Oklahoma City Educators Use Model To Create Successful Charter School

By Adrianna Iwasinski, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A new movie coming out called "Waiting for Superman" is providing examples of what is working at several inner city schools around the country. And one of them is a model for a local charter school in Oklahoma City.

The Knowledge is Power Program, KIPP, is encouraging people to see the film so they can learn more about the challenges facing public schools and to inspire them to take action to help foster change.

"We are dedicated to the cause of improving education of inner city children," said KIPP reading teacher Kendal Grier. "We believe it to our core. We stay after school, we open up Saturday school, we have our phones on until 9 p.m. so our kids can call us. So the link is always there."

KIPP Academy has 99 schools across the country, including one in Oklahoma City and it's not a typical middle school. KIPP is a free, open enrollment college prep school that currently has 277 students.

These students go to school from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. or longer during the week, two Saturdays a month and three weeks during the summer.

The school has rented out two theaters at Quail Springs Mall for Tuesday's sneak peak of the movie "Waiting for Superman." They hope it will continue to inspire their students to work hard for their success. Watch the "Waiting for Superman" trailer.

Get free tickets to the "Waiting for Superman" event.

The school has a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life.

The movie also focuses on the lottery students must enter in order to secure a highly-coveted spot in a New York City school. Because word is spreading about KIPP Academy, it is currently at capacity and will have to go to a lottery system next year.

"This will be our first lottery in our ninth year of history at KIPP, and so I have mixed emotions about it," said KIPP OKC Founding Director Tracy McDaniel.