Up the Down Staircase

Documentary-style drama dealing with the problems that face an idealistic young schoolteacher when she is assigned to a rough school in a slum area. Some of the characters are very accurately drawn (by Sandy Dennis as the teacher, Ellen O'Mara as a lovesick schoolgirl); others are stereotypes. Some of the situations work (the plot is little more than a catalogue of events), others don't. It comes to precious few conclusions, but does at least provide a talking-point of sorts in its portrayal of a frighteningly unenlightened American educational system. DMcG.