This is a humorous TV series script based on my life for six years as the Dean of Students at Kakiat Junior High, East Ramapo school district, Spring Valley, New York in the mid-1980’s. I was seeking a 6th level Administrative certificate to allow me to become a School Principal or district Administrator and I needed one year experience as an administrative intern. I approached Mr. Gerald Pollak, the Principal, and requested that I fill in for the empty Dean of Students position. The district budget to save money eliminated the Dean of Students job at the Junior highs and High schools. The Dean of Students is the job that deals with discipline problems day in and day out. You get to see all the bad students and either suspend them from school, call their parents or assign them to detention after-school or in-school suspension all day. It was one of the most hated positions by students in the school. Even the Principal faired better in popularity. I kept a sense of humor at the job and made some major changes like digital records in replacing orange discipline folders that were never filed correctly.
Here is the first draft of the TV pilot, The Dean of Students.
THE DEAN OF STUDENTS
By Dr. Pelham Mead III
Based on a true story.
TV PILOT
EPISODE ONE- THE DEAN OF 1 STUDENTS AT KAKIAT JUNIOR 1
HIGH, EAST RAMAPO SCHOOL DISTRICT, SPRING VALLEY,
NEW YORK.
2 SCENE-INT. DAY- DEAN’S OFFICE IN KAKIAT JUNIOR HIGH. 2
(Opening Scene to be repeated at the beginning of each episode)
Note: Pelham Mead, Dean of Students for Kakiat Junior high is a tall man
with light brown hair and a short mustache and thin rimmed eye glasses. He
is dressed in a white shirt, no tie, light brown sports jacket and slacks. The
scene opens with Mr. Mead entering his office and trying to find a pen in his
desk which is cluttered with water pistols, sling shots, knives, bullets, and
one pellet gun.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
(42)
Good morning Mrs. Rodofsky.
MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY (45)
Good morning Mr. Mead.
Mr. Mead enters his office. Five seconds of video show his title on the door
(Pelham Mead, Dean of Students). As the camera scans across the outer
room piles of orange files are stacked almost as high as the ceiling. Some
stacks are on the floor. There is almost no room to walk except a path to the
Dean’s office.y
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
(Looking through his desk draws) Damm it
where the hell are my pens?
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
2.
ou(Opens left lower desk draw which is full
of water pistols) I have enough water pistols
to start a toy store. (Opens top left desk
draw) (The top draw is full of decks of
cards, marbles, pea shooters and sling shots.
Nothing but marbles and cards in this draw.
(He opens the desk middle draw and a huge
18 inch hunting knife is in the draw along
with several pocket knives. Hunting knives
and no pens.(Opens Right top draw which is
full of more water pistols). If there were a
market for used water pistols, I would be
rich.(Opens The right lower desk draw, and
the draw is full of cap guns and a pellet gun)
He digs through the cap guns and puts the
pellet gun on top of his desk and on the
bottom of the draw is one single ink pen.
Finally, a pen in a field of cap guns and a
pellet gun. I have an arsenal here. (Mr. Mead
puts all the cap guns and pellet gun back in
the lower right hand draw. On top of the
desk is three trays marked IN, PENDING,
Processed. The IN file is stacked so high it is
cascading into the Pending box. The
Processed file is empty. Lisa how many
students do we have today?
MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
About fifty Mr. Mead.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Fifty? Damm. It is going to take me all day
to interview fifty students. Call down twenty
students during homeroom today, and ten
during 3rd period, ten during 4th period
lunch and ten during 5th period lunch. Make
sure you do not call down any 7th graders
during their 3rd period lunch period, and the
same for 8th graders during 4th period, and
lastly no 9th graders during 5th period
lunch.
(MORE)
3.
MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
Yes, Mr. Mead. I will start from the bottom
of the list, and call down the first 20 students
during homeroom.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Thanks Lisa. I will help you file the
thousands of old files that were never filed if
I get time later today. (Video scans the office
outside the Dean’s office where orange
discipline files are stacked everywhere.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
My previous secretary did not know how to
file folders nor did she enjoy filing folders
so we have last year’s folders as well as this
year’s folders. I need to find a better
process.
MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
(On the school PA system) Will the
following students report to the Dean of
Students office immediately. Gregg Gross,
Mindy Epstein, Sal Vendi, Gerald Rosen,
Mandy Walstein, Paul Hollerman, Jerome
Washington, Lavitia Green, Mohammed
Figal, Brett Wolf, Andy Rothman, Adam
Preenstein,…
Five minutes later a line of students forms outside the Dean’s office and
down the hall past the main office.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
I am going to speed this up by dealing with
the Lates to class, and cutting class by
assigning them automatically to after-school
detention this afternoon. (Dean Pelham
Mead steps outside in the hallway and
makes an announcement) The following
students were either late to class more than
two times or cut class are here by assigned
to after-school detention.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
4.
If you are on a Sports team you will not be
allowed to attend practice.Gregg Gross,
Mindy Epstein, Sal Vendi, Gerald Rosen,
Mandy Walstein, Paul Hollerman, Jerome
Washington, Lavitia Green, Mohammed
Figal, Brett Wolf, Andy Rothman, Adam
Preenstein. All other students will remain
here in line until I can interview them.
Those of you that I called can return to class
immediately. Get a pass from Mrs. Rodofsky
to return to class.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
Mrs. Rodofsky, send in Malcolm Jones
please.
Malcolm comes into the Dean’s office.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
Sit down Malcom. I have a disciplinary
referral from Mr. Knapp that you cursed at
him in class. Is this true Malcom?
MALCOM JONES (13) STUDENT
He got up in my face Mr. Mead.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Really? Did he touch or hit you?
MALCOM JONES
No he threatened to call my parents for not
doing any homework.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Really? Do you swear at your patents when
you get mad?
MALCOM JONES
No. My father would take my head off.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
I am going to call your parents now. Is your
mother at home Malcom?
5.
MALCOM JONES
I think so. My father works in New York
city for the Electrical Union and he does not
have a cell phone. Please don’t call my
mother.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Hello Mrs. Jones. This is Mr. Mead, Dean of
Students at Kakiat Junior high. I have your
son Malcom in my office this morning. It
seems he cursed out Mr. Knapp his Science
teacher yesterday.
MRS. WELINDA JONES (50) MOTHER
Hello, Yes Mr. Mead. I am sorry to hear that
Malcom could not keep his fat mouth shut
and show his teacher some respect.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Normally we would put Malcom in the Inschool
Suspension room for a whole day
where he will not be able to talk and
homework will be sent to keep him busy all
day. He will also eat his lunch in the
Suspension room. We have however an
alternative. If you give your permission I
can have Malcom do Community Service
during his lunch period today picking up
papers on the school grounds. He will have
to do three lunch periods of Community
service instead of a whole day of In-school
suspension. What would you like me to do
Mrs. Jones?
Note: Mrs. Jones is a large 300 pound black woman with an Afro hair style
and a mo mo dress.
MRS. WELINDA JONES
Put that boy in Community Service picking
up papers. Maybe it will teach him to keep
his big mouth shut.
6.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
OK, I will assign Malcom to 4th period
Community Service today and two days
after. Than you for your support Mrs. Jones.
Have a good day. Goodbye. OK, Malcom
you heard your mother and she approved of
you serving Community Service today and
two other days during your lunch period. At
the beginning of 4th period lunch you will
report to my office with your lunch. If you
do not have lunch we will provide you with
a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a
container of milk. You have 15 minutes to
finish your lunch. After that you will be
given a plastic trash bag and a paper picker
tool to pick up papers on the Soccer field
and surrounding area. You are not to talk to
your friends or anyone out during lunch
recess. I will personally be observing you
the whole period outdoors to make sure you
are picking up papers the entire time. When
you are done and the bell rings you are to
show your bag contents to me before you
dump it in the dumpster. Do you understand
these instructions Malcom?
MALCOM JONES
Yes, but I am not happy.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
See you at the beginning of 4th period. Do
not be late or you will get an additional day
of community service. Mrs. Rodofsky who
is next.
FADE OUT.
Later that day Mr. Mead meets the students serving Community Service that
day.
