Celebrating Charter Schools

Midway through the film, the audience hears the legendary story of Chuck Yeager. There are several shots of the American hero and we hear Yeager's voice discussing how everyone said he simply could not break the sound barrier. Guggenheim relates this to skeptics who contend that poor, urban students will never achieve academic success (because of the belief that financial and family background is the primary determinant of academic achievement). Immediately following the shots of Yeager, it cuts to scenes of KIPP schools' humble but ambitious beginnings: a two – man project to implement progressive teaching styles into urban charter schools. The men are then shown with their first KIPP classes, as they discuss their slow rise to success. The film then builds to a celebration of the enormous progress these schools have made. There are several shots which flash between smiling young faces and a graph illustrating the success of said strategies. Last, we hear briefly from Bill Gates of Microsoft, as he extends his approval and zeal for charter projects. This episode closes with “Glamorous Glennis” zipping across the screen and breaking the sound barrier. The cinematography, sound, and mise – en – scène of this episode can be analyzed to reveal the tactics Guggenheim utilized to construct his pro – charter school argument.
Speaking in terms of cinematography, this episode is brilliantly done. In several of the shots showing the triumphs and victories of these schools, Guggenheim uses panoramic shots scaling classrooms of eager young learners looking ready to jump out of their seats to participate. However, not all of the shots were charismatic teachers in front of a sea of students, he also very clearly wanted to emphasize the individual attention charter schools provide. He uses two shots that are either long shots or medium long shots. These are usually of a teacher bending over to give individual help to a student. The long shots create a feeling that this is not scripted, Guggenheim's crew is just a “fly on the wall” in these classrooms. Another shot that aids his claim is a two shot filmed from a low angle of a boy and a girl being handed a frog to dissect in a science classroom. They couldn't be more cheerful and excited to dive in and learn some anatomy.
The placement of individuals and items, as well as the wardrobe indicates that their were mise – en – scène considerations for this episode of the film. In the “celebration of charter schools” series of shots, the film makes puts a special emphasis on wardrobe. In one of the previously discussed distant two shots, the audience sees Canada, an instructor and founder of several charter schools, chastising a student with an untucked shirt. All of his students are in formal attire at all times. Next, the camera takes a close up of the back of a student's sweater at KIPP which reads “No shortcuts, no excuses”. Soon after a line on an unlabeled graph rises. This line depicts the progress of poor charter school students' academic success. Slowly but surely, the line rises to a level above that of middle class students. Clearly these are examples of mise – en – scene considerations that aided the “tough love” pro – charter school argument. Additionally, the film makes sure to note that these schools are up to date, though it is not mentioned, they show teachers frequently using smart technology in the classroom.
Perhaps the greatest of factors that the film uses to convey the argument in this episode is sound. The soundtrack starts slow and soft but rises in volume and speeds up to an inspiring chorus. As the song picks up, a sound byte of Bill Gates is played while the audience still sees smiling children having fun at school. The richest man in the world is interviewed and shows admiration for the charter school project while the audience sees how much the kids enjoy themselves in this environment. A break in the song is introduced only to allow for another angelic sound: the sound of exciting children screaming their times tables and the encouraging words of energized teachers. The episode concludes with the powerful “sonic boom” of Yeager breaking the sound barrier – just as these educators have shown that poor, urban children can learn just as well as any other children. This collection of sounds: dramatic music, the screaming of children, and the voice of a brilliant billionaire aid well in generating, not only support, but excitement and an “angst to get moving” on further charter school development.
All of these factors: the shots of children, the cinematography, the mise – en – scene, the dramatic sound effects, and the placement of classic American dream tales illicit a powerful emotional response from viewers, enabling Guggenheim to drive home his point about the exciting progress of public charter programs.