Sundance Channel will present the U.S. television premiere of the original documentary series “The Education of Ms. Groves” on Tuesday, August 28th at 8:00pm et/pt. A new episode will air each night at 8:00 through Friday, August 31. The four-part half-hour series, directed by Izhar Harpaz and produced by NBC News Productions, “The Education of Ms. Groves” charts the year-long struggle of a rookie English teacher as she sets out to inspire, challenge and educate 83 sixth-graders at a tough urban middle school.
Fresh out of the University of Virginia, 21-year-old Monica Groves is one of a select group of college graduates chosen by the respected organization “Teach for America” to educate students in low-income communities. Assigned to Jean Childs Young Middle School in Atlanta, Groves begins the semester bright-eyed and full of optimism, eager to meet the students she already loves. But her great expectations are soon tempered by the realities of urban education; moreover, many of her students face tremendous obstacles in their lives, including poverty, homelessness, and broken families.
Over the course of the school year, Ms. Groves learns some hard lessons herself as she strives to maintain her passion and commitment while dealing with distracted students, plummeting grades, and various disciplinary problems. Her development as a teacher is also explored through the stories of three of her pupils: Drew, an intellectually curious boy who is being raised by his grandmother; Mayah, a bright girl whose grades and behavior are on a frightening downward slide; and Stephen, an Honor Roll student who begins the year homeless, living in a hotel room with his mother, a cancer survivor, and three younger siblings.
“The Education of Ms. Groves” is an expansion of an NBC Dateline episode. Learning that there was a wealth of material filmed for the program, Sundance Channel last year asked the producers to return to the original footage and to create a documentary series that would more deeply explore the characters and situations at Jean Childs Young Middle School. The Dateline episode was recently named the winner of a 2006 Peabody Award -- the oldest honor in electronic media, recognizing distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals.
Episodes of “The Education of Ms. Groves” are as follows:
Tuesday, August 28th at 8:00pm
Episode 1: It is early August as 21-year-old Monica Groves enthusiastically embarks on her first year as a sixth-grade Language Arts teacher at Jean Childs Young Middle School in Atlanta, GA. In one of her first assignments, she has her students write poems declaring who they are, and is delighted with the results. She quickly identifies one boy, Drew, as a potential candidate for the school’s gifted program and encourages him to take the qualifying tests. As the days go on, however, Ms. Groves’ initial excitement gives way to frustration and self-doubt as pupils flout her authority in everything from classroom conduct to homework duties.
Wednesday, August 29th at 8:00pm
Episode 2: By mid-October, Ms. Groves has identified the problem class on her schedule: 4th period, filled with restless kids who don’t seem to care about their work. She is anguished to find herself frequently losing her temper, and consults the school principal, Thomas Kenner, for guidance. Many of Ms. Groves’ students are doing poorly, including Mayah, who is receiving failing grades despite her intelligence and stable family. One of the most consistent students is Stephen, who tries to maintain the high quality of his work while helping his disabled mother. November brings mid-semester grades and a bracing reality check. Attending a “Teach for America” conference, Ms. Groves gets a much-needed boost.
Thursday, August 30th at 8:00pm
Episode 3: Teachers and students alike welcome the Christmas break, though Ms. Groves is concerned about the erratic attendance of one boy, Isial. The start of the second semester in January means a clean slate for everyone, including Ms. Groves, who has begun making the adjustments she believes necessary to improve her teaching. With a critical state series of tests coming up, Ms. Groves focuses her classes on exam preparation. Rebounding from disappointment, Stephen finally achieves a cherished dream. Mayah reveals the underlying reason behind her bad attitude, but her academic and social problems continue.
Friday, August 31st at 8:00pm
Episode 4: Mayah’s father arrives with his daughter for a frank discussion with Ms. Groves, a visit that leaves the teacher feeling optimistic. Drew takes the last exam for the gifted program. April brings two benchmarks: students take the state’s CRCT English exam, and Ms. Groves receives her final professional evaluation from Principal Kenner. As the year draws to a close, the rookie teacher has high hopes for her students’ performance on their two remaining challenges: a year-end book report and a vocabulary test.
