Film Review: The Myth of the Middle Class School

by Kristin Nisbet* The Pacific Research Institute and director Nick Tucker created a film adaption of a book titled “Not as Good as You Think” by Lance Izumi, Vicki Murray and Rachel Chaney.  This film of the same name questions the assumption that having a well manicured lawn and owning a house in the suburbs is key to gaining access to...

by Kristin Nisbet*

The Pacific Research Institute and director Nick Tucker created a film adaption of a book titled “Not as Good as You Think” by Lance Izumi, Vicki Murray and Rachel Chaney.  This film of the same name questions the assumption that having a well manicured lawn and owning a house in the suburbs is key to gaining access to good schools.  Stately buildings and top notch athletic facilities may not be the best measures of the success of a school or the success of the students who attend that school.

The film focuses largely on the public school system in Orange County, California which, despite the high standard of living, is still facing underachieving schools and administrative corruption.  Additionally, the filmmakers travel to Sweden to show a system where school choice is the name of the game.  The system in Sweden allows funding to follow the student regardless of whether the parent chooses to send their student(s) to a public or private run school. Thus, schools are able to specialize and try different approaches to best meet the needs of their student populations.

Overall, the film advocates school choice for all Americans whether in middle class neighborhoods or inner city environments.

NAGAYT Final Trailer from Nicholas Tucker on Vimeo.

* Kristin Nisbet was a Milton Friedman Intern at the Illinois Policy Institute during the summer of 2010. The post above is the first in a series of film reviews by her to appear on this blog over the next month. Those interested in interning with the Illinois Policy Institute – getting first-hand experience in policy research, watching cool movies about education reform, etc. – click here for more information.