FADE IN:
7.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
You students have 15 minutes to eat your
lunch. There is to be no talking. When you
are done I will give you a plastic garbage
bag and a paper picker took to pick up
papers and soda cans or bottles on or around
the Soccer field outside. I will be watching
you the whole time. When the bell rings,
you are to bring your bags back to me to
inspect and then you can dump them in the
dumpster at the back of the building. There
is to be no talking to each other or your
friends. Does everyone understand?
15 minutes later.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
OK, here are your garbage bags and paper
picker tool. Put on your coats and let’s go
outside.
On the field Dean Mead is standing on the Soccer field holding a cup of
coffee watching the students picking up papers. It is windy and his hair is
blowing in the wind and it is cold and even with his heavy coat it is
noticeable how cold he is. His face begins to become rosy red from the cold.
He begins spitting on the ground.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
Brrrrr, it is as cold as hell out here. Thank
God for this coffee.
When the bell rings all the students turn in their bag of trash and Mr. Mead
inspects them and then tells them to take the bags to the dumpster.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
Take the bags to the dumpster and throw
them in. See you tomorrow, same time, same
place.
MALCOM JONES
Man that sucked. I am sorry I cursed at Mr.
Knapp cause this is torture.
Mr. Mead comes back into his office.
8.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Boy it was cold outside. Lisa have the
remainder of the students I have to interview
report to my office now.
FADE OUT.
At the end of the Day, Mr. Mead puts on his coat and exits the school by the
side door.
FADE IN:
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
Holy crap! Someone broke my car
windshield. This is the third time this has
happened. I am going to have to park my car
out in the faculty parking lot to keep it away
from any students. Damm, now I will have
to drive home sitting in a pile of broken
glass.
Mr. Mead is seen sitting in a pile of glass peering through a broken
windshield, squinting his eyes to see.
END Of EPISODE ONE.
FADE TO BLACK.
EPISODE TWO- THE STUDENT 3 WITH A POCKET FULL OF 22 3
CARTRIDGES.
SCENE 1-INT. DAY- DEAN OF STUDENT’S OFFICE.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
(42)
Good morning Mrs. Rodofsky.
MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY (45)
Good morning Mr. Mead.
Mr. Mead enters his office. Five seconds of video show his title on the door
(Pelham Mead, Dean of Students). As the camera scans across the outer
room piles of orange files are stacked almost as high as the ceiling.
9.
Some stacks are on the floor. There is almost no room to walk except a path
to the Dean’s office.y
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
(Looking through his desk draws) Damm it
where the hell are my pens? ou(Opens left
lower desk draw which is full of water
pistols) I have enough water pistols to start a
toy store. (Opens top left desk draw) (The
top draw is full of decks of cards, marbles,
pea shooters and sling shots. Nothing but
marbles and cards in this draw. (He opens
the desk middle draw and a huge 18 inch
hunting knife is in the draw along with
several pocket knives. Hunting knives and
no pens.(Opens Right top draw which is full
of more water pistols). If there were a
market for used water pistols, I would be
rich.(Opens The right lower desk draw, and
the draw is full of cap guns and a pellet gun)
He digs through the cap guns and puts the
pellet gun on top of his desk and on the
bottom of the draw is one single ink pen.
Finally, a pen in a field of cap guns and a
pellet gun. I have an arsenal here. (Mr. Mead
puts all the cap guns and pellet gun back in
the lower right hand draw. On top of the
desk is three trays marked IN, PENDING,
Processed. The IN file is stacked so high it is
cascading into the Pending box. The
Processed file is empty. Lisa how many
students do we have today?
LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
Less than most days. We have around 25
students. The fear of serving Community
Service in front of their peers is making a lot
of students think twice before cutting a
class.
10.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Bengee Magal do you know why you are
here today?
BENGEE MAGAL (12) STUDENT
No, sir.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Do you want to empty your pockets
Bengee?
BENGEE MAGAL
What for Mr. Mead?
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Your teacher Mr. Ross has reported to me
that you were playing with live bullets in
class. Is that true?
BENGEE MAGAL
I found them at the bus stop.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Do you realize how dangerous it could be to
you and your fellow students and teacher if
one of those bullets exploded in your hand
or pocket?
