A Critique

Last night I had an opportunity to view the education film entitled The Lottery. The film was most provocative, resembling the earlier film, Waiting for Superman, calling attention to the positive results of the Harlem Success Academy while being critical of neighborhood public schools.

Both films have some real merits in terms of school reform and the success of some charter and non-neighborhood schools. One criticism I have of both films is the fact that they largely center their attention on the successes of inner charters and the failures of inner-city public schools while essentially ignoring the HUGE successes of many, many rural and suburban neighborhood public schools not to mention a good number of inner city neighborhood public schools.

I realize the focus of the film, The Lottery, is to examine the positives associatecd with the Harlem Success Project. However, I believe far too many people, who view the film, will walk away generalizing that what happens in Harlem is true for the rest of America. Quite simply, that's not even close to the truth.

Aside from the above points, I can name many, many inner city neighborhood public schools, as well as suburban and rural ones, that are serving their students extraordinarily well. Don't be misled...there are plenty of traditional public neighborhood schools that set high standards, have curriculum rigor, and prepare their students for entry into the world at large.

For example, Benjamin Bannker Elementary in New Orleans is an inner city public school. The school is superb. Teachers at Banneker are bright, they set the bar high, relate well to their students and don't mind being accountable. Ms. Branche, the Principal, is a thoughtful leader. She inspires and works tirelessly on behalf of the entire school community.

I don't want it said that we have to abandon neighborhood schools and immediately set up charters in order to achieve success. That simply isn't the case. I won't deny the successes of some schools in the two films, but neither will I deny (nor should you) that many of those same success stories are to be found in thousands of neighborhood public schools throughout America.

Dick Flesher