Schooled: Season Two Trailer

You Shouldn't Be Here: The story of Jovan Weaver and Wister Elementary

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Jovan Weaver speaking to a student at Wister Elementary on the first day of school in August 2016. (Jessica Kourkounis/WHYY)

Jovan Weaver speaking to a student at Wister Elementary on the first day of school in August 2016. (Jessica Kourkounis/WHYY)

John Wister Elementary is a tiny school in a Philadelphia neighborhood besieged by poverty.

And it sparked a huge, citywide debate.

After months of bitter acrimony, district leaders pushed out the school’s faculty and gave control of Wister to a charter organization. In Season Two of Schooled, based on years of reporting, we ask three questions: did that change make a difference for kids? Why? At what cost?

Throughout the season, we follow the story of Jovan Weaver, who attended Philly public schools and overcame a traumatic childhood to become Wister’s new principal. His goal: create a school good enough for his own children to attend.

Listen to the trailer above. Subscribe to the podcast today.

This four-episode season, “You Shouldn’t Be Here: The story of Jovan Weaver and Wister Elementary,” will premiere on Wednesday, April 25. 

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