BENGEE MAGAL
I only have 8 bullets. Here they are
(dumpling the bullets on Dean Mead’s
desk).
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
(Picking up the bullets and examining them)
These look like 22 long bullets Bangee.
Where did you get these bullets?
BENGEE MAGAL
They were lying on the ground at the bus
stop, and I picked them up and put them in
my pocket.
11.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Really? Mrs. Rodofsky, Bangee and I are
going to take a little ride in my car. We will
be back soon. Come on Bangee we are
going for a ride in my car.
BENGEE MAGAL
Where are we going?
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
We are going to your bus stop to see if we
can find anymore bullets on the ground.
Half way across the parking lot Bangee makes an admission of guilt.
BENGEE MAGAL
Mr. Mead, stop. We don’t need to drive to
the bus stop. I lied. I stole the bullets from a
coffee can in my neighbors garage. I saw the
bullets in the coffee can one day and I stole
them from our neighbor. I brought them to
school to show to my friends. I didn’t mean
any harm. Honest.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Well then let’s go back to my office.
When they get back to Mr. Mead’s office.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
Bengee bringing bullets or guns to school is
a serious offense. We have a zero tolerance
policy in this school district and you could
be expelled from school by the
Superintendent of Schools and put on home
tutoring or sent to another school district in
Rockland county that will take you.
BENGEE MAGAL
(Begins to cry) Please Mr. Mead, do not call
my parents. They will kill me.
12.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
The law requires me to contact your parents
and inform the Principal of your
misconduct. It is out of my hands what the
Principal wants to do with you. This is your
first offense, so that will help your case, but
your parents will have to come into the
school, and meet with the Principal, Mr.
Pollak and myself and we will take it from
their. Let me call your parents first. Hello
Mrs. Magal? This is Mr. Mead, Dean of
Students at Kakiat Junior High. I am calling
you today because I have your son Bengee
in my office. He seems to have stolen some
22 calibre bullets from your next door
neighbors garage where they were in a
coffee can. He brought the bullets to school
and showed them to his friends in class. The
teacher reported him to my office and I
interviewed Bengee and determined that he
was lying about finding the bullets on the
ground at his bus stop. Can you and your
husband come in today and meet with
Principal Gerald Pollak and myself to
discuss Bengee’s situation. He may be
suspended from school because we have a
zero tolerance rule for guns and
ammunition.
MRS. MAGAL, (48) MOTHER
I am shocked to hear my son stole bullets
and brought them to school. I will call my
husband, and we will be able to come to
Kakiat Junior high this afternoon at 2:00
o’clock.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Good, I will confirm this with Principal
Pollak for meeting with him at 2:00 today.
Thank you for your cooperation Mrs. Magal.
(MORE)
13.
Later that day at 2:00.
LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
Mr. Mead, Mr. And Mrs.Magal Are here
waiting for you.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Put them in the conference room and call
down Bengee, while I get Mr. Pollak to sit in
on this meeting.
LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
Will do. Mr. And Mrs. Magal would you like
a cup of water or anything? Please sit in the
conference room until we can get your son
Bengee down here and Mr. Pollak as soon as
he is available.
Minutes later.
BENGEE MAGAL
Hi Mom and Dad.
MR. MADAL
Sit down Bengee. We are not happy.
BENGEE MAGAL
Sorry.
Mr. Pollak and Mr. Mead enter the conference room.
GERALD POLLAK, PRINCIPAL OF KAKIAT
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Sorry for the delay Mr. And Mrs. Magal. I
was on the phone with the District lawyer
and the Superintendent of Schools regarding
the legality of bring live ammunition into
school. As you may know we have a zero
tolerance policy regarding guns and bullets
brought to school. If Bengee was 16 it
would be a felony violation and he would
have to be arrested.
GERALD POLLAK, PRINCIPAL OF KAKIAT
14.
I have spoken to the Dean of Students, Mr.
Mead and since this is Bengee’s first offense
we are not going to suspend him from
school for a week or sent him to another
school district. With your permission he will
participate in picking up papers during his
lunch period for one month in our
Community Service program supervised by
Dean Pelham Mead. If he has any other
discipline problems in the next school year I
will have to recommend that he be removed
from school and sent to another school in the
district. Do you understand your rights Mr.
