Using interviews with students, faculty, administration, and government officials alongside documentation of school life and events, Petersburg Rising documents the social and material changes brought about by the tireless work of Dr. Marcus Newman in bringing the Petersburg, VA public school system up to state and federal standards in the lives of the children who attend Petersburg high school.
Dr. Newman was an experienced administrator who cut his teeth on much larger districts in the state. He was called in after announcing a desire to retire by the Petersburg public school district as the district was bankrupt and about to default on staff paychecks. Using his lifelong experience and simple respect for the children under his care, the superintendent brought the district back from the brink of failure, secured multiple grants to repair and modernize facilities, and assured all seven schools in the district were on the path to full accreditation.
As mentioned above, Petersburg Rising focuses mostly on the work of Dr. Newman and his impact on the community at large. Children, staff, and administrators heap praise upon the man and his work from beginning to end. Really, Dr. Newman’s standards should be the gold standard for all public schools: The test scores fix themselves if you give the students the time, respect, and support they need. The dry, journalistic styling of this documentary is its biggest weakness. At several points, despite my best efforts, the film lost my attention.
Despite this, Petersburg Rising is still a very good resource for many academic pursuits including education, school administration, grant writing, and African American studies. Petersburg is a self-described ‘Appalachian Detroit’, having a long history of free black community and industry which precipitated economic downfall as globalization moved factories to China and the global south. Those studying ‘redlining’ and other legal and environmental racism may find interest in this documentary as well as Petersburg, VA in general. Recommended.
What subjects or college majors could benefit from the content covered in this film?
Students studying Education, School and/or Public Administration, African American Studies, and Government could all benefit from viewing Petersburg Rising.