire world is gonna change.
Welcome to your microsoft multimedia lab! [Cheering.]
When we walked into the media room, I think that was the most exciting room for everyone.
[Cheering.]
We actually had a green screen.
Like, we can make movies.
Oh, my God.
To see that multimedia lab in our little High School, I was stunned.
But you could, like, record your own show in here and then you have a control room in there.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
I'm crying.
I just got so emotional because I knew that we came together.
People from all around Michigan came out here just for CMA.
Now that we have the resources put in place, the possibilities are endless.
What do you think this means to the kids? This gives them so much more to do and gives them a way to express themselves that they haven't had before.
Oh, my God.
This is this is incredible.
Oh, thank you, Mr.
sharpe.
Our kids are so into technology and media and performing.
Now they can be creative and do their own thing.
It's awesome.
Seeing our new beautiful school, this school finally reflects what we do.
Each and every one of these computers is fully equipped with windows live essentials.
- Wow.
- That's great.
You can see all of these photos here of students while they were working this week.
That's nice.
So any videos that you guys record on the green screen, any of these photos can now be shared online.
So it's almost like you have a piece of the Internet and it's called your personal cloud.
How cool is that? They cannot believe it.
They cannot believe their eyes.
They're seeing possibilities now.
Opportunity that they didn't have before.
[Cheers and applause.]
All: CMA! CMA! CMA! CMA! All right.
CMA, do you like the way your school looks now? [Cheers and applause.]
The mood of the students and the teachers is positive that CMA is gonna get off the cut list once and for all, but none of us know that that's gonna happen for a fact.
CMA, you have the academics.
You have the attendance.
You now have the new building.
[Cheers and applause.]
This is the third time your school has been on a cut list.
Robert bobb has the power to change that right here, right now.
[Cheers and applause.]
This is a man in power with hundreds of thousands of people that he affects by making just one decision.
Robert bobb should take this school off the close list, not just for the third time, but forever.
I just don't think at the end of the day, that you all recognize how much power and how much enrichment, but more importantly, how many positive memories we'll have from this week of work.
Robert bobb, we are asking you to take CMA off of the cut list forever.
Forever! Forever! [Cheers and applause.]
All: Forever! Forever! Forever! What do you say? CMA, you are off the cut list forever! [Cheers and applause.]
I just feel relieved.
Like [Sighs.]
You know? I don't have to worry about going to another school.
Give it up for Robert bobb! [Cheers and applause.]
This community came together this week and said, "we want to save our school.
" We all want to do things that matter, and this week, we did something that mattered.
[Cheering.]
This week was very important to show everyone you work hard, you do good work, and we will reward you.
[Cheering continues.]
CMA is victorious today.
There's tons of CMAs all over the country, and for those schools, I say, "continue to fight.
Continue to be successful.
"Continue to show your community that you deserve to be saved as well.
" [Cheering.]
This journey doesn't end here.
There are schools like CMA all across the country.
- How are you today? - Good.
I would like a ticket, please.
Our job is not done by a long shot.
- You're set to go.
- Great.
Thank you so much.
There's still a lot of change that needs to happen.
School pride is much more than just paint.
It's creating a environment that's conducive to education.
It's had a significant impact on the ability of our students to grasp what their teachers are instructing.
All: CMA! CMA! CMA is living a school's worst nightmare.
They have one of the highest graduation rates in the country and one of the worst facilities.
I'm warning you.
You should enter here at your own risk.
If the school community can't fix up this building, the district will close down CMA for good.
Why did it get on the cut list in the first place? It's difficult to separate the financial operations from the academics.
Being on the chopping block, it's going to force us students to have to be shipped off to different schools, and that's just a horrible place for our kids to be.
Can this Detroit community renovate CMA and keep the doors open for good? All: Three, two, one! [Cheering.]
Four individuals from different walks of life have come together to help communities renovate their schools.
Are you ready? Susie castillo: Designer and former miss U.
S.
A.
It's a proven fact that when children have a better learning environment, like what we're giving them, test scores skyrocket and they get better grades.
Jacob soboroff: Political journalist determined to find out why so many of our schools are on the brink of collapse.
I think that education in America is broken.
No teacher or no student should feel like their school is a prison.
Kym whitley: Comedian and former teacher.
If you can give a child a great beginning, they could become anything.
