National Teachers Academy is a high-performing public elementary school in a predominately Black neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. As gentrification creeps further into the area and competing interests take hold, the school comes under the threat of closure when it is slated to be turned into a high school to accommodate the increase in new—and mostly white—residents from surrounding neighborhoods. Kevin Shaw’s energetic film documents the fight to save National Teachers Academy from start to finish, introducing a cast of charismatic characters who believe in their power to fight for their rights against seemingly impossible odds, with few resources and numerous setbacks. Bolstered by a sense of community and tremendous pride in their school, a group of students, parents, teachers, and administrators come together to fight for the place they love.  TS  

Filmmaker Q&A available

Closed captioning available

This film is only available to viewers in the United States