Thank a Teacher — If You Can Find One

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More About

• 826 Valencia
• Dave Eggers
• Ninive Calegari
• Vanessa Roth
• Academy Awards

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The statistics are dire. Nearly one-third of U.S. high school students drop out. And less than one-third of eighth-graders are up to where they should be in reading and math. Kids who live in urban areas and those who come from low-income families are at greater risk of bad grades and quitting school, which means they’re far less likely to develop the basic thinking-and-doing skills they need to get by in the world. Where are the teachers in this equation? A lot of them are dropping out too. The pay is so low in so many areas that nearly half of them quit within five years of starting. And many of the teachers who’ve been at it a long time are due to retire within a few years. It’s clear that our education system must change. American Teacher is a feature-length documentary that tells the stories of a few people closest to the issue. Dave Eggers of McSweeney’s and 826 Valencia helped write it, and Vanessa Roth, who’s won an Academy Award, directed it. Its producer is Nínive Calegari, who has a decade’s experience as a teacher and has also helped kids through 826 Valencia. The film contains first-person stories from the front lines and hard facts you’d expect from a crew like this as well as illustrations, animation, and archival film-strips from American education.
Tue., May 3, 6:30 p.m., 2011