Gordon Parks Elementary School in the Volker neighborhood is the subject of a documentary airing tonight on KCPT.
The documentary written and directed by Kevin Willmott was shot over an entire school year.
Most of Gordon Parks’ students qualify for free lunch programs, an indicator of poverty, and some are homeless. It faced a hurdle in 2013 when the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education tried to revoke its charter.
“Gordon Parks Elementary is the story of a unique urban charter school and the journey to determine whether a principal from the suburbs can turn it around. The film will take you into the classrooms, into the offices, and provide a glimpse into the lives of students and families for an entire school year. You’ll see problems both intractable and intimate and will experience the joys of learning –and how to measure success in a whole different way,” KCPT says on its website.
The hour long documentary airs at 8 p.m.
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