Let the Little Light Shine
A high-achieving elementary school just south of downtown Chicago is a lifeline for Black children—until gentrification threatens its closure.
Awards & Recognition
Nominee
2023 Peabody Awards - George Foster Peabody Award
Nominee
2023 News and Documentary Emmy Awards - Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary
National Teachers Academy (NTA) is a top-ranked, high-achieving elementary school just south of downtown Chicago, with a thriving population of mostly low-income and Black students. But, as the neighborhood grows and gentrifies, a parents’ group eager for a high school in the community seeks to close NTA and replace it with a high school campus. As the Chicago Public Schools administrators, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and the city's politicians debate the future of the school, the film brings you inside NTA to meet the students, parents, and educators fighting to save their beloved institution.