And me, Tom stroup: Team leader and SWAT commander.
We're basically community organizers.
It's about going to a community, helping the community help themselves.
This week, we're headed to CMA High School in Detroit, Michigan.
Hey, nbc and school pride.
My name is kavon.
Hey, nbc.
My name is torri.
And we're 11th graders here at CMA, communication and media arts, in Detroit, Michigan.
This is the first thing that you see when you're in here in our school.
Paint's chipping, rust.
It's hard to imagine that the kids that come from CMA have to deal with a building like this.
I'm warning you.
You should enter here at your own risk.
Basically it's self-explanatory.
As you can see I'm not even sure what this is.
I just I'm sure it's not supposed to be hanging from right here.
The pipes are showing on the ceiling.
The water fountain.
Just all tore apart.
The tiles on the ceiling.
The tiles on the floor, the bathrooms.
It's terrible.
It's raining right now.
We have a lot of water damage throughout the school.
That's a real big issue in not only the hallways, but a lot of classes.
It's not that the school just looks bad.
Just imagine you'll be in a class trying to pay attention and it starts raining on you.
It's a huge distraction.
And our teachers here at CMA are so great that they tried to put up cardboard and stuff to protect us.
Academically, CMA is ranked one of the top three in the entire city, but yet the district's trying to shut us down.
D.
O.
E.
Doesn't want to pay any money.
They'd rather just close it, because our building is so bad.
CMA is on the cut list for the third time.
The first two times, we had to rally together.
The whole community came out, you know, for CMA.
All: Save CMA! But the building is so bad this time, instead they just want to shut us down.
It's unfair that we have to keep fighting.
We are a good school.
97% of our students come to school every day.
97% of our seniors graduated.
And despite those efforts, we find ourselves again on the chopping block.
CMA is the only option for many of our students.
They don't have the choice to go other places, but being on the chopping block is going to force them to have to be shipped off to different schools, and that's just a horrible place for our kids to be, not to mention our staff members.
They're part of the CMA family.
We're trying to keep this community intact.
We have a lot of pride in ourselves, but please help us to have a lot of pride in our building.
We're a great school, great academics, so please help us, nbc.
Please.
[Bell rings.]
[Siren wails.]
Here we come, Detroit.
All right, guys, we're going to a High School here in Detroit and apparently this High School was slotted, like, twice before for demolition.
Right.
This is the third time and we're gonna say, "we're not gonna let it happen.
" They have a 97% graduation rate.
97%.
That's unheard of.
Instead of closing this school down, the school should be an example for the rest of the country.
- Right.
- This is it.
Here we are.
This week, we're in Detroit at CMA, communication and media arts school, and this is a school that needs desperate help and it needs it right now.
[Fire alarm buzzing.]
[Indistinct chatter.]
Come on out! Here we go! Oh, my God.
Come on out! [Cheering.]
This is not a fire.
We are the school pride team and we are here to help you renovate your school.
[Cheers and applause.]
Where is kavon? Where's kavon? Where's torri? We got your tape and it's because of you that we are here to help you renovate your school.
Congratulations! Nice work! Nice work! I want to know: Where are the teachers? There they are.
These students are doing so well and it's because of you, so we're here to make your jobs a lot easier.
Are you ready to do this? [Cheers and applause.]
All right.
We have seven days to totally renovate the school and we cannot do it by ourselves.
We are gonna start that clock right now.
We're gonna count it down.
Are you ready? Here we go.
Ten All: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! [Cheers and applause.]
Let's get busy! Let's go! [Cheering continues.]
My heart just can't stop beating right now.
I'm too excited right now.
Whoo! I'm overcome with joy.
I'm happy for my school and my classmates.
So thankful for school pride that they came out here today.
I'm just really, really excited.
Packing up stuff.
Are y'all excited? All: Yeah.
Oh, my goodness.
Kavon? Yes, ma'am? So this is all because of you? I need everybody to hug him.
I need everybody to give him a hug.
Give kavon a hug.
Aww.
CMA is my second family because I look at my classmates as my brothers and my sisters.
I look at teachers like uncles and aunts, because they go beyond what's required of them and I respect that a lot.
What has CMA given you? Uh, just education and a better perspective on life as far as goals and trying to make it to college and being something in life.
