"america tonight"s michael oku on why the teaching method has drawn so much controversy. >> how we can reach our answers in various ways, okay. >> reporter: on the first week of the school year things were a little different at this charter school in the heart of new orleans. one peak in this first grade yourself. >> let's make 123. instead of memorizing multification tables and stats of problems, students would literally feeling their way through problems. >> 70, 80, 90, 100. >> why? >> reporter: english was different two. in the 7th grade class, students were learn civil in ways unfamiliar to the local siblings, not to mention parents. >> why can't he come right out and say - it is dead? >> i'm not sure. >> you think he's not sure. >> reporter: how is what you are doing now different to what you were doing before? >> old systems here is your quiz. new system. you can copy it, can't escape it. this approach was inspired by common core. it went in effect last year. a set of outlines that every student should know. we saw our job as. phil, a san francisco based maths educator was on the

"america tonight"s michael oku with an indepth look at a political battle waged in classrooms. [[vo]] rock star astronaut chris hadfield. >>everything i've done has been fun stuff. [[vo]] mind-blowing discoveries & >>it's on the edge of impossible. [[vo]] terrifying near-death experiences & >>if it had been higher, it'd hit us. [[vo]] and an exciting future that's closer than you think. >>go from being an air traveller to being a space traveller. >>you see it as the future. >>i see it as inevitable. [[vo]] every monday, join us for exclusive, revealing and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time. >>> well winter break is over, kids are back in school at the start of what is expected to be a crucial year for common core standards. at a peak 46 states are on board, three repealed it last year. that is not the end of it. more lawmakers are taking aim at common core. "america tonight"s michael oku on why the teaching method has drawn so much controversy. >> how we can reach our answers in various ways, okay. >> reporter: on the first week of the school year th

michael oku visited prime prep last summer and follows up on prime-time's last play. >> reporter: charlesches youth football in a part of forth-worth where buying a full set of equipment is a financial stretch for many families. his son is six, but he has hopes. he's letting him practice with the 7 and 8-year-olds. that's why hibler was excited former national football league great dion "prime-time" sanders was starting prime time academy in fort worth and dallas. >> how are you doing, dion sitting with my business partner. welcome to prime prep academy. >> i thought it would be amazing because they were going to have the prep school, where they were dealing with athletes and education making sure a kid gets everything they need in their education and sport - hands on with hopefully a few n.f.l. ex-players that - that can't give you pointers. >> reporter: football is seen as a way out, a ticket to college and beyond. perhaps nowhere is that dream more powerful than texas. prime prep opened 2.5 years ago. a tax-payer-funded school with no tuition and open reminded. the school is in dallas,

. >> michael oku, al jazeera. >> a president's promise and a real winner. that's "america tonight." tell us what you think about the stories we've seen on your program on our website. enjoy the conversation with us on twitter or at our facebook page. good night. we'll have more "america tonight" tomorrow. [music] >> a controversial prisoner swap could send a woman involved in a major al-qaeda attack over to isil. also identified ptsd, why a disorder that impacts millions is often misunderstood. and one of the highest ranking of the u.n. call for reform. i'm antonio mora. welcome to "consider this"." those stories and much more straight ahead. jordania

michael oku reports. >> reporter: steel city nebraska, the sign says 84 residents. the actual number is closer to 50. the elementary school is closed. only three kids live in town. the baptist church closed. this used to be a grocery store. a bank was here. >> a building there is the old town hall. that beer garden. there was a hospital. i was born in the hospital. >> reporter: that was 70 years ago. bill is the mayor and runs the post of. >> there was a barber shop a little cafe. there was two motels and people moving out. >> reporter: trains rolled through every 15 minutes or so but they don't stop any more. steel city near the nebraska-cannes assist state line was founded in 1873, after decades of decline, the village is now back on the map. transcanada's proposed keystone xl pipeline would pump 830,000 gallons a day here to a facility outside of town. >> i hope they pass it yes, and everyone here does. >> the original pipeline moves crude from canada to steele city east to illinois and south to oklahoma and texas. the propose add diameter would replace the origi

. >> michael oku, al jazeera. >> a president's promise and a real winner. that's "america tonight." tell us what you think about the stories we've seen on your program on our website. enjoy the conversation with us on twitter or at our facebook page. good night. we'll have more "america tonight" tomorrow. [music] >>> announcer: this is al jazeera. >>> hello from al jazeera's headquarters in doha this is the newshour. coming up in the next 60 minutes, i.s.i.l. releases a new recording. new recording. if the government doesn't release the two prisoners on death roll. u.n. calls for maximum restraint. this hour new details about the moments leading up to the