Waiting for Superman may be starting to wind down its run across the country, but that doesn’t mean the conversation about education reform is waning. A handful of related documentaries will soon be making their way to the big screen or to DVD. We encourage you to check them out.
The Films
Teached deals with teacher tenure, bureaucracy and “examines the failure of the American education system to provide all students with a decent education, exposing the vast disparities in quality between schools serving low-income and minority students and those serving white and wealthier students.”
Musician and education advocate John Legend sits down to discuss education with the Teached crew.
Clips from Interview with John Legend from Loudspeaker Films on Vimeo.
First Generation follows four high-achieving, low-income students trying to be first in their families to go to college. Over the course of their junior and senior years of high school, their stories unfold as they navigate the process of applying to college amidst the challenges of poverty. It looks like the film will soon be appearing in film festivals.
The Lottery “follows four families from Harlem and the Bronx who have entered their children in a charter school lottery. Out of thousands of hopefuls, only a small minority will win the chance of a better future.” This film received a lot of attention from Superman; it’s now available on DVD.
The Cartel examines the failure of New Jersey’s public schools and “shows us our educational system like we’ve never seen it before. Behind every dropout factory, we discover, lurks a powerful, entrenched, and self-serving cartel.” The film has done the film festival circuit and will be available on DVD on Dec. 1.
And, of course, don’t forget the documentary about Washington state schools. You can watch Paramount Duty right here on our website!