What are you gon' be when you grow up? A psychologist.
Oh.
I'm the first one in my family that will be going to college and I have CMA to thank for it.
Oh, I sure wish I would have met a man like you when I was High School.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I get that a lot.
- You get that a lot? - No, I don't.
[Laughter.]
- You have a girlfriend? - No, ma'am, I don't.
None of the girls here like you? They all like me.
They all like me.
They all like you? Look at 'em laughing.
They all like me.
Girls, do we like kavon? Do we like him? - He okay.
- He all right.
They like me.
They might not know it, but they like me.
They like you.
[Laughter.]
Dr.
ward, how long you been working in the district here in Detroit? Well, roughly, 35 years.
Dr.
ward is a veteran of the Detroit public school system and I figured there's no better person to ask about what's going on here.
I believe that the environment dictates how kids are gonna perform.
In an environment like this, there's not a lot that's demanding excellence from young people.
If this school was closed, what would it mean for you? What would it mean for people like the principal? These people don't have jobs next year.
You wouldn't have a job next year.
The students wouldn't have a place in this community to come to school next year? That is a possibility for us to deal with.
Call it abandoned.
Call it hopeless.
Call it whatever you want, but it means that they're gonna have to find somewhere else to go.
This is, believe it or not, a library.
We haven't used this place all year long.
So what goes on in this room? Absolutely nothing goes on right now in this room.
Oh, my goodness.
All of these High School kids are gonna go to college, and in college, you use libraries almost every single day.
Yes, and if we're expecting our kids to be proficient, we have to provide them with materials that demonstrate how important that is.
The school doesn't have a library because there's no money to keep it open.
It just makes no sense at a school where kids are doing so well.
So the next step for this library is to figure out how to get it back up and running.
Dr.
ward, we need to change what's going on in this room to bring it up to date.
- Well, before we do, let me say good-bye to the past, so that we can say hello to the future.
See you later, library.
This school is in bad shape.
It hasn't had any repairs probably for 50 years.
I think we're gonna have to do every single classroom.
The big goal this week is to get CMA off that cut list forever.
None of this is gonna matter if we can't keep this school open.
Right.
And it's a communication and media arts school, but there's no communication and media arts department.
These guys just need technology.
I mean, I would love to give them a brand-new digital multimedia lab.
I want to just focus in on the teachers this time and find out what they need and what's gonna make them happy.
We got to give these kids a great library.
Because when you're going off to college, where do you go and where do you do your work? Right.
If I may, I'll take the exterior.
When I first went there, I was appalled by it.
It was rusted, boarded over.
It looked like an abandoned warehouse, so I'll do the front and I would really like to do the landscaping.
- I like that idea.
- Awesome.
Let's get going.
If CMA closes, you just told that community that we're giving up.
This is not just about putting a band-aid on something just long enough to keep it open.
This is about saving a school forever.
Morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Give me some.
Wake on up.
Wait, hold on.
There we go.
There we go.
It is day two.
The volunteers are showing up in droves.
Good to see you coming by and working.
Are you excited about this? Oh, yeah.
I'm real excited about this.
They knew that if they volunteered and made a difference, then CMA can stay open.
All: go to the top and give it all you got don't stop don't stop don't stop until you reach the top we had a good turnout in Detroit, but we always need more volunteers, so I called some of my corporate friends and I said, "you need to get down here and volunteer.
" Hey! Oh, hi! [Cheers and applause.]
Thank you so much for coming.
Okay, now we got a lot of work to do, okay? Onstar's in the service business, so I knew I could count on them to help.
I needed those volunteers to go in a whole lot of different directions.
I needed some in the library.
I needed some in the multimedia center.
I needed some of them painting.
I needed some of them dusting.
There was a lot to be done.
You guys came right on up and got to work.
I appreciate that.
Why did you send the tape in? Why was it important? It was important because this is a great school.
I love the staff.
I love the students here.
I did not want to see CMA close.
How did you feel when you heard about that happening? At first, actually, I'm like, "oh, well, they're just bluffing.
" But then it just got really serious and parents just started coming out and I was like, "whoa.
They're actually gon' close CMA.
" And then after that, I just knew somebody was gonna have to do something to keep us open.
CMA has done a lot for me as far as, like, a lot of life lessons.
