When Martel asks for Doc, it shows that Martel runs his gang out of perceived necessity. It may give young men in the neighborhood the structure and support they crave, but right now, it can’t give them the education they’d need to do better. However, it’s still worth considering why Martel needs Doc rather than just to require gang members to attend classes. Trey was expelled—and Quan has been pulled out of school too. A tutor will be less beholden to a school system that, due to punishing kids with expulsions and suspensions, doesn’t make it easy for kids battling other pressing issues to get an education.