A Man and a School: The Providence-St. Mel Story

Newspapers shriek daily headlines about the problems of inner city schools plagued by violence, drugs, absenteeism, despair, and an often unsupportive or dysfunctional home environment. How does a school break this cycle of failure and hopelessness? Oprah Winfrey hosts an inside look at Providence-St. Mel, an independent private school located in the mean streets of Chicago's west side. Incredibly, this highly selective school boasts an almost 100 percent college acceptance rate for its graduates. The driving force behind this success story is Paul Adams, a principal who lives in an apartment in the school (to discourage after hours vandalism) and serves as a mentor, administrator, gardener, all around cheerleader and even the school's maintenance man and bus driver on occasion. His caring is a form of tough love, demanding discipline, obedience, hard work and lots of individual responsibility from the students. Adams seeks community cooperation and corporate sponsorship, as he realizes his work does not end at the classroom door. Students and parents talk about the school and classroom teaching methods are shown, and while the school's tough standards mean that some kids wash out or drop out, many graduating students are now coming back as teachers, mentors, and benefactors. A real life Mr. Holland's Opus, this inspiring documentary should be seen by parents, educators, and policymakers. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)