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Show Friday, March 8, 1996 The Dally Utah Chronicle - 7 'Dangerous Minds9: Inspiration Reached Out to Inner City Students MIDVALE, Utah (AP) -When a boy starts to fail in school, a teacher generally him in the groin. She asked how he'd like to explain that to the principal. One boy said he had to cut class so he could earn money to buy ajacketso she gave him the money, in exchange for a promise to graduate. She gave an unsealed letter to a girl who had been acting out in class. The letter was to the student's parents and lavished praise on their daughter. She had no more trouble from the girl. Once, she felt like screaming, in class, so she did: a long, scream that lasted until she notices. Boys get boisterous, they act out, they draw attention to themselves. But girls are the opposite, says educator and author LouAnne Johnson, whose book. "My Posse Don't Do Homework" was the basis of a movie that starred Michelle Pfieffer. "Girls get quieter and quieter and they eventually disappear." This observation, based on a of and teaching study of years male rates and among dropout female students, inspired Johnson's second book, "The Girls in the Back of the Class." who recently Johnson, at local a bookstore, is appeared best known as the teacher actress Pfieffer played in "Dangerous Minds," which opened in theaters last summer. The unorthodox but successful teaching methods she reported her first book grabbed Hollywood's attention. Using her instincts as a teaching guide instead of conventional guidelines, Johnson said she tried to connect with, students on their ran out of breath. stuWhile teaching these dents at a northern California high school, Johnson was starded to learn that in a class made up of 25 girls and 25 boys, just 27 graduated, and only five were young women. At that point, she said, she began concentrating much of her attention on female students. Her study, supplemented with anecdotes from the journals her students wrote for class, reinforced Johnson's commitment to a more creative approach to educaat-ris- tion. Johnson is out of the classroom for now. The Navy journalist now lives in Las Cruces, N.M., and spends the bulk of her time giving workshops on creative discipline and techniques for class level. She threatened to beat up one boy if he continued to cut class and flunk tests; when another tried to intimidate her, she told him if he kept it up, she'd kick ex-U.- S. Clinton from page 2 dinger said that early in the adminis- tration, Clinton cut the staff of his administration's office of policy by 80 percent and only this month promised to fully staff the office. "If the president chooses to move drugs to the front burner because it's an election year, fine; no time is too soon," dinger said. Meanwhile, a report released at the White House conference by a Northeastern University criminologist said the rate of murder committed by s increased 172 percent from 1985 to 1994 and is likely to continue drug-contr- teen-ager- rising. James Fox, dean of the university's College of Qiminal Justice, said that while the national homicide rate fell 4 percent between 1990 and 1994, the rate s increased 22 perof killing by 14-t- o has surpassed the rates-foother every age group, Fox said. White House Leadership The y Conference on Youth, Drug Use and Violence took place at a school that has had tragic experiences with both drugs and violence. Mark Andries, the student govern. ment president, told Clinton of the "shattering" day when the news came all-da- that Julie Ferguson, a friend and classmate, had been "kidnapped, brutally murdered, and thrown onto the side of the road." Students at more than 100 locations across the country listened, with some participating by satellite relay, as Clinton said that drug use and violence cannot be solved by government alone. Jesse Jackson was among participants in the conference, and Clinton said he had first seen Jackson deliver an antidrug-use speech to a high school audience nearly 20 years ago. Jackson delivered that message again, in stark terms: "We are fighting little suicide bombers who are your buddies," he said. "They are hard to detect. They disguise themselves as your friends., and yet the number one threat to your lives little are your buddies." Clinton said that effort to stop drug use and related violence among the young cannot be done by law enforcement alone. He said drug treatment, school and community action and millions of individual decisions not to use drugs are all needed. And he said he speaks from personal conviction. "I grew up in the '60s when most people your age ... didn't really believe that drugs were dangerous until they very nearly destroyed our generation." drug-dealin- teen-ager- cent The violent crime arrest rate for k r room management. one in a uniform. It's harder than "When I went to school, you that, but you only have to do it got in trouble and teachers hit once." you. Then when you went home, During a two-dastay in Utah, she hit said. Johnson also presented a lecture, you got again," "There are still people who think "Teaching Doesn't Have to the way to discipline is through Hurt," at the annual spring conthreats and humiliation. They're ference of the Utah Association of Educators the at trying to do things that don't Teacher work anymore." on of Utah Friday. University In her spare time, she drums up Johnson believes in changing the entire dynamic of the classfunds for a student leadership room. "You can't just sit there. camp she hopes to open on a New You have to connect with them. Mexico ranch. You have to interact and not just LUCINDA DILLON be an authority figure." Deseret News It's about working with students instead of against them, said students, for Johnson. need example, special incentives to succeed because they fail so much. A teacher threatens to flunk an k student and that student says, "I already know how to do that, I'm good at it," Johnson said. Educators must better understand students who come from urban and gang lifestyles. And they must understand that Band-Aisolutions to their problems won't work. Putting all students in uniforms, for example, won't solve anyy TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, THE ARMY HAS A LOT TO OFFER. At-ris- k at-ris- XI:i.lfi thing. "You sleeve, they'll fold down a collar. It's not as simple as putting some Clinton's younger brother, Roger, once served a sentence for cocaine distribution, and the president, slamming the lectern with the flats of his hands, said: "I had a bother who nearly lost his life because of a drug problem." "I'm not just telling you as president; this is not a political speech, this is a personal statement," Clinton said. LAWRENCE L. KNUTSON Associated Press Writer (801) 963-199- (801) 0 (dtecmnm Safe gun-totin- 'Insignia Shorts regularly $ U of U Sweatshirts regularly now Ask for Dave, Darrel S I N Security National or Jennifer MIC Mortgage Company A A A 0 O $40-n- ow $24.99 w r 14-n- ow $8.99 Hooded Sweatshirts MrtinM.Mltanmv,pp,,ZO-y4t- 487-868- 6 ARMY. BE ALL YOU CAN BE: t regularly $45 $29.99 Prices effective only while supplies last! 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