I Am a Promise The Children of Stanton Elementary School (1993)

An unflinching verité portrait of the children of Stanton Elementary School in North Philadelphia an innercity neighborhood where 90 of the students live below the poverty line Seen through the viewpoint of devoted principal Deanna Burney the film shows Stanton as grossly underfunded understaffed and filled with children struggling to overcome their difficulties But for these atrisk kids however the hope for their future survives only in the success of their education A captivating series of vignettes concerning children growing up outside the American dream echoing current hotbutton issues in our countrys ongoing political discussion