Hello everyone.
One thing you don’t see enough of in mass media is a realistic depiction of American school life. Movies, t.v. shows, and most print media is usually either amazingly negative or overwhelmingly melodramatic.
So when you find a program that seems to be neither, it’s worthy of note.
PBS is airing a documentary called The Principal Story starting Tuesday, September 15. It looks utterly compelling.
As you visit the site, notice too that even prior to its airing, there’s already a robust debate in the comments section.
Here’s PBS’s description of the show:
The Principal Story tells two stories, painting a dramatic portrait of the challenges facing America’s public schools — and of the great difference a dedicated principal can make. Tresa Dunbar is a second-year principal at Chicago’s Nash Elementary, where 98% of students come from low-income families; in Springfield, Illinois, Kerry Purcell has led Harvard Park Elementary, with similar demographics, for six years. Tod Lending (Omar & Pete, POV 2005) and David Mrazek followed both women over the course of a school year, discovering each one’s unique styles yet similar passions. The Principal Story takes the viewer along for an emotional ride that reveals what effective educational leadership looks like in the 21st century.
I look forward to watching it and perhaps we can weigh here when it’s done.
I watched this last night and am still thinking about it, but was impressed with both principals. I would have liked to seen more on how the Nash principal dealt with the ineffective teacher. The desperation around raising the standardized test scores was obvious.
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