One thing I learned is, even though you're young, you're able to make change.
So what would you like to do in communications? Eventually I want to go into, like, broadcasting and stuff.
- Mm-hmm.
- And I like radio.
But, like, we don't have the resources to be able to do communications and media arts.
It's shocking to me that that's the type of school that this is supposed to be but you don't have none of the resources.
Wow.
How we doing, guys? - Good.
- Good.
Let's get started on our ping.
We're using the behr ultra, which is the paint and primer in one.
It's available at the home depot.
We're gonna make sure that the roller cover is not overly saturated.
You want to paint in the "w" pattern.
Down, over, down, over, and then come back and fill in the "w.
" That way you avoid lines.
So are you guys ready to get into it? Both: Yeah.
Hey, kavon.
How you doing? Hey, Tom.
I'll get up here and help you out.
All right, appreciate it.
So, kavon, why did you send us in the tape? Well, because the building was just terrible, you know? It's great teachers, great students, great everything, but even though we were still getting the job done inside, you know, on the outside, you know, it didn't look so good.
It's depressing to know that the school I've been going to for three years could get closed and, you know, I'd have to go somewhere else for my last year of High School.
I can't really imagine having to go through that.
What was your first impression when you came here in 9th grade? To be honest, I hated the school.
- You hated it? - Yeah.
- Why? - It was too strict.
- Too strict? - Yeah.
But now I understand, you know, rules are there for a reason, so.
CMA changes you as a person.
It's not just a school.
It's a motivator.
You just get something at CMA that I can't get anywhere else.
I think you're a born leader, young man.
Thank you, sir.
I mean, I think you had something in you before you came here and this school just helped you find it.
Right.
Mrs.
odom? - Hi.
- Hey, I'm Jacob.
How you doing? Nice to meet you.
- It's nice to meet you.
- Good to see you.
You're the principal here? Absolutely.
You got quite a job at CMA, huh? Yeah, yeah, but it's a great job.
I'm just a little confused, because this school is so great, but it's been on the list of Detroit public schools to close not once, but multiple times.
The district wants to fix the building, but financially, they just they don't have the resources to do it.
There's got to be money somewhere in this school district to save this school.
I need to know who do I talk to that can help me get some answers here.
Well, Robert bobb, who is our emergency financial manager.
He would be able to give you some input on the financial situation of the district.
I honestly believe that the district wants to close a school that's performing so well because they haven't looked closely at the school.
You know that there's something wrong here.
How much fight do you have left in you? Are you getting wiped out? I'm not tired for myself.
I'm tired because I see the disappointment in the kids' eyes every day, and when you see that, it really wears you down.
Sometimes I want to give up, but I can't, so I have to muster up enough fight to keep on going.
There's some kids that this is all they have.
School is such an intricate part of their lives.
They eat here.
They socialize here.
They learn here.
They get love here.
And it's very difficult to see that they're lost.
It's hard.
Well, we're here to fight for you, all right? Thanks.
We need everyone we can get.
Miss torri, hi.
Hi.
I heard you were in here.
Yeah, I'm here with my favorite teacher, Mr.
fentin.
Hi, Mr.
fentin.
How are you? - This is susie.
- Pleasure.
Mr.
fentin is my favorite teacher.
He still gets excited about his job, so I just love that, 'cause if you come into a classroom and your teacher is excited, it's like, "well, maybe I should be excited about what I'm about to learn.
" How long have you been at this school, Mr.
fentin? - This is my 16th year.
- Wow.
So this must have been devastating for you when you heard that the school was on the cut list, right? This is not the school you close.
This is a school you hold up as an example Yeah, yes.
And we're kind of familiar with this process of getting the parents organized and speaking publicly about the benefits of this school, why this school should stay open.
But we had two big public meetings with Mr.
bobb and the students spoke and wrote letters.
What sort of things did you talk to him about? What he was saying was, you know, he wants to make other schools small, you know, great academics, great attendance.
And my thing is that's CMA right here.
Right.
So why are we being closed? Here I am, 11th grade, going into my senior year.
I don't want to graduate from another dps school if it's not gonna be CMA.
It was devastating.
There is no way that the department of public school systems here in Detroit should close CMA down.
Robert bobb has got to do something and he has to make a decision and I hope he makes the right decision, because these kids, they deserve to have this school now and it should always remain open.
