Charter Schools That Work
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Zach Richter
Clarence Page
Jonathan Bell
Marc Decrenza
Yuval Hod
Dusica Karsanidi
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
An examination of the emergence, perspective and practice of the relatively young education reform movement. More than 15 years ago, the report "A Nation at Risk" revealed that America's public schools were failing children, especially in poorer neighborhoods. In 1998, "A Nation Still at Risk" shared the startling fact that nearly 25 million young people reach the 12th grade without knowing the essentials of American history. Today, public schools continue to receive funds and teachers get paid -- in fact, teachers receive pay increases regardless of how well the students perform. In contrast, the charter school movement attracts teachers who are willing to say, "We can improve student achievement, and we'll stake our school's existence as well as our jobs on that fact." Beginning in 1992, with the first charter school in St. Paul, Minnesota, the number has grown to nearly 1700 schools serving more than 350,000 in 36 states.
