American Teacher

"Dedicated. Brilliant. Inspiring. Underpaid. Misunderstood. Scapegoated. There's a lesson here."

Sep 30 2011 TV-G 1h 21m
Biography, Documentary, History

As the debate over the state of America's public school system rages on, one thing everyone agrees on is the need for great teachers. Yet, while research proves that teachers are the most important school factor in a child's future success, America's teachers are so woefully underpaid that almost a third must divide their time between a second job in order to make a living. Chronicling the stories of four teachers in different areas of the country, American Teacher reveals the frustrating realities of today's educators, the difficulty of attracting talented new teachers, and why so many of our best teachers feel forced to leave the profession altogether. But this wake-up call to our system's failings also looks at possibilities for reform. Can we re-value teaching in the United States and turn it into a prestigious, financially attractive and competitive profession? With almost half of American teachers leaving the field in the next five years, now is the time to find out.

Plot

Weaving interviews of policy experts and startling facts with the lives and careers of four teachers, American Teacher tells the collective story by and about those closest to the issues in our educational system -- the 3.2 million teachers who spend every day in classrooms across our country.

Written by

N/A

Directed by

Vanessa Roth, Brian McGinn

Cast

Erik Benner, Neil Cavuto, Matt Damon

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America

Languages

English

Awards

N/A

Scores
# of Votes
261
Average Rating
6.8 out of 10
Metascore
60
Popularity
NA