Back in 2011, Kristen Chase wrote a blog post about the documentary, Class Dismissed, when the movie’s producers were seeking their first round of funding. The movie did receive the necessary funding and released in October of 2014, and since I received an opportunity to view it online, I wanted to follow up with my thoughts.
Something I learned apart from watching the documentary that made me view it in a more positive light was the care the producers took when selecting a family. They wanted to follow a typical, middle-class family making the decision to homeschool so their journey could be part of the film. And that’s what they did. Over 100 families responded to the film’s casting call; funnily enough the family chosen for the film was not part of the initial respondents’ pool, but a referral. The added benefit for the point of the documentary was that this family planned to pull their girls from one of the highest-rated schools in the Los Angeles area.
The documentary kicks off with a statement followed by a question:
“Every day children all across America wake up and go to school. It’s something most of us have done. It’s something most of our parents have done. We go to school to learn, to be educated, to become good citizens of the world, but is it still working?”
Solid question for one questioning the current education institution, right?
And then, because it is a documentary, the pattern of sandwiching the family’s story with the experts’ advice comes into play. Meaning, we first get a few carefully chosen edits from experts to remind us that today’s school system cannot possibly meet every child’s needs. And, of course, that is blended with what we already know–that Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” failed, and the newly published Common Core is a questionable follow-up. There is also the additional argument that kids don’t need teachers to teach facts, but instead, the application of those facts in real world settings. That topic is getting old though; as in, really old. Who doesn’t know this?
Then, we see kids and parents who are discontented, bored and stressed with the current state of the delivery of education. In fact, this is how this particular family’s story starts. We experience a supposedly standard stressful morning, complete with ill-rested, late-waking children, unfinished homework, breakfast on the run, and a stressed-out mom trying to make sure the girls get to school on time. To add to the public school morning effect, the mom follows behind the girls with breakfast toast wrapped in a paper towel, rushing to get them to school on time.
Here’s the thing. I’ve talked with educators. I know that educators, whether they are certified teachers or homeschool parents already understand that education is dynamic. From what I can tell, what all educators want is the freedom to truly teach, which IS something the film touches on briefly, but only briefly. My impression of this film is that the all-encompassing theme seems to be that Unschooling is the ONLY wise choice.
The tagline for this movie is “A Film About Learning Outside of the Classroom”, but I think a more accurate tagline would be “Why You Should Unschool Your Child.”
I’m sure this will be an unpopular review of the movie overall, but I have watched it three times now, and it is my takeaway. For the record, I am a structured homeschooler, and that could very well affect my interpretation of the film.
However, I do get frustrated that promptness in attendance, obedience, and working within structured environments frequently get framed as socialist manifestos straight from the brain of Horace Mann. As if those things, in and of themselves, should not be recognized as strong character traits from those with exemplary discipline.
I’m not a cog in a wheel, but if I have an appointment at the doctor’s office, I expect the doctor to be both timely and detailed, with my medical paperwork in order. These things require both promptness and structure.
Don’t get me wrong, I agree with some of what the “experts” say. For instance, I respect public school educator and blogger, Lisa Nielsen, and subscribe to her blog feed. She states in the film that we need to embrace the fact that there is technology–that the role of the teacher needs to change dramatically.” Nielson also said, “the biggest challenge in public education is doing things the same old way,” and she calls for a dramatic change in how teachers accomplish “school.” For example, she criticizes “grouping kids by date of manufacture” instead of by what they want to learn and the rate by which they learn. I could not agree more that it is “difficult to be innovative when everyone is pushed to the same standards, measured in the same ways.”
Then, there is an unidentified man on a playground promoting Unschooling who says, “One of the great things about Unschooling is that it doesn’t prepare children for a conventional life. If you want your children to live an extraordinary life, an empowered life, a life based in freedom and creativity and possibility, then it’s great that they aren’t getting the constant message that says you have to jump through all these hoops in order to succeed in life because there are so many ways to succeed.”
I listened to him multiple times while trying to catch the quote in its entirety. It felt very…static. I tried to step outside of my defensiveness for my family’s choices and listen carefully. Even then, I felt this particular man’s statement was ridiculously black and white, and I disagreed. Unschooling is one way–yes; however, it is not the only way we can ensure our children will visualize the opportunities available in the world. To say so is unfounded.
Thankfully, other experts, like Patrick Farenga (President of Holt Associates) provided much more sound advice: “Learning is not the result of teaching. Learning is the result of the activity of learners; we’re just completely trapped in the idea that children only learn if they are taught.”
Rachel, the mom in the film, spent a year-and-a-half coming to an understanding that kids and parents both have a preconceived model of what learning looks like. By the end of the film, the oldest daughter, Ana, chose not to attend the local high school. Instead, she volunteered at a local marina, and while it wasn’t completely clear, it seemed as though she was also mapping her homeschooling path.
This documentary does not have a balanced homeschooling viewpoint. While other methods of homeschooling were represented, the majority of the interviews were from an Unschoolers point of view. But, I do agree with the film’s emphasis that in order to help our children find their place in the world, parents may need to overcome their preconceived notions of “school.”
School is just ONE part of the equation; there are several other parts. Recognizing our children’s personality and traits, and helping them tailor their education in a way that meets their individual needs is not only liberating for our kids, but for us as parents as well.
If you are interested in learning more about this documentary or finding where it is being screened or how you can host a screening in your town, please visit the website. You can also watch the trailer here or below.
Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who desires to inspire families to live, love and learn. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods where she currently homeschools three kids using Monarch, an online homeschool curriculum.