by Theresa Soares

Ankur Singh is an 18 year old college freshman at The University of Missouri – Columbia who is planning to take off his second semester of school to create a documentary film about standardized testing in America. The film is tentatively titled “Listen,” and focuses on what students themselves have to say about testing culture in the United States.

“But, it’s also so much more than that.” Says Ankur, “It’s about how magnificent our generation is and the amazing incredible things we do every single day that go unrecognized by our education.”

The inspiration for the project comes from his personal story which was featured in Valerie Strauss’s Answer Sheet for the Washington post this past November. A complete version of the story can be found on the film’s website, and is titled: “Who am I and why should you care about this silly documentary?”

Theresa Soares

Since the publishing of his personal story the film has attracted quite a bit of attention. Singh has plans to interview and film a variety of school districts, student groups, and parent groups from around the country, including Colorado, Texas, Florida, New York, and California.  In a recent interview Singh explained that he is looking to feature a diverse group of voices, “For example, a student who’s been subjected to institutionalized racism perpetuated by the tests and our education system, a student whose true passions and talents are being ignored, a student whose learning style is different, or maybe a student who lives in poverty.” In a recent phone interview, Singh mentioned that his focus for the film isn’t “political, it’s human.”

The filming will take place between January-May 2013, with a projected release date of fall 2013 or winter 2014. He has plans to also submit the film to a variety of different film festivals. There are less than 9 days left for the funding campaign held on Kickstarter. With a goal of just $2,000 the project is a little over a quarter of the way there. Funding generated from the film’s Kickstarter campaign will go towards travel expenses.

For more information about the film, or if you would like to get involved with the project: Email: listenthefilm@gmail.com or call 309-838-4265. For the latest film updates follow the project on Facebook and Twitter.

The official Film Website can be found at: http://listenthefilm.wordpress.com/. To support the film on Kickstarter, please visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ankursingh/listen-0

Theresa Soares is a maturing journalist, narrator, storyteller, and dyslexic. She entered her professional career as one of the youngest women ever to be hired by the United States Department of the Navy. After two years at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey California, she joined The Harry Singer Foundation in Carmel California where she provides support for philanthropic research and development. Theresa is a student at Mills College in California where she is studying journalism and intermedia arts. Currently, she is covering organic public interest radio reporting in the Oakland Unified School District. Her interests range from dyslexia and neurodiversity advocacy to empowering student and minority voices within education. Follow her on twitter @Theresa_Soares.

The post Listen: 18yr Old Filming Standardized Testing Documentary appeared first on Education News.

by Theresa Soares

A few weeks ago on a Sunday morning NBC’s Education Nation held a student town hall. The focus of the Town hall was to “try” and capture what students had to say about education. Besides students… who else was watching?

Theresa Soares

The most effective student town hall meeting would be one that is not commercially televised but one that is community-based. It would have an audience comprised of policy makers, school administrators, philanthropists (themselves), and public journalists. Front and center would be a panel of students representative of every fault line and unit of division within society. They would not be chosen by set criteria; rather, they would choose themselves to become a part of the panel.

Those concerned about the future of our country should look towards the revival and rejuvenation of youth civic and political engagement through the exercising of voice in education.  What can students contribute to education reform? What’s the purpose of today’s public education system in the United States? A democratic nation is only as strong as its public education system. If its public education system doesn’t extend to the majority’s (students) voice box, then isn’t the future of our democracy ultimately at stake? When the ability for the marginalized to voice the truth is diminished, then what exactly are we left with? How can we expect students to eventually become active participants in our democratic system if we don’t value and encourage their own active participation in their own educational policy?

If students are expected to learn from each other, and from their teachers, and from their administrators, and from their schools, and their communities, and from the world… then what can the world learn from its students? Revitalization of education in the United States is not private, it’s not public, it’s not polarized.  It’s a universal issue, and without the early self-representation and self-advocacy of individuals in social institutions such as schools, how can we expect to truly enhance the quality of education for all in America?

Put simply, to value the student voice is to not express ageism in the United States. NBC’s rendition of a student town hall was a step in the right direction, and their efforts to include the student voice in their network broadcast Education Nation event should not go unnoticed. From a very basic standpoint, though, what good is a “student” discussion that is framed and controlled by the corporate media? It is now up to individuals in positions of authority to recreate student town halls in their own communities. Even more importantly, it’s now up to individuals not in places of authority to voice their concerns and to make known the issues facing their own communities.

To every journalist: If your job is to report the pure unadulterated truth – then why isn’t every educational reporter talking to students?

Theresa Soares is a maturing journalist, narrator, storyteller, and dyslexic. She entered her professional career as one of the youngest women ever to be hired by the United States Department of the Navy. After two years at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey California, she joined The Harry Singer Foundation in Carmel California where she provides support for philanthropic research and development. Theresa is a student at Mills College in California where she is studying journalism and intermedia arts. Currently, she is covering organic public interest radio reporting in the Oakland Unified School District. Her interests range from dyslexia and neurodiversity advocacy to empowering student and minority voices within education. Follow her on twitter @Theresa_Soares.

The post Theresa Soares: Student Town Halls Should Be About Students, Communities appeared first on Education News.