James Takata

We the Parents

James Takata

Antonio Villaraigosa, Cynthia Martinez

We the Parents, a feature documentary film, follows the people and events surrounding the first ever school transformation under California's 'Parent Trigger' law. Parents, with the help of the non-profit group Parent Revolution, gather signatures from over 51% of the families at McKinley Elementary School in Compton, CA. When their petitions are turned in to the district, demanding that a charter school take over McKinley, the controversy begins. Everyday people, who simply want a better life for their children, suddenly find themselves doing extraordinary things: appearing on television, speaking at press conferences, lobbying in the state capital, and becoming community leaders. On their journey they inspire a national movement and discover that education is a political beast.