Message Board

  • FACT #1 - The average black or latino 12th grader reads at the same level as the average white 8th grader
  • FACT #2 - 58% of black 4th graders are functionally illiterate.
  • FACT #3 - The achievement gap between low-income students & their higher-income peers costs the U.S. about $500 billion/year.
  • FACT #4 - About 50% of students in low-income communities will not graduate from high school by the time they are 18.
  • FACT #5 - 1 in every 8 black males between the ages of 25 to 29 is incarcerated.
Post any thoughts you have on public education, education reform, the President's education policies, or what you would like to see change in education.
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Marianne
April 1, 2010 4:06 PM
Could you please provide information on how I could help organize a screening in Columbus, Ohio??? thank you!
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julia Reichert
March 30, 2010 2:59 AM
Hi Madeline,
Met you and your partner in Cleveland yesterday. Can you tell me your date for Tribeca? I think you said the 27th...but what time? That is when GERRYMANDERING will show, which we worked on, so we plan to try to be there...

Also, my email julia@donet.com

Very Good to meet you!
Madeleine Sackler
March 30, 2010 8:28 PM
Hi Julia, Nice to meet you too!! Tribeca will be on April 29 at 7:00:

http://www.indiewire.com/article/james_franco_joan_rivers_and_ice_cube_set_for_tribecas_panel_series/

I hope to see you there – let me know when you'll be in town!
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LeAnn Smith
March 28, 2010 2:02 AM
I saw "The Lottery" documentary today at the Cleveland Intl Film Festival. It was deeply moving, as well as infuriating at the "system". It is a mindset that many educators have, as well as a perpetuating top-down public educational system. I have a bachelors and masters in education, and am currently taking an grad course that is discussing systemic change. I brought up the Rhode Island school district that was failing and the teachers were let go, but could reapply for their jobs. My cohorts were truly horrified that a district would put the teachers through this. The discussion led to comments basically stemming around the concept that it wasn't horrific about the disservice to the students, people were more upset about the teachers losing their jobs.
I imbedded a YouTube video for a different movie along the same line - "The Cartel" and how the schools are failing the students.
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Friends of The Lottery
May 1, 2010 2:50 PM
Hi LeAnn,

Thank you so much for your note and for coming to the festival. We had a great time in Cleveland! Your friends will be able to see the film when we release it nationally for one day on June 8. Have them sign up for updates on the homepage (www.thelotteryfilm.com).

Thanks for coming back to the site and for posting your comments!
Madeleine Sackler
March 17, 2010 6:43 PM
Sarasota Film Festival announced its lineup - The Lottery screens on April 10 and 12! http://filmguide.sarasotafilmfestival.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/AZ/DOCFE/filmguide/ALL/
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teacher
February 5, 2010 2:38 PM
This is from the person that posted on January 26. I see that the home page quiz of this site still states that teacher quality is more important than socioeconomic status for student learning. I asked for the research on that but didn't get it. I would love to know who gave you the information for that quiz question. Could you possibly send me that information?

Thanks!
timothy_in_dc@yahoo.com
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Blake
February 3, 2010 1:39 PM
Big Government and Free Markets Aren't the Same Thing

http://www.quickanded.com/2010/02/big-government-and-free-markets-arent-the-same-thing.html
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Brian Olson
January 30, 2010 2:09 PM
I can't wait to see the whole movie! What a powerful trailer. I can't think of an issue that deserves more attention and this movie will bring it to life in a way that can't be ignored. Three cheers for Madeleine Sackler for undertaking this work.
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Todd
January 29, 2010 10:12 PM
Never believed in charter schools because I thought they drained resources away from the existing public schools. But now that I am involved with the McBride Foundation's College Bound program (www.mcbridecollegebound.org) I think charter schools are fantastic. The faculties are truly motivated, the children generally
happier and learning more, and I believe that the long term outcomes will definitely be better.
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Blake Ashman
January 28, 2010 4:44 PM
"In this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than on their potential"

-Barack Obama

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Blake
January 27, 2010 3:13 AM
Bill Gates on The Daily Show
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-january-25-2010/bill-gates
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Blake
January 26, 2010 7:58 PM
The New Yorker profiles Arne Duncan's bid to shake up schools. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/02/01/100201fa_fact_rotella
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teacher
January 26, 2010 2:04 PM
According to the quiz on the home page of this site, teacher quality is more important in student achievement than socio-economic status. Does anyone know where to find documentation of that? Feel free to email me at timothy_in_dc@yahoo.com.

Thanks!
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Madeleine
January 26, 2010 5:23 PM
Hi Timothy,

Education Trust has done a lot of research on teacher effectiveness -- see this slideshow for some data: http://www.edtrust.org/dc/presentation/teacher-and-principal-effectiveness-what-do-we-know

Another interesting study on closing the achievement gap is here: http://www.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/fryer/files/hcz%204.15.2009.pdf

This and other studies indicate that that these challenges are surmountable. Many schools, like the school in the movie, are closing the achievement gap, showing that regardless of socio-economic status, their students can achieve at the same levels as students in wealthier suburbs.
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