Hey, everybody.
How are you? - Good.
How you doing? - Good.
I want to help you.
Oh, thank you, sir.
There you go.
- Are you a parent? - I'm a teacher here.
- Oh, you're a teacher here? - I'm a teacher.
This is my room.
I teach English at communication and media arts High School.
I've been there for 13 years and loved every minute of it.
Why is this school so special? At this school, your child's gonna be taken care of.
Your child's gonna be looked after.
And be sure that your child gets the best education possible.
Well, then how does it make you feel when you hear that they're gonna shut this school down? Well, it makes you get you know, you're irate.
You know, you're angry.
You're upset.
You're frustrated, 'cause you put your heart and soul into something for 13 years and you didn't want it to go away.
What I love about Mr.
sharpe is that he is a person that will make do even if they're on the cut list and he's not gonna let his students know that there is a problem.
What are the things that would make you at home here? Pictures up around the room of the kids.
Why would you like that? Well, because they're my students, so I think of it as my kids.
So when they walk in the room, they feel like they're at home.
"Oh, look.
There's my picture.
" I want to give Mr.
sharpe a place where he can take his special pictures and put it in a beautiful, bright room.
Can I hug you? - Now wait a minute.
Wait.
Time-out.
Time-out.
Hey, girls, can I show her? Come on over here.
We show how we do it.
Okay, okay.
Now show her how we do it.
First, we pound it.
- You pound it.
- Then we blow it up.
Okay.
Blow it up.
- And then - we lock it.
Now you know what that means, don't you? - Uh, "hang loose"? - No.
- "I love you.
" - It's "I love you.
" "I love you" in sign I knew that.
Yeah, okay.
All right, okay, let's all do it together then.
All four.
Ready? - Pound it.
- Pound it.
Bam.
All: Blow it up.
- I love you.
- I love you.
- I love you.
- There we go.
Yeah! [Applause.]
Good deal.
The scope of work at CMA is huge.
Flooring, ceiling, lighting, everything.
None of these ideas are gonna come to fruition without a good builder.
That's where statewide comes in.
What's the progress report? Well, progress is progress is looking good here.
- Yeah? - Fixtures are already done.
It's really gonna light up this hallway compared to what it was before.
How many square feet of ceiling tile? We got about 5,000 square feet of tile we're gonna be putting in the school and we're gonna add some additional air conditioning.
So why are you doing this? For me, I always love whenever I can do any project, but especially when it's involving kids.
And, you know, I've done a lot of work with the district, so it's our opportunity and our chance to give back.
To be able to get in here, do all this work, we're really hoping that they see the effort that we put in here and this school not only stays open for another year, that this turns into a school that they say, "you know, CMA will be here for years to come.
" We not only got a great builder, we got somebody who has passion and that wants to help rebuild this city.
Hey, girls.
- Hello.
- Hey.
Mr.
sharpe's students.
Both: Yes.
Mr.
sharpe likes to decorate his room with pictures of his students so they can feel like they're at home.
Let me get a picture.
Okay.
One, two, and there we go.
So now I say, "you know what? I'm gonna take pictures of all of Mr.
sharpe's students.
" Stay right there and freeze.
Hey, good shot.
And click.
Clickity-click.
Get your head over here.
Don't let the weave scare you.
Oh, look at us! Why you look who made that face? I'm calling your mamas.
I'm going downtown to talk to Robert bobb.
He's the emergency financial manger for the Detroit public school system.
He was appointed by the governor of this state.
He is the man who is putting CMA on the list of schools that were gonna close in this district.
Mr.
bobb? How you doing? Good.
Thanks for having me in.
We're good.
The parents, teachers, the students, the administrators have fought the fight to save this school when it was on the close list the previous times.
If CMA closes, they're gonna have to find somewhere else to go.
Our school system is in a serious financial deficit, and my job is to bring us out of the financial deficit, which is a very heavy lift.
Part of it is also to strengthen the academic performance of the overall school district, because it's difficult to separate the financial operations of the school district from the academic side.
- Let's talk about CMA.
- Sure.
CMA twice was named by U.
S.
news and world report as one of America's best schools.
- Mm-hmm.
But CMA was put on the close list.
I guess the question that I have still is why did it get placed on the close list in the first place.
