school

Bullying is a sad fact of many children’s lives. Some adults like to dismiss school bullying as kids just being kids, a normal part of growing up. For those who are bullied, life is anything but normal—becoming a tortuous, unbearable place with no one and nowhere to turn to for relief.

Jodee Blanco writes an unflinching account of her middle- and high-school years, replete with heartbreaking tales of assault, both verbal and physical. While wanting the best for her, Jodee’s parents added to her distress. They, along with teachers, principals, and counselors, placed the blame for Jodee’s

In the vein of documentary films Spellbound and Mad Hot Ballroom, Resolved follows high school debate teams over a period of two years all the way to the tournament of champions. With the exception of one team, all were from private high schools. The public high school team consisted of two boys from an inner city high school, who had not been trained to speak in short-hand and didn’t base their arguments solely on research. Instead, they argued that, based on their personal experience and how they felt, the topic of the debate was inherently racist.

It was fascinating to observe the