Clase 406 (2002)

Francisco Romero is a small-town teacher who decides to try his luck in Mexico City. He joins the faculty of Prep school number 10 "Rosario Castellanos" and soon realizes that his work is more demanding than he expected; in addition to having to prove himself as a teacher, he must prove himself as a human being. He will find that, to make a difference with his students, he must also assume the roles of counselor, psychologist, doctor, and even detective. This story deals with dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, street gangs, men who abuse their stepdaughters, teenagers forced to work to support their families, and alcoholic parents who lead their children down the same path--very real problems experienced by high-school students the world over. This is also a love story. Both students and faculty fall victim to Cupid's random arrows, beginning with Francisco and school counselor Adriana who must put their hormones on hold long enough to become respected role models in their students' eyes--and Adriana must also choose between Francisco and her love for her son. Fortunately, Francisco has a second chance at love with Ana Maria, the new English teacher, who becomes his right arm when dealing with his students and their problems in and out of school. Ultimately he finds true love with Angela, the woman in charge in the school cafeteria, a working mother whose teenage children Juan David and Sandra attend this same school, and who has managed to balance being a homemaker, working woman, mother, and lover. The school itself occupies center stage in this story and becomes the forum where the main conflicts of the plot are exposed and resolved, and where Francisco Romero, in his role as teacher, not only shows his students how entertaining learning can be, but makes them understand the importance of respect for authority, friendship, camaraderie, love, and the values that will guide their conduct as they close the cycle of adolescence and become adults. One of the recurring themes in this telenovela is friendship, which is best exemplified by the story of Gabriela and Marcela, two high-school students who struggle to get ahead and maintain their friendship alive in spite of the painful experiences they go through and the many obstacles that threaten to drive them apart. Their friendship is put to the test when one of them realizes that everyone will give you advice, but no one will stand with you to face the consequences. Alcohol abuse among teenagers, sexual responsibility, domestic violence, and prostitution are also addressed in this production, such as the case of Magdalena, a strikingly-beautiful young woman with a rebellious nature and faces domestic abuse, while another student, Hugo, gets involved with gangs leading to his death. Carlos gets swindled into drug dealing, while Tatiana feels out of place as a rich kid whose family has become poor and she must adapt to the situation to be able to face the 406 gang; ultimately she gets into drugs. Kike becomes an alcoholic, Alfredo deals with being gay, and Daniela's dreams of becoming a model almost lead her to her death. The toughest struggle is when Francisco, their professor who has stuck through thick and thin with them must leave with his new wife. A new professor, Santiago, takes his place. Will the students accept him? Can he fill the void that was left by his predecessor? His troubled past including a young girl who was sexually harassing him at his former school and when he rebuffs her she accuses him of rape. The girl with the troubled mind is known as Jessica. Her story is one of the classics, a poor rich girl who acts out because her mother is dead and her father pays no attention to her. Clase 406 shows the hardships of being a teen with modern problems that have been ignored because they have been taboo. In Clase 406, nothing is taboo and anything can happen.