Soby Kuriakose is a math teacher who arrived at Robeson three weeks into the school year, thanks to district staffing snafus. Both Mykelle and Jamelle are in his class. Mr. K wants the kids to learn algebra, but he also deals with staplers being hurled across the room and students cussing him out. Nearly 40 percent of freshmen flunked his class first quarter.

Mr. K and his colleagues face challenges at Robeson that their teacher preparation courses never prepared them for, in November one of Mr. K’s students was shot and killed. We’re following Mr. K to see what kind of teacher it takes to reach Chicago’s toughest students, and whether CPS and Robeson give him what he needs to do it.