The New Public

One of the most insightful documentaries I have seen about the education system in a long time. If you are a parent, teacher, student, uncle, or aunt, this is a must see if you have kids approaching high school or in high school. We actually watched it twice. We watched it once during the summer and again when school started and we got a completely new perspective on what your kids are going through and what changes need to happen. The amount of time these kids are tracked is impressive and the feedback from all of the participants is riveting. This is one of those documentaries that will fill up the entire dinner conversation.

As one of the main subjects in this film, I stand by its integrity. The New Public faithfully depicts my own struggles and achievements as well as those of my students, parents, and the school community as a whole. To be sure, it has been difficult to watch myself flounder in front of a national audience but if my personal drama is edifying I'm okay with it. I've used this film in my high school classroom and I've attended numerous screenings for educators and the public alike and I've witnessed howl this film raises crucial issues for our society as a whole. This is not just a sociological film, but a beautiful piece of filmmaking intimate, entertaining, and at times genuinely funny.

Joe Nocera of The New York Times wrote an op-ed about this film, calling it "...an unwitting primer on how to teach disadvantaged students." He went on to note that "...As the country continues to struggle with education reform, it seems obvious that education schools need to change, so that prospective teachers walk into their first classroom knowing how to teach. Maybe "The New Public" can help bring about that change." On top of all that, it is also an emotional character driven film about individuals you really root for, and come away with a sense that education is much bigger than school. I highly recommend it.

I watched this documentary for one of my college education classes and I was amazed by every moment of it. The stories of the students, parents. and educators all coming together to ensure success was amazing. I recommend this to anyone interested in our education system, humanities, etc. I felt as though I had known these students, teachers, and parents all my life because their stories are stories of countless others who find themselves in the same position. As a future educator, I learned (while watching this documentary) that students crave a trusting relationship with their teachers and principals. Once the educator is able to prove to the student that said students can trust them and that they will be there to support the student. it makes it easier for the student to perform better in school, as well as make connections with other adults and authority figures in their lives. I also learned, through observation, that it takes a lot of patience and a genuine care for kids to work in the educational field. If you don't have patience and a care for kids, please find another job.

I don't watch a lot of documentaries but this one was so interesting. It's a great film that follows the kids at one Brooklyn school as they try to graduate. These kids are so charismatic, I couldn't stop watching. I thought about all of them for weeks after. A great subject and an extremely well told film. A must watch. If you are interested in the debates around public education, or if even if you aren't, the story of these students and teachers is riveting. Some of the kids she follows overcome enormous odds and their stories are paired with the struggles of the teachers in interesting ways. It's very inspiring.I am so glad I got to get to know them. I will look for her other films in the future.