Beyond the Bricks: A New Era in Education

Gr 9 Up—Alternative education programs for struggling students and high school dropouts in the Newark (NJ) public schools are explored in this well-done documentary. Two students are profiled as they attend a ninth grade success academy and another alternative program. Numerous experts and scholars, including former Newark mayor Cory Booker, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Dr. John Jackson, examine the issues that impact success or failure in school and in the lives of black males: public policy, the public school system, and the role of the larger community. Many statistics are provided, mostly related to the Newark schools, but similar numbers likely exist elsewhere. One of the experts describes how male black youth are overrepresented in every category associated with failure—unemployment, incarceration, and early death—and underrepresented in every category associated with success: educational attainment, earnings, and longevity, to name a few. The film is shot in the homes of the students, in high schools, and in the alternative schools. Experts and scholars providing background and solutions are interspersed with the narratives of the students. Occasionally the students are difficult to understand because of background noise, but overall, the production values are good.