News & Blog
ED in ’08 Partners with Documentary Filmmakers to Sound the Alarm about the Education Crisis in America
Press Contact: Liza Dittoe: 317-202-2280 x12
New documentary titled “Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination” released
Washington, D.C. - On the eve of the release of the results from a major international assessment that compares students in 57 countries, Strong American Schools’ ED in ’08 national, nonpartisan campaign announced today it will partner with Broken Pencil Productions to highlight the film Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination. The documentary tracks students from India, China and the United States as they are completing their high school degrees and competing for entrance into competitive universities.
“This film is a wake up call for America,” said Executive Director of ED in ’08 Marc Lampkin. “It exposes an educational system entrenched in mediocrity and causing us to lose the educational arms race. It is a crisis that must be addressed by leadership at all levels, and the presidential candidates must show the courage to rise above special interests and ideological obstacles to provide American students with the education they deserve.”
”The simple fact is, global education standards have passed America by,” stated Robert A. Compton, Executive Producer of the film. “When it was Finland who was winning, it wasn’t such a concern. But now that our K-12 students are being outperformed academically by China and India – the two highest populated countries in the world with the fastest growing economies and with cultures that embrace intellectual challenge – it is cause for serious concern.”
“Most worrisome,” Compton added, “is that few Americans are even aware that India and China, with a combined 2.3 billion people, have over 400 million students in K-12 education compared to our 53 million. Our knowledge of these two cultures is seriously out of date and that has to change…fast. Our economic future depends on it.”
The Strong American Schools’ ED in ’08 campaign is a nonpartisan movement supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and calls on all presidential candidates to improve America’s public schools.
To join the ED in '08 campaign, or for more information, visit www.EDin08.com. To view a trailer of the film Two Million Minutes or to purchase a copy of the film on DVD, go to: www.2Mminutes.com.
Broken Pencil Productions (BPP) is a film production company that is focused on developing and producing documentaries that are primarily educational in nature.
Screenings of the film sponsored by ED in 08 will be held throughout the country starting in January, 2008.
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Strong American Schools, a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, is a nonpartisan campaign supported by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation promoting sound education policies for all Americans. SAS does not support or oppose any candidate for public office and does not take positions on legislation.
