American Teacher 12 years old

Dedicated. Brilliant. Inspiring. Underpaid. Misunderstood. Scapegoated. There's a lesson here.

As the debate over the state of America's public school system rages on, one thing everyone agrees on is the need for great teachers. Yet, while research proves that teachers are the most important school factor in a child's future success, America's teachers are so woefully underpaid that almost a third must divide their time between a second job in order to make a living. Chronicling the stories of four teachers in different areas of the country, American Teacher reveals the frustrating realities of today's educators, the difficulty of attracting talented new teachers, and why so many of our best teachers feel forced to leave the profession altogether. But this wake-up call to our system's failings also looks at possibilities for reform. Can we re-value teaching in the United States and turn it into a prestigious, financially attractive and competitive profession? With almost half of American teachers leaving the field in the next five years, now is the time to find out.

Credits

American Teacher Cast

Name Character
Matt Damon He was 40, now 53 years old
Jamie Fidler as Herself
Zeke Vanderhoek as Himself
Neil Cavuto He was 52, now 65 years old as Himself
Johnathan Dearman as Himself
Rhena Jasey as Herself
Erik Benner as Himself

American Teacher Crew

Name Department
Vanessa Roth as Director. Directing
Vanessa Roth as Producer. Production
Emily Davis as Producer. Production
Ninive Calegari as Producer. Production
Thao Nguyen as Music. She was 27 (now 40) years old Sound
American Teacher poster
American Teacher (12 years)

Dedicated. Brilliant. Inspiring. Underpaid. Misunderstood. Scapegoated. There's a lesson here.

  • Release day: Tuesday, May 03, 2011
  • Runtime: 81 minutes