Flunked

This was the official website for the 2008 full-length documentary, Flunked, directed by Corey Burres .
Content is from the site's 2008 archived pages as well as from other outside sources.

Up through 4th grade, American students are above-average when tested against students of other nations. After that, they begin a steady decline to the point where, by the 12th grade, American students are down near the bottom.   
Something is wrong in American education.   
Flunked went out and found some teachers who are doing something about it...

A half century ago, American education began a decline. Presidents lament the decline in their speeches. Politicians pontificate about it...but the problems persist. Now, here comes a movie that's all about fixing it.  J. Caldera KOA Radio, Denver
 
 "A fine film. Very informative, very challenging..." Michael Medved Film Critic

 

Flunked
(2008) Documentary
49 minutes (Not Rated)

Filming Locations
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA
Los Angeles, California, USA
Oakland, California, USA
Portland, Oregon, USA
San Francisco, California, USA

 



Uploaded on Oct 5, 2007
The American education system is failing. It's time to do something. "Flunked", narrated by Joe Mantegna, is a full-length documentary designed to be both informative and entertaining, without compromising the truth of the crisis we are facing in education today. Most people are well aware of the declining test scores and competitiveness of the average American student, as well as myriad other problems facing education today. However, complaining about the problem, while easy to do, produces little productive results. Instead, "Flunked" focuses on many of today's schools nationwide that are "getting it right"---attaining great results in terms of college preparation, high test scores, and graduating competent workers for tomorrow's economy. Flunked is coming soon!

I was eager to see this film, not only because of its content, but also because I happened to be in Portland when they were filming there. I am a film nut, and like a small child looking at a fire truck, whenever I come across a film crew with all their truck, spotlights, and crew, I stop and watch. I had just delivered a designer dining table from a collector in Baltimore to a client. It was an Atlas hand-made dining table by Danny Lane for Fiam Italia. This particular dining table features layers of straight and curved edge glass sculpted entirely by hand. At over $22,000.00, the client wanted it to be hand delivered by me. I used our trusted family Baltimore movers for this long haul, but especially because of the high value of the load. The buyer had negotiated with the collector in Baltimore and special ordered it for my client. Fourteen weeks later I was in Portland making sure is was delivered and assembled according to the specs. Everything was in order. The client was thrilled with the table and I was relieved to get that piece out of the moving van. I left to get something to eat and ran into the film crew for Flunked. They were taking a break at the same cafe as myself. I got talking to one of the crew and learned about Flunked. I thought the premise, showing education alternatives, including charter schools and reform options for fixing troubled public schools was great and said I would look for the documentary once it was released. I was glad to hear that Flunked won Best Documentary at the San Fernando Valley International Film Festival in Los Angeles, Best Educational Documentary at the Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival in Houston, the Award of Merit from the Accolade Competition, and the first ever SPNovation Award.

Later that night I relaxed in my hotel room by playing slots at my favorite online casino, Miami Club. Miami Club Casino is owned and operated by Deckmedia N.V, which is a renowned online casino operator. Miami Club Casino is incorporated in Curacao and fully licensed to operate online gaming by the Central Government of Netherlands Antilles. They offer US slots, as well as poker and other casino table games for US players like myself. It will be nice when all US states allow online casino gambling rather than just sports betting or fantasy play. But the US has really made it difficult for US players with the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) that regulates online gambling. I love the parsing of the law after the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in November 2002 that the Federal Wire Act prohibits electronic transmission of information for sports betting across telecommunications lines but affirmed a lower court ruling that the Wire Act "in plain language does not prohibit Internet gambling on a game of chance". I hope in another 10 or 15 years, the states will be more open to online gambling in all its forms.

Meanwhile, I can look forward to seeing Flunked.

 

The Film

America, we have a problem.

Results of national and international tests show that our students are falling further and further behind. The average American student is no longer able to compete with foreign students, and in many cases, they’re failing to meet even basic academic standards.

Success rates are plummeting, and remediation and dropout rates are skyrocketing.  Students entering the current American education system are in for a grim ride. It truly is a national scandal.

One size does not fit all...

Complaining about the problem is easy, but it produces few productive results — especially when many schools nationwide are truly “getting it right.” Flunked is the story of these schools—their founders, leaders, and students—who are breaking the mediocre mold by attaining great results in terms of college preparation, high test scores, and graduating competent workers for tomorrow’s economy. Discovering that one size truly does not fit all, they are finding different ways to make it work in their area, with their students.

The main characters of Flunked are our “heroes,” men and women from all walks of life—parents, teachers, principals, business professionals—who are making a difference to our students.  These individuals have defied the odds, pressed the system, and succeeded in seemingly impossible situations.  Through it all, they have proven that solutions in education are available here and now, if we will only follow their examples…

 

What Do You Know?

 

In The Decline and Fall of American Education, Paul Peterson writes:

The longer students are in school, the worse things get. Among fourth graders, U.S. students rank high on the International Test of Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Despite this head start, by eighth grade, American adolescents have slipped to the midpoint on the TIMSS; by age 17, their scores trail all but those in a few developing countries.

So, we start out okay in 4th grade, but by the time our kids have gone through eight years of school, they’re down near the bottom. How does something like that happen?

What’s worse, the TIMSS test upon which that disturbing statistic is based might actually have been skewed in our favor…

Only 74% of the 4th grade math  test questions were "considered appropriate" by Singapore, while 100% were approved by the United States. The percentage for Korea was even lower at 43%. Yet Singapore and Korea ranked first and second on the TIMSS 4th grade math test, scoring "significantly higher" than the United States.

Similarly, the TIMSS test may have favored us in another way:

…some of the superior countries in grade 8 (especially the Asians) were not included in published 12th grade results.

The TIMSS test, which shows the disturbing fact that the longer our students stay in our schools, the WORSE they perform, actually may have given us a better ranking even than we deserved. That is bad.

Keep reading for more disturbing facts…

The Decline and Fall of American Education
By Paul E. Peterson

Americans barely reach the international literacy average set by advanced democracies… Despite the high expenditures on education in the United States—and the large numbers of students enrolled in colleges and universities—the United States ranked 12th on the test.

The United States is living on its past. Among the oldest group in the study (those aged 56–65), U.S. prose skills rose to second place. For those attending school in the 1950s, SAT scores reached an all-time high.
As the years go by, the United States slips down the list. Americans educated in the sixties captured a Bronze Medal in literacy, those schooled in the seventies got 5th place in the race. But those schooled in the nineties ranked 14th…

All signs point to a deterioration in the quality of American schools. Europeans and Asians alike have rapidly expanded their educational systems over the last 50 years. In the United States stagnation if not decline has been apparent at least since the 1970s. Even our high school graduation rates are lower today than they were a decade ago.

Education Statistics: International comparisons
Heritage.org

Despite higher than average per-pupil expenditures, American 8th graders ranked 19th out of 38 countries on the most recent international mathematics comparison, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat (TIMSS-R) of 1999. American students scored 18th out of 38 countries in science.On the TIMSS 1995 study, which tested 12th graders, American students were ranked 19th out of 21 countries in both math and science general knowledge.

Keep checking back here; we’ll be updating the page regularly!

 

Voice For Liberty in Wichita

Individual liberty, limited government, and free markets in Wichita and Kansas

Flunkeds Steven Maggi Interview

by Bob Weeks on October 19, 2008

On October 8, 2008, Citizens for Better Education, the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy, and Americans For Prosperity Kansas sponsored a screening of Flunked the Movie. I had an opportunity to sit down and talk with Steven Maggi, the films executive producer. Following are some excerpts from our conversation.

Q. The reform measures in the movie Flunked: Did they end up costing more money?

A. They actually saved money. Certainly the charter schools did. In every case they paid their teachers more than teachers in the traditional school, and still did it with less money. Teacher pay is an important thing, but people have to think beyond just paying teachers under the same system. Its still rewarded off seniority. We have to find ways to attract the best teachers. How do we keep the best teachers?

Q. Some of the schools successfully serve student populations that are poor and disadvantaged in many ways. Often public schools use poverty as an excuse for their failures. Does poverty doom children to failure?

A. Absolutely not. What dooms failure is not challenging them. In each of these cases, we saw that when someone came into a failing school, when kids are challenged, they respond. In Watts, when Howard Lappin, one of our All-Stars came into the school it, was 95% minority students. He saw that most people were taking remedial math. He said This is ridiculous. Were going to start taking algebra. And of course there was an upheaval in the community. By God, these kids cant get through fourth grade math! How are they going to get through algebra? Well now, not only do they all pass the algebra, they take honors courses. You just have to believe in the kids.

It makes sense if you think about it. Did kids all of the sudden get stupid in the country? No! In each of these cases theyre not cherry-picking the best kids. Theyre coming from the same areas as before, and theyve managed to turn decades of failure around.

Q. Opponents of special schools such as charter and private schools claim that because these schools are able to select their students, they cherry-pick the best and leave the most problematic children for the public schools. Did you find evidence of this?

A. In terms of the charter schools, everyone that we looked at, you applied and there was no entrance exam. It was luck of the draw. The only thing is you had to want to go there.

Q. Often we hear that poor parents cant be trusted to select a good school for their children, or that they wont take extraordinary steps to make sure their children get a good education. What does your film say to this?