That question became more pronounced in my mind after I picked up your school brochure, 'cause there were some startling facts in this brochure.
Targets for the dps public schools for 2015 include 98% graduation rate, 100% post-secondary acceptance.
CMA is already meeting those goals now.
Yeah, absolutely.
Why did it get on the cut list in the first place if it's already meeting those goals? The whole issue around CMA was not its academic programs.
It all centered around the condition of the building itself.
Of course I'm concerned about safety.
We have an obligation to put our kids, our students, in better facilities than they're in now.
I mean, here's a building which was in need of a new roof, a new heating system, new windows.
I placed it on the closure list strictly based on the condition of the buildings, but it was a very difficult decision.
I completely understand the argument.
You can't keep a school open that endangers the lives of the students.
Thanks again for your time.
But this district has the power to fix this school and they haven't.
Instead they put it on the cut list.
I just hope that once we leave, he changes his mind and this school gets to stay open.
Wow.
We're scraping gum off the desk? Yes.
Serious about your scraping too.
Are you guys teachers, volunteers, parents? I'm a teacher.
- What is your name? - Mrs.
bayles.
Mrs.
bayles? Bayles.
[laughter.]
So what made you come back and help with this renovation? 'Cause I wanted to make sure they didn't close us or move us.
Miss bayles is one tough cookie.
It has to be difficult to instill in your students to be positive with the constant threat that they might be closed.
What would you want in your classroom? What do you need? Just tell me.
The rain and the windows.
I haven't been to a school where it rains in the classroom.
It rains in your classroom? Rains all along there.
And the kids say, "miss bayles, it's raining.
" I say, "okay, here's a paper towel.
Let's keep moving.
" Taking on the teachers this week is important to me because I want each classroom to be special.
These teachers need to be rewarded.
I'ma help you out.
I need to know what's gon' make you smile, what's gon' make you go, "oh!" You got to have, you know, the nice blinds, 'cause it's broken.
So sometimes they fall on the kids' heads.
That does say, "do not pull up.
" It's broken.
Miss bayles wanted simple things.
She didn't want the room to have rain inside of it.
She wanted new blinds.
Just simple things.
What I really want you to do is you walk in your room and the genie has done it and you pass out you want me to pass out? Oh, okay.
I'll give you a great big hug and I'll be so happy and I'll jump up and down for you.
Is that what you'll do? [laughter.]
All right, we're at Walmart.
You guys all graduated from CMA? - Yes, we did.
- Do they have needs now? - Oh, my goodness.
- Yeah.
Well, we're gonna fix that.
We're gonna do some major shopping.
Best news is Walmart is donating all of it.
[Cheering.]
Yeah, Walmart! Yeah, exactly.
Look at all of these tvs.
Is this different than the tvs you had when you were in class? Yes, absolutely.
There something I can help you with, sir? Yeah, please.
I'm here for CMA.
We need three of your biggest tvs.
All right, well, I carry all the top leading brands.
Say if the classroom has a lot of natural light coming in, that won't affect the clarity? Uh, no, actually, one of the newer tvs, they're coming out with ambient sensors, so it'll actually adjust to the surrounding area.
Fantastic.
If this students of CMA had the proper equipment, it would get this school off the cut list.
Look at these flip cameras.
Load 'em up.
This equipment is vital for the future of this school.
Let's get this stuff back to the school and get it installed.
Are we ready? All right, let's do it.
You girls got to see this.
Wait till you see this.
Miss bayles just wanted things that would help the students.
What is missing from the equation is technology and we're here to make that happen.
Look at that.
That's a promethean activboard.
This right here, this is a 3cam.
Now look at this.
See? Flat picture, right? - Mm-hmm.
Now watch this.
Bam! You see that 3-d? Isn't that cool? - Wow.
- How did you do that? Logical choice is installing technology in all the classrooms.
Well, this is great because it's gonna help teachers teach better.
It's gonna help students learn better.
And the best thing of all? It's gonna get more students excited about learning.
That is technology at its best.
Attention, all students and teachers.
I have a quick announcement.
Because of all your hard work this week, we're sending you to the Michigan international speedway for the nascar racing experience.
[Cheers and applause.]
When you return, you'll have a brand-new school.
[Cheers and applause.]
Happy racing.
[Cheers and applause.]
