2010 is turning out to be the year of the education documentary. This summer, no fewer than four documentaries, most of them independently produced, were released. All present various perspectives on the current state of U.S. education. School reform has become compelling drama and the media attention surrounding these films and others has helped spark a national debate.

To give this important issue the platform it deserves, Sierra Nevada College’s Teacher Education Department has collaborated with Lake Tahoe School Parents Association to present the 2010-11 “Discussions on Education Series.”

During the next few months, the series will present “The Race to Nowhere,” “Two Million Minutes,” “Do Schools Kill Creativity,” and “Bring on the Learning Revolution” on the SNC campus, Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, rooms 139/141, Incline.

The first film “Race to Nowhere” will be screened Nov. 4 at 6:30pm.

The series will explore depictions of the American school system from provocative, at times opposing, perspectives with the intent to start and support an on-going dialogue among the audience; and to seek answers, discussion, and understanding from a variety of points of view. The premise of the SNC/LTS discussion series is that the documentaries are the start of the conversation and not the end.

Facilitators from both schools will lead post-film discussions designed to create positive dialogue about the challenges facing education reform in the U.S.

All events are free and open to the public. Seating is limited.

For more information, contact Katrina Midgley, Teacher Education Department, at (775) 831.1314, ext. 7517, kmidgley@sierranevada.edu, or Mary Danahey at marydanahey@gmail.com.

Upcoming discussions:

Jan. 13: “Two Million Minutes” is a groundbreaking, controversial documentary film about how students in the United States allocate their high school years (approximately four years or 2 million minutes) compared with India and China. www.2mminutes.com/films

March: “Do Schools Kill Creativity” and “Bring on the Learning Revolution” are two TEDTalks lectures by visionary leader/author Sir Ken Robinson in which he challenges the education system to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence. http://www.ted.com/speakers/sir_ken_robinson.html.