By: Shannon Curley

First Person airs tonight on WHYY TV at 7:30pm

It’s no secret that many of Philadelphia’s public schools have the odds stacked against them. The district suffers from a teacher shortage, large class sizes, and lack of supplies. Improving education was a cornerstone of then candidate Michael Nutter’s 2007 mayoral campaign. Earlier this month, Nutter as mayor, outlined his vision for Philadelphia’s schools and how he plans to improve things. His two major goals are: cut the drop out rate by 45% and double the number of kids graduating college.

A documentary being premiered tonight on WHYY’s Channel 12 highlights the issues that have plagued our schools and it also shows why many students who want to go to college don’t. The film, First Person, follows six Philadelphia area high school students and tracks their efforts to make it into college. But as you’ll see, having the grades, and the dream, doesn’t always turn out like it should.

In a speech during his education week earlier this month, Mayor Nutter said that Philadelphians should “hang our heads for some of the things we have allowed to happen to children in our city.”

Philadelphia needs a solid education system. It’s not just a cliché that ‘the children are our future’. They actually are. The young men and women who we see in this film are the future of Philadelphia. Will they be ready?

Shannon Curley is an intern with It’s Our City. She is a Senior at LaSalle University in Philadelphia.