Developing Minds by Jonathan LaPoma
Developing Minds by Jonathan LaPoma
In Developing Minds, author Jonathan LaPoma details the sordid, real-life underbelly of the American urban education system today. And it’s a picture straight off Picasso’s Cubism palette — all jagged edges and outsized caricatures that are, unfortunately, reality for U.S. classroom teachers today.
Luke Entelechy has just arrived in Miami with his friend Billy on a whim. They have both suddenly decided that teaching in New York was not the right fit for them, so they have motored on down to the south of Florida seeking a fresh start.
What Entelechy gets instead is a brisk slap in the face and a swift kick in the ass at the hands of the unforgiving students at George Washington Middle School. The only thing they seem to have a lower esteem of than themselves is the unfortunate Mr. Entelechy, who struggles period after period just to impart some basic knowledge of U.S. history.
What he does instead all day is referee classroom fistfights and endure endless profanity and disrespect.
“Chante got up and stormed over to (Frantz), pushing desks aside on her way. She threw a punch and Frantz dodged it. Then he grabbed a handful of her hair and wouldn’t let go. I ran out into the hall and looked for the security guards. I saw them standing at the end of the hall, crowded around one of the more attractive and well-endowed eighth grade girls. They were smiling like a group of old perverts.”
This is the story of how Luke fights back, bucking the overwhelming odds and the stifling pressure of the “teach-to-standardized-testing” mentality that is currently handcuffing beleaguered teachers nationwide.
There’s plenty of action outside school walls here, too. Luke and his friend Billy party up and down South Beach most nights along with an ensemble cast of memorable characters. One is a fellow teacher who gives Luke some sage advice:
‘You can’t argue with these kids. They’re pros at roping people in. They’re going to test you in every way possible, and you just gotta show them you won’t take their shit.”
This book is much more than a raw indictment of America’s school systems, of course. The protagonist is trying desperately to come to grips with his own demons — and not succeeding very well. His book project, like his proposed screenplay, is stillborn and his job as a teacher saps the creative energy from him at every turn, so the narrative often revolves around Luke’s inability to perform on many levels.
A satisfying ending resolves many issues large and small, however. I won’t spoil it, but suffice to say that Luke finally achieves equilibrium in his imperfect world and vows to start the new school year fresh with an enlightened attitude.
Developing Minds deserves five stars as a gritty, character-driven, coming-of-age novel by a talented writer.
