| The School Project | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Bob Hercules Gordon Quinn |
| Producers | Rachel Dickson Danny Alpert Jon Siskel |
| Running time | 10 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Release | October 28, 2014 (2014-10-28) – May 21, 2015 (2015-05-21) |
The School Project is an independent cross-platform media project. It explores what a healthy public education system looks like through the lens ofChicago Public Schools. It focuses on issues includingstandardized testing,charter schools,privatization, andschool closings. It is a collaboration betweenKartemquin Films,Siskel/Jacobs Productions,Free Spirit Media, Kindling Group, Media Process Group, and several freelancers. Its media partners include Catalyst Chicago,Chicago Sun-Times, andWTTW/Channel 11.[1][2]
The School Project episodes were each released as a free public screening in locations ranging from theChicago History Museum to theUniversity of Chicago.[3] Each screening was followed by a panel discussion and was broadcast on Chicago news station WTTW.[4] The School Project continues to collect stories.
The School Project is supported by theJohn D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, theWoods Fund of Chicago, the Driehaus Foundation, and Chicago Filmmakers.[5][6]
The project began as a result of the 2013 closing of 49 neighborhood schools in Chicago — the largest school closings in American history.[7] In response to this decision, filmmakersGordon Quinn of Kartemquin Films and Bob Hercules of Media Process Group combined their talents, with the additional partners of Siskel/Jacos Productions, Free Spirit Media, and Kindling Group, to create a short documentary series andTransmedia project investigating the state of education in Chicago.[8] The collaboration came about out of a desire to merge all of the groups' differing experiences with the subject matter and interested networks.[9]
| No. | Release Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10/28/14 | Chicago Schools: The Worst in the Nation? |
| 2 | 01/22/15 | Chicago's School Closings |
| 3 | 03/05/15 | The Impact of School Discipline Policies |
| 4 | 03/31/15 | Testing Season |
| 5 | 04/25/15 | UnChartered Territory with WTTW |
| 6 | 05/21/15 | Teaching |