It is good to see the students just being able to hang out and not worry about the school and will it be open.
Let's go.
[Tires screech.]
[Cheering.]
Whoa.
Yeah, I was scared, but let's keep that between me and you.
I've never been in a car that fast before.
It's like an adrenaline rush.
Oh, my God.
[laughs.]
[Cheering.]
- Hey, miss odom.
- Hi.
How are you? Good to see you.
Good to see you.
I'm meeting up with miss odom.
She's got a lot on her shoulders.
There's a whole lot going on at this school right now and she's got to be on top of all of it.
What have you learned this week about the people here? That they're extremely resilient.
That they truly care about their community.
It's not just talk.
It's action.
I just feel so indebted to the community.
I hope getting the school rebuilt will get this black cloud off of us and we don't ever have to deal with being on the chopping block again.
Well, listen.
Here's the deal.
I invited Robert bobb to the ribbon cutting.
Now we just need to hear that he's not gonna let this place close.
To have a glimmer of hope, I'm extremely happy about that.
You know, CMA was put on that closure list and Mr.
bobb and his office has to decide whether we stay there or not.
Because of all the things that happened this week, the school being on the cut list, I just wanted to let everybody into that school and just let 'em see what we've done.
A lot of hard work this week.
I mean, we had the technology in.
We had all sorts of stuff done.
We still have to hope that that is enough to keep this school open.
All these efforts this week have not been in vain, no matter what happens.
I would be heartbroken if, after all this hard work, this school still shut down.
Now we just need to hear the words that Robert bobb is not going to shut this school down ever again.
- Guys! - Guys, ten All: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! - Yes! - Another great week.
Another great week.
Yeah! Another great week.
2,400 volunteers came out to CMA.
The spirit and the passion of the people is so strong.
It's time to reveal CMA to the people that deserve it most.
All: CMA! CMA! We're on the bus.
We're excited.
We're hyper.
Just anxious about seeing the building.
[Cheering.]
Oh, wow! [Cheering.]
We get off the bus and we see this curtain with this picture of our little raggedy school and I know that hope lies beyond this curtain.
Who's ready to see the new school? [Cheers and applause.]
Seven days ago, we came together and we asked you to help us rebuild and renovate your school and you did it.
[Cheers and applause.]
Kavon and torri, this journey began with you two.
I think you should have the honor of cutting the ribbon.
[Cheers and applause.]
Yeah.
Cutting the ribbon with torri, I feel honored.
I feel like I'm the start of something new at CMA.
All: Three, two, one! Cut it! [Cheers and applause.]
When the curtain dropped, it was amazing.
Like, we was always proud of ourselves, but now we can actually be proud of our building now as well.
[Cheering.]
I was just in awe.
All of our dreams about having a great school just came true.
It's beautiful.
It's beyond my wildest imagination.
[Cheering.]
Welcome to your new library! [Cheering.]
I've never seen a library like this before.
I've never seen a room like this before, period.
All the technology is just amazing.
- Pretty tight, huh? - Yeah, this is nice.
This is nice, man.
Dr.
ward! Dr.
ward! You told me you needed a new library.
And you followed through.
Jacob delivered not only what we discussed, he brought an ambience that is indescribable.
This is just unbelievable.
Just look at the students.
Thank you.
Thank you.
[Cheering.]
Here they come! Come on in, miss bayles! Come into your new classroom! [Cheering.]
I had dreams about what my room might be like.
It touched me so much because it was above what I thought it was actually going to be.
Look at your desk! Look at your windows! No rain, floods! I won't get no rain in my room! [Cheers and applause.]
Miss bayles wanted simple things and she didn't want the room to have rain inside of it.
She wanted new blinds and I think that we went above and beyond.
So you can do so much with this.
You have no idea.
I feel that this is something my students deserve.
This means that we need to keep up our game as teachers and enhance it via the technology.
Aww.
You deserve it.
[Cheering.]
Come on in! Whoo! Welcome to your student lounge.
[Cheering continues.]
Walmart donated all of the electronics in this room, so come on in and look around.
Come on in.
[Cheering.]
The students at CMA are good kids.
They work hard, so having a space of their own is very deserved.
[Cheers and applause.]
Mr.
sharpe! Whoa! Whoa! You're kidding me! This is great! Check it out! You're gonna love it! You got to be kidding me.
