via National Opportunity to Learn
Recent data released by the US Department of Education and the Hechlinger report revealed that funding disparities between rich school districts and poor school districts increased by 44% over the last decade. According to the National Opportunity to Learn, there is a funding gap of $1,500 per student.
American Promise is one of five recipients of the Britdoc Impact Award which recognizes documentary films “that have made the greatest impact on society.” Each documentary team receives $15,000 to “recognize their achievements and continue their campaigns.” In particular, American Promise is being recognized for using “…an ambitious traditional theatrical release in over 60 cities to build a national platform for building awareness, dialogue, and action around issues of black male achievement and educational equity, effectively using a traditional theatrical release as an outreach vehicle.”
American Promise follows two middle class black families over thirteen years as they navigate the ups and downs of parenting and educating their sons. Margaret Byrne and Jon Stuyvesant of Raising Bertie served as a cinematographers on the project. Byrne also served as an editor.
You can read more about the outreach campaign for American Promise here.
Britdoc Impcact Award | American Promise
The University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) awarded the 2014 Exemplary Educational Leadership Preparation Program Award to North Carolina State University for its Northeast Leadership Academy (NELA) program. NCU is one of only two programs in the nation to receive the award. The two-year Masters of School Administration program prepares future principals and assistant principals for work as “turnaround specialists” in North Carolina’s rural school districts. Bertie County is one of the thirteen school districts served by NELA.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan was a panelist at the 2014 Rural Education National Forum held in Columbus, Ohio. While praising the Ohio Appalachian Collaborative for its work in improving graduation rates and streamlining funding to prioritize teachers and classrooms, Duncan also drew attention to common issues facing rural school districts nationwide such as high faculty turnover rates, lack of adequate funding and limited access to technology. These issues are explored at length in Raising Bertie, an upcoming documentary following three at-risk youth in rural North Carolina over the course of five years.
The Rural Education National Forum began last year through a partnership with Battelle for Kids and the Ohio and Kentucky education departments. You can watch the speech in its entirety here.
The Columbus Dispatch | Rural Schools Praised in Columbus Stop by U.S. Education Chief Duncan