Small Steps: Creating the High School for Contemporary Arts

Inheriting a public school system plagued by a horrendous dropout rate (roughly 70% in 2003), New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced reforms that focused on creating theme-based “small schools” within larger schools. Small Steps looks at one such experiment: the High School for Contemporary Arts—which would open with a freshman class of 100 select students—located within the notoriously troubled Evander Childs High School (3,500 students). Four rooms were earmarked to hold state-of-the-art equipment, which would be administered by expert faculty and support staff. The reality, however, turned out to be far different: on opening day, the new “school” lacked even the most basic materials, creating a challenge to keep students motivated and faculty morale high. Filmmakers David Becker, Bob Eisenhardt, and Barbara Kopple's fine documentary chronicles the growing pains of the project, focusing on two talented students who also face personal issues, documenting their progress (and setbacks) over four years, while the students, faculty, and parents struggle with the disparity between the dream and the reality. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Reed)