This is wicked cool.
Oh, this is great.
And you can put up any pictures that you want.
Oh, I love it! I love it! That's the best part of the room.
In bold letters there, you know, "we are family.
" I think that says it all right there.
That is great! I can't think of anything that could have been done that would have been more meaningful.
Aww! And you hooked me up.
- I hooked you up? - You hooked me up.
Pound it.
Pound it, blow it up.
Yeah! It's like you received a Christmas present and you just kept unwrapping stuff and everything that you unwrapped became better than the next.
Whoo! Whoo! It's just phenomenal.
Whoo! [laughter.]
[Cheers and applause.]
You can't have a school called "communication and media arts" and not have a communications and media arts department.
And with this new multimedia lab, the technology that I'm giving them this week, their entire world is gonna change.
Welcome to your multimedia lab.
[Cheering.]
[Cheering.]
One of the reasons CMA has been on the cut list is because it was a communication and media arts school that had no communication department at all.
And with this new multimedia lab, the technology that I'm giving them this week, their entire world is gonna change.
Welcome to your microsoft multimedia lab! [Cheering.]
When we walked into the media room, I think that was the most exciting room for everyone.
[Cheering.]
We actually had a green screen.
Like, we can make movies.
Oh, my God.
To see that multimedia lab in our little High School, I was stunned.
But you could, like, record your own show in here and then you have a control room in there.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
I'm crying.
I just got so emotional because I knew that we came together.
People from all around Michigan came out here just for CMA.
Now that we have the resources put in place, the possibilities are endless.
What do you think this means to the kids? This gives them so much more to do and gives them a way to express themselves that they haven't had before.
Oh, my God.
This is this is incredible.
Oh, thank you, Mr.
sharpe.
Our kids are so into technology and media and performing.
Now they can be creative and do their own thing.
It's awesome.
Seeing our new beautiful school, this school finally reflects what we do.
Each and every one of these computers is fully equipped with windows live essentials.
- Wow.
- That's great.
You can see all of these photos here of students while they were working this week.
That's nice.
So any videos that you guys record on the green screen, any of these photos can now be shared online.
So it's almost like you have a piece of the Internet and it's called your personal cloud.
How cool is that? They cannot believe it.
They cannot believe their eyes.
They're seeing possibilities now.
Opportunity that they didn't have before.
[Cheers and applause.]
All: CMA! CMA! CMA! CMA! All right.
CMA, do you like the way your school looks now? [Cheers and applause.]
The mood of the students and the teachers is positive that CMA is gonna get off the cut list once and for all, but none of us know that that's gonna happen for a fact.
CMA, you have the academics.
You have the attendance.
You now have the new building.
[Cheers and applause.]
This is the third time your school has been on a cut list.
Robert bobb has the power to change that right here, right now.
[Cheers and applause.]
This is a man in power with hundreds of thousands of people that he affects by making just one decision.
Robert bobb should take this school off the close list, not just for the third time, but forever.
I just don't think at the end of the day, that you all recognize how much power and how much enrichment, but more importantly, how many positive memories we'll have from this week of work.
Robert bobb, we are asking you to take CMA off of the cut list forever.
Forever! Forever! [Cheers and applause.]
All: Forever! Forever! Forever! What do you say? CMA, you are off the cut list forever! [Cheers and applause.]
I just feel relieved.
Like [Sighs.]
You know? I don't have to worry about going to another school.
Give it up for Robert bobb! [Cheers and applause.]
This community came together this week and said, "we want to save our school.
" We all want to do things that matter, and this week, we did something that mattered.
[Cheering.]
This week was very important to show everyone you work hard, you do good work, and we will reward you.
[Cheering continues.]
CMA is victorious today.
There's tons of CMAs all over the country, and for those schools, I say, "continue to fight.
Continue to be successful.
"Continue to show your community that you deserve to be saved as well.
" [Cheering.]
This journey doesn't end here.
There are schools like CMA all across the country.
- How are you today? - Good.
I would like a ticket, please.
Our job is not done by a long shot.
- You're set to go.
- Great.
Thank you so much.
There's still a lot of change that needs to happen.
School pride is much more than just paint.
It's creating a environment that's conducive to education.
It's had a significant impact on the ability of our students to grasp what their teachers are instructing.