Installment two of “The School Project: Chicago Public Schools Close,” a series that examines public education after the fallout from the city’s 2013 historic closing of 49 schools, premieres Jan. 22 at the Logan Center at 6:30 p.m., free and open to all.
The new installment, one of six 10-minute video docs collaborately produced by five top local doc companies, follows parent-turned-activist Rousemary Vega through the maze of hearings and protests that preceded the largest school closings in American history.
The segment will launch simultaneously on www.schoolprojectfilm.com.
The series examines the interrelated issues that are currently affecting Chicago Public Schools and helps to define terms and dispel misinformation about the context of public education. It covers the school years of 2014 and 2015.
Following the screening, Sun-Times columnist Laura Washington will lead a panel discussion to engage the audience in a conversation about the school closings, what the city can do moving forward and how to handle important issues surrounding public education.
Producers Jon Siskel and Greg Jacobs initiated “The School Project” when they wanted to look at the issue of public education after the schools were closed, but realized they couldn’t cover it by themselves and brought together Free Spirit Media, Kartemquin Films , Kindling Group , Media Process Group and producers Rachel Dickson and Melissa Sterne. Each company has taken on the production of one segment.
Key filmmakers in the second video were Media Process Group’s Bob Hercules and produces Rachel Dickson, and Melissa Stern; Hercules and Kartemquin’s Gordon Quinn were EPs. It was shot between the spring of 2013 to fall of 2014.
“Crews were sometimes as small as two people, for more intimate scenes, and sometimes as big as five people. This was shot on Canon C300 and Panasonic HVX 500,” notes Dickson.
“The budget is quite minimal. It has not been as easy to fund as we would have hoped, but our collaboration has allowed us to do more for less. We are still looking for funding to complete the project and distribution.”
Outreach partners include WTTW/11, the Chicago Sun-Times, Catalyst Chicago, the Chicago History Museum, Ebony.com, CANTV, StoryCorps, and Community Media Workshop.
Future screenings of “The School Project” will be held March 5, “The Impact of School Discipline Problems,” North Lawndale College Prep Collins Campus; both March 31, “Testing Season,” and April 25, “Charter Schools: For Better or Worse,” at the Chicago Cultural Center and May, “Effective Education in Neighborhood Schools” TBA.