And Mrs. Magel?
MRS. MAGAL,MOTHER
I am so embarrassed for Bengee’s behavior.
This is not the way we brought him up. I
don’t know what I am going to tell our
neighbors? We will prefer to have Bengee
serve community service then be suspended
from school.
GERALD POLLAK, PRINCIPAL OF KAKIAT
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
OK, Mr. Mead will give you the form to
sign giving your permission to have Bengee
serve Community Service for one month.
You must provide a bag lunch for him since
he will not be permitted to buy hot lunch for
one month.
MR. MADAL, FATHER
Thank you Principal Pollak and Dean Mead.
I have to get back to work. Bengee we will
talk with you tonight. Good bye.
FADE OUT.
15.
EPISODE THREE- EXT. DAY- FACULTY PARKING LOT.
Mr. Mead arrives for school at 8:00 a.m. in his Volkswagen hatchback car
with no windshield. He had a ski hat on and a scarf and ski jacket on and
gloves. His face looks white and frozen from the cold air coming through the
open windshield.
RICK KNAPP, (25)SCIENCE TEACHER
Hey Pel where is your windshield? You look
like you are frozen. What happened?
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
One of our students who was unhappy with
me for some reason broke my windshield
with a rock. I had to drive home in a pile of
broken glass. I don’t have time to get
another windshield until this weekend. It
was kind of like driving a snowmobile.
RICK KNAPP,
You certain are funny looking. (Laughing)
You better get snow goggles too.
They both walk into the school from the faculty parking lot.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Are you sure you wouldn’t like to serve as
the Dean of Students?
RICK KNAPP,
No way, not me. I am a Union Rep and not
an administrator. Good luck with that job.
See you later.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
(42)
Good morning Mrs. Rodofsky.
MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY (45)
Good morning Mr. Mead.
Mr. Mead enters his office. Five seconds of video show his title on the door
(Pelham Mead, Dean of Students). As the camera scans across the outer
room piles of orange files are stacked almost as high as the ceiling.
(MORE)
16.
Some stacks are on the floor. There is almost no room to walk except a path
to the Dean’s office.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
(Looking through his desk draws) Damm it
where the hell are my pens? (Opens left
lower desk draw which is full of water
pistols) I have enough water pistols to start a
toy store. (Opens top left desk draw) (The
top draw is full of decks of cards, marbles,
pea shooters and sling shots. Nothing but
marbles and cards in this draw. (He opens
the desk middle draw and a huge 18 inch
hunting knife is in the draw along with
several pocket knives. Hunting knives and
no pens.(Opens Right top draw which is full
of more water pistols). If there were a
market for used water pistols, I would be
rich.(Opens The right lower desk draw, and
the draw is full of cap guns and a pellet gun)
He digs through the cap guns and puts the
pellet gun on top of his desk and on the
bottom of the draw is one single ink pen.
Finally, a pen in a field of cap guns and a
pellet gun. I have an arsenal here. (Mr. Mead
puts all the cap guns and pellet gun back in
the lower right hand draw. On top of the
desk is three trays marked IN, PENDING,
Processed. The IN file is stacked so high it is
cascading into the Pending box. The
Processed file is empty. Lisa how are we
doing on filing the discipline folders? I am
planning on using my Apple Pet computer
and create a data base of all students that are
disciplined on Appleworks. I will install the
program on your computer for you and show
you how to access the data base. I am going
to use only 10 keywords. That will make
sorting by different infractions easier.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
17.
I can print out the whole week each Friday
and give Mr. Pollak a copy for his files.
LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
Sounds good to me. It is going to take
forever to file all these discipline folders.
Many of last years 9th graders have already
gone up to the high school. I have to keep
them separate to send up to the high schools
to help them update their files. They haven’t
used computers yet in storing their files. We
are way ahead of them in technology.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Great. How many students do I have to
interview today?
LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
About 25 students. The late to class and
class cutters have gone down because they
do not want to pick up papers in front of
their friends.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Good that means my new approach is
working. The in-school suspension room is
mostly empty now. I moved those students
into Community Service to give the teachers
a break having to give up a prep period to sit
in the In-school suspension room for a
whole period.
LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
First up is Lashonda Williams.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Come right in Lashonda. Have a seat. You
were recommended to me for fighting with
another girl during lunch time. What is your
side of the story?
18.
LASHONDA WILLIAMS (14) STUDENT
Well Mr. Mead, Tereshia Jones tried to take
my boyfriend Jamal away from me so I had
to teach the bitch a lesson.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Fighting in school is not permitted. If you
have a problem you go to your guidance
counselor and tell them about it, not starting
a fist fight on the Soccer field. Normally, we
suspend students who fight in school, but I
am going to give you a break and ask your
parents to allow you to serve in Community
service..
LASHONDA WILLIAMS
What is Community Service Mr. Mead?
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Instead of being suspended from school and
missing a full week of classes you get to
pick up papers during your lunch period for
one week. That way you don’t miss any of
your classes and schoolwork.
LASHONDA WILLIAMS
Picking up papers Hell No.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
If you refuse then I will be forced to suspend
you for one to two weeks out of school. You
will fall behind in your work and probably
fail the semester. In addition the suspension
will go on your permanent record for future
colleges or Employers to see if they want to
accept you. The next time you get in trouble
you may be expelled permanently and have
to go to night school to get a diploma. So
what will it be Lashonda.
19.
LASHONDA WILLIAMS
When you put it that way, I will pick up
papers instead.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Good, meet me in front of my office
tomorrow at the beginning of 4th period.
This is all pending on a phone call to your
parents for their permission for your to serve
community service.
Later that day Mr. Mead goes outdoors third period, fourth period and fifth
period to supervised community service. The day was especially windy and
cold. Mr. Mead had a cup of coffee and his ski jacket on with the hood over
his head to protect him from the wind. He looked like a frozen corpse.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
Time to go out for community service. If
anyone has an emergency just call me on the
walkie talkie and I will come running. Now
it is time to freeze to death on the Soccer
field.
LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
Stay warm Mr. Mead.
At the end of the day Mr. Mead walks out to the empty faculty parking lot
where his VW hatchback is parked with no windshield. He puts on his ski
hat, gloves and scarf around his ski jacket and drives off with the cold wind
in his face.
FADE TO BLACK.
EPISODE FOUR- TROUBLE IN THE EH (EMOTIONALLY
HANDICAPPED) CLASSROOM.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
(42)
Good morning Mrs. Rodofsky.
MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY (45)
Good morning Mr. Mead.
(MORE)
20.
Mr. Mead enters his office. Five seconds of video show his title on the door
(Pelham Mead, Dean of Students). As the camera scans across the outer
room piles of orange files are stacked almost as high as the ceiling. Some
stacks are on the floor. There is almost no room to walk except a path to the
Dean’s office.y
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
(Looking through his desk draws) Damm it
where the hell are my pens? ou(Opens left
lower desk draw which is full of water
pistols) I have enough water pistols to start a
toy store. (Opens top left desk draw) (The
top draw is full of decks of cards, marbles,
pea shooters and sling shots. Nothing but
marbles and cards in this draw. (He opens
the desk middle draw and a huge 18 inch
hunting knife is in the draw along with
several pocket knives. Hunting knives and
no pens.(Opens Right top draw which is full
of more water pistols). If there were a
market for used water pistols, I would be
rich.(Opens The right lower desk draw, and
the draw is full of cap guns and a pellet gun)
He digs through the cap guns and puts the
pellet gun on top of his desk and on the
bottom of the draw is one single ink pen.
Finally, a pen in a field of cap guns and a
pellet gun. I have an arsenal here. (Mr. Mead
puts all the cap guns and pellet gun back in
the lower right hand draw. On top of the
desk is three trays marked IN, PENDING,
Processed. The IN file is stacked so high it is
cascading into the Pending box. The
Processed file is empty. Lisa how many
students do we have today?
LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
About ten, Mr. Mead. The numbers are
going down finally. Oh, you have a call on
the intercom. Miss Gravely say she has an
emergency.
LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY (CONT’D)
21.
