In this 1984 comedy-drama, the teachers of inner city JFK High School have all but given up on their unruly students. Teachers doze off in their own class, fight against one another, sleep with students, and fail to notice that one of their own (Richard Mulligan) is an outpatient from a mental institution accidentally put in charge of a U.S. History class. Nick Nolte is a jaded social studies teacher who finds new inspiration when idealistic teacher JoBeth Williams enters the picture. Together, they try to get through to their kids and risk their jobs to buck the system. But at what cost?