Paper Tigers
One high school’s unlikely success story
“Stressed brains can’t learn.”
That was the nugget of neuroscience that Jim Sporleder, principal of a high school riddled with violence, drugs and truancy, took away from an educational conference in 2010. Three years later, the number of fights at Lincoln Alternative High School had gone down by 75% and the graduation rate had increased five-fold. Paper Tigers is the story of how one school made such dramatic progress.
Following six students over the course of a school year, we see Lincoln’s staff try a new approach to discipline: one based on understanding and treatment rather than judgment and suspension. Using a combination of verite and revealing diary cam footage, Paper Tigers is a testament to what the latest developmental science is showing: that just one caring adult can help break the cycle of adversity in a young person’s life.
Director
James Redford
Producer
Karen Pritzker and James Redford
Runtime
104 Minutes
Rights Represented
Educational Rights
Captions Available
English
Language
English
Press
“Paper Tigers is emotional, but not sappy. The dedication and passion of the teachers and staff at Lincoln shines, and the school’s vibrant personalities are captivating. The film illustrates the ACE concept, but shows students as humans, not statistics.”
- Seattle Times
“Paper Tigers is a moving and profoundly important film that offers critical insights into one of the most widespread educational and health challenges in American society. It should be mandatory viewing for teachers and principals across the country, and anyone who works with vulnerable youths.”
- David Bornstein, New York Times writer and Co-Founder of The Solutions Journalism Network.
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