One of her male students named Mohammed
Moosher is freaking out and threatening to
hurt everyone in the class. She wants you
and security to rush to her room.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Tell her I am on the way. Call the security
guards and tell them to meet me at the EH
class on the first floor.
Pelham Mead jogs down to the EH class. Upon his arrival he opens the door
and sees furniture and tables and chairs upside down all over the classroom.
All the students are pinned against the wall including the teacher in fear of
the student at the far end of the room who was cursing and threatening
everyone in the room with his black umbrella.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
Mohammed, I am the Dean of students. You
need to calm down. What is the problem?
You also need to stop threatening everyone
with that umbrella. Are you alright Miss
Gravely?
Mohammed is an average size black student with short cut hair and no facial
hairs. He is a very muscular student being a year older that the rest of the
students. He has a very base voice and stutters a little when talking.
MOHAMMED MOOSHER, (15) STUDENT
Fuck you Mr. Med or whatever your name
is. I asked Miss Gravely if I could take a few
days off from school to make some money
working and she said No.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
If you take off from school you can be
arrested by the District truancy officer and
be in a lot of trouble. Come on Mohammed
let’s go out in the hallway and talk this over.
MOHAMMED MOOSHER,
Fuck you. I am not going anywhere.
22.
SECURITY GUARD DAN HEALY, (60)
Do you need help Mr. Mead?
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
No Dan, I got this under control.
Stay around just in case. Mohammed
if you don’t come out, I am going
to have to drag you out in the
hallway.
MOHAMMED MOOSHER,
Fuck you asshole. Try and take this
umbrella away from me.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
This is your last chance Mohammed.
I am coming in and I am going to
take your umbrella away and drag
you by your neck out into the
hallway for the rest of the school
to see.
MOHAMMED MOOSHER,
(Mohammed raised the umbrella high in the
air as Mr. Mead charged him) You can’t
have my umbrella.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Give me the umbrella or I am going to wrap
it around your throat.
Mr. Mead was a Wrestling champion in High school and college and he kept
himself in the best physical condition possible at 160 pounds over
Mohammed who weighed around 120 pounds.
Mr. Mead grabbed the umbrella and Mohammed behind the neck and
dragged him out into the hallway. There Mohammed tried to punch Mr.
Mead and he blocked the punch and judo flipped Mohammed to the foor.
Suddenly, all the classroom doors opened and the teachers stuck their heads
out to see what was going on. They were amazed to see the Dean of Students
wrestling with an EH student. I was the event of the month for the teachers
when they gossiped about what happened in the teacher cafeteria everyday.
Later, Mr. Mead got Mohammed in a head lock and dragged him down to
the Dean’s office. Dan the Security officer helped by bringing the umbrella
along.
23.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D)
Lisa inform Mr. Pollak that I have a violent
student I want arrested by the Rampo Police
department. I will press charges of
assaulting a teacher and administrator in
addition to threatening the other students in
the class with bodily harm. I am going to
lock him in the conference room until the
police get here.
LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY
I am calling Mr. Pollak on the intercom right
now and the Ramapo Police department.
PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Thank you. Now I have to catch my breath. I
haven’t wrestled since College.
Haitians
Student with 18 inch Hunting Knife
Student with Water pistols and pea shooters and sling shots.
Student with Pellet Gun
Student with umbrella in Emotionally Disturbed classroom
Students that cut class, late to class, disrupting a class and other non-violent
actions.
Students serving Community Service- During Lunch Hours, given Peanut
butter and jelly sandwich and small container of milk if they did not bring
lunch. 15 min. Then given leaf rake or plastic bag to pick up papers and
garbage on school property.
Dean Pel Mead supervised lunch community service while eating his lunch,
Fall, winter (snow on the ground) and Spring.
Trimming bushes which turned out to have poison ivy in them.
End of the school year emptying out of Dean’s desk full of plastic water
pistols which had to be smashed, knives of all sizes and a pellet gun. Could
not be thrown in the dumpster or students would dive in after the knives, etc.
24.
Picture visually of Dean Mead dumping hundreds of plastic water pistols on
the floor along with knives, pea shooters, sling shots and one pellet gun.
