"I had just come out of the trenches" (190)

This section opens with Erin securing a book deal for her students. They are excited, especially since many teacher have doubted them before, and now they can sort of prove their worth. Because of the book deal and the footage that airs on TV, Erin becomes more and more isolated within the professional community. Because of this she begins considering a job at California State University. Then comes graduation. Erin is happy for the students to move forward in life, but sad to be losing her family of sorts. After all, she really has no one else at this point, besides her students, her father and the people that have been helping her.

As the book progresses, Erin decides to try to match up her Freedom Writers with her grad students so they can be "case studies" and this is where I personally start to have more problems with Erin's choices. She is turning her students into lab rats for the betterment of the teaching profession. While the students may be ready and willing, they are sacrificing parts of themselves and parts of their individuality to take place in this study. I did not agree with this, nor do I feel it is appropriate.

Things become more dramatic and ground-breaking as Erin and her now former students prepare to travel to Europe as "Ambassadors of Tolerance". They are all going to be shining examples of how people from different backgrounds can come together. What I struggle with is that these student have come together and the people helping them have come together to learn and travel and benefit from the rewards that have been handed to them, but they are not, truly together. The lines of race and class and socioeconomic status are still there when they go home at night. They have not changed the world, and while I do not discredit their ability to work hard and work together, I feel the group has reached celebrity status for the wrong reasons. The students are poor. They are pitied for the lives they lead by people who are privileged enough to read and watch them on TV, but who have not walked in their shoes. Erin is praised for her work in bringing them together, but the details of how this has been done are overlooked.

Long story short, the Freedom Writers go to Europe. They enjoy themselves, have many adventures, and there are many poignant moments along the way. When Erin comes back her celebrity status is inflated even more as she is encouraged to run for Congress. She is, in reality, a teacher, or a college professor if you will. She has done wonderful things but she isn't exactly a politician. It is interesting to see how much she struggles with this undertaking. As a reader, I could see that this wasn't going to be her arena, but the pressure she faced must have been tremendous. Erin struggles to raise money and finds calling friends to ask for funds difficult. In the end, an attack ad accuses Erin of "using her students" and this obviously echos with some voters. Erin has a quick radio stunt in which it is apparent she is not being taken seriously and when all is said and done she loses the election.