The Mitchell 20
A year ago, we were waiting for Superman, according to the national media. This year, we've been introduced to the realities of the American Teacher--but policymakers are still counting on base economic incentives to entice, then reward, the teaching force we need.
Next year, with any luck, the educational movie du jour--the quintessential story around which our national educational discussion centers--will be The Mitchell 20, a brilliant film that not only uncovers and dissects the challenges of teaching in schools in poverty, but provides a kind of gritty template for defining and attaining effective teaching. The film tells a real, and often heartbreaking, story of one school in Phoenix, twenty teachers, a dedicated principal--and how they collectively decided to improve the one thing they had control over: teaching.
The articulate heart and soul of the film is Daniela Robles, who guides the viewer through her own epiphanies:
