''The Texas Promise'' is a 2014

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

about public education in Texas. The film follows the 83rd Texas Legislature, as state lawmakers battle over school funding after making $5.4 billion in cuts to public education in the previous legislative session. The film also covers the school finance court case, in which nearly two-thirds of Texas public school districts sued the state alleging that state funding of public education continues to be inadequate and inequitable. The film also covers other major education issues that came up during the 2013 session, like high-stakes testing, school choice, and charter reform. ''The Texas Promise'' was produced and directed by

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

winning filmmaker

Vanessa Roth Vanessa Roth is an American filmmaker who writes, produces and directs non-fiction films. She has won a number of awards for her films, including a 2008 Academy Award for Best Short Documentary for ''Freeheld''; an Emmy Honors Award for Social I ...

. The film premiered on October 25, 2014 at the

Austin Film Festival Austin Film Festival (AFF), founded in 1994, is an organization in Austin, Texas, that focuses on writers’ creative contributions to film. Initially, AFF was called the Austin Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference and functioned to launch the ...

Synopsis

When Texas cut $5.4 billion from public schools, it affected 5 million students and made Texas 49th in the country in per pupil spending. ''The Texas Promise'' follows the debate over the direction of Texas public education and its impact on the nation. With a lawsuit brought against the state by a collection of school districts claiming that the cutting of over 5 billion dollars from public education was unconstitutional, and a variety of contested bills up for passage in the 83rd Legislature, the film explores what is at stake for students in the Texas school system and what the policy decisions might mean for the future of Texas. The film uses

cinéma vérité Cinéma vérité (, , ; "truthful cinema") is a style of documentary filmmaking developed by Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch, inspired by Dziga Vertov's theory about Kino-Pravda. It combines improvisation with use of the camera to unveil truth or high ...

, interviews, news clips, and animation. It features national experts in the fields of education, sociology and business. The film covers the day-to-day actions and decisions by legislators in the 83rd Legislative session. The film also shares the stories of families and educators living in the state.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Texas Promise, The 2014 films Documentary films about education in the United States Public education in Texas 2014 documentary films Films shot in Texas Films set in Texas American documentary films Documentary films about American politics 2010s English-language films 2010s American films