Master Teacher: Striving to Make a Difference Success and Failure at P.S. 27 (Part 1-2) 2001
Distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543-2053; 800-257-5126
Produced by ABC News (Nightline)
Director n/a
VHS, color, 56 min. (pt. 1); 57 min. (pt. 2)
College - Adult
Education
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Carolyn Walden, Mervyn H. Sterne Library, University of Alabama at Birmingham“They are the children who have failed and are now trying to beat long odds. She is the teacher who must convince them that they can succeed.” ABC News Nightline host, Ted Koppel begins this two part video series with this statement as he introduces viewers to the year long journey of master teacher, Ms. Lesley-Diann Jones, who works to meet the challenge of helping 4th and 5th graders at P.S. 27 in Brooklyn pass the state English exam they previously failed. Students at this school from the Red Hooks Projects consistently score near the bottom of the test but these 17 students in Ms. Jones’ class are not reading at grade level and have serious problems to overcome to pass the exam.
The two part series follows Ms. Jones in the class and the community as she works with difficult students, tries to understand their emotional and family problems, visits families, and handles conflicts with the principal. The videos include the personal reflections of Ms. Jones as she reads from the journal she keeps for this special year. The viewer sees not only the emotional journey of the teacher but the concern and conflicts of the students and parents. The world of the students at P.S. 27 shows a complex layer of problems that can serve as a starting discussion point for education classes, teachers and students as they explore solutions to better the way the United States handles education in the urban setting.
Although less than half the students are successful in passing the exam, the video captures some inspirational moments with the students who have overcome, the class play and the graduation ceremony. The video concludes with a live interview with Ms. Jones who shares her thoughts about the year and the impact on her teaching career. The filming captures the reality of the situation and manages to show the participants being themselves in spite of the filming of conflict and personally difficult family and school interactions. The video technical quality is excellent with smooth transitions from the original six-segment Nightline program. The audio is equally sharp and clear.
This is an excellent documentary for Schools of Education and public school teachers. Highly recommended for colleges and universities.