A. First of all, what an insulting statement that is. I do believe this is one of the last bastions of the civil rights fight that needs to be fought. Just because on the basis of income, people are stuck with traditions, generations of kids going to bad schools.

We went into some of the communities [in southern California] and it was heart-breaking. You would talk to people and theyd say You know, Ive got to do whatever I can to get him into the charter school. Because if they go to the school theyre supposed to go to, their life is over. Theyll become a criminal. Its a horrible environment, and theyre doomed to failure. Imagine how that would make one feel. So when these charter schools and other areas where options are open, what a great thing. Theres hope all of the sudden.

Q. Weve invited school board members, school administrators, and newspaper columnists to this screening. Do people like this attend screenings in other cities? What is their reaction to the movie?

A. Its very encouraging. Reaction has been very good. Even union members that have said they cant find much to argue with. School board members are encouraged.

Q. In one of the schools, the teachers union agreed that teachers could be fired for cause. Was that a big factor in the schools success? What does this say about the role of the teachers unions in blocking reforms?

A. Those are the Green Dot schools in Los Angeles. Steve Barr worked really well with the unions to try to come up with a different approach. So what he did was he said okay, well give you more money right up front, youre going to work in smaller schools, youre going to have a lot more input into whats taught. But in exchange for that, were going to go from, literally, no way to be dismissed to to a for-just-cause system. And he has one hundred people for every one position that comes open from the traditional Los Angeles school union.

Q. In Kansas our charter school law is so weak that rarely does someone try to start one. What are we missing out on by having such a law?

A. We need to empower parents. And the one way you can really empower parents is to give them some choices. Charter schools do that. Charter schools are not the silver bullet. Let me say that right up front. There are some charter schools that dont work. But heres the important thing and the really good news: When charter schools fail, they go away! Its great! When the regular traditional school fails, it just stays there.

When we researched the film, in Dade County Florida, they failed, and as part of the no Child Left Behind Act, they all of the sudden had to have school choice. Well, what happened there is that the public schools got together and said you know what, were losing students and this isnt good. What can we do? So they looked at what are the things they do best. They found that in some cases they could offer things like Cantonese and more technology classes. So they did that. They've gotten a lot better. All of the sudden those schools are way better than they were before because they were pushed into it. They had to compete.

Q. So the public schools respond. They don't like to lose students, do they?

A. No, absolutely not.

Q. So theyll undergo meaningful reforms, if they find they need to in order to retain students?

A. Absolutely.

 

More Background On FlunkedTheMovie.com

 

FlunkedTheMovie.com served as the central online platform for the 2008 education-reform documentary Flunked. The film examined the persistent decline of academic performance in the United States and sought to highlight schools, teachers, and community leaders who were finding practical, measurable ways to reverse that trend. While the site is now primarily accessible only in archived form, it remains an important part of the documentary’s legacy. It functioned not only as a promotional hub but also as an educational resource aimed at teachers, parents, policymakers, and advocates for school reform.

The website’s content provided statistics, commentary, interviews, and background information on the film’s subjects. More importantly, it extended the film’s mission: encouraging viewers to adopt a results-driven mindset about education. This article explores the ownership, structure, goals, audience, cultural significance, and historical context surrounding FlunkedTheMovie.com, giving readers a complete understanding of its purpose and its role in the national conversation on K–12 schooling.

Purpose and Mission

FlunkedTheMovie.com was designed to support a documentary whose central message was both simple and urgent: the American education system, despite high spending and public attention, is failing too many students. The site emphasized that this decline was not a matter of opinion but of measurable academic performance over time. The film argued that while some schools were stuck in longstanding cycles of underachievement, others had managed to break free by fostering innovative, accountable, and highly personalized learning environments.

Through summaries, character profiles, and educational statistics, the website underscored several core themes of the film:

  • American students perform competitively in early grades but fall behind drastically by middle and high school.

  • Failure is not an inevitability; many schools show that success is possible even in challenging communities.

  • Reform requires local leadership, creativity, and a willingness to depart from one-size-fits-all approaches.

  • Parents and teachers must be empowered with choices and the freedom to innovate.

  • Accountability systems matter, particularly in environments where unions, administrative structures, and funding mechanisms make educational change difficult.

The website’s messaging was solutions-oriented. Instead of dwelling on what was wrong, it used the documentary’s interviews to demonstrate that improvement is already happening in pockets of excellence across the country.

Ownership and Production Background

FlunkedTheMovie.com was operated by the creators of Flunked, a documentary directed by Corey Burres and narrated by Joe Mantegna. The film was developed by producers committed to exploring real-world examples of educational transformation. The production team traveled to schools across the United States—including in Oregon, California, and Idaho—to interview teachers, administrators, and parents.

The film’s creators stressed data-driven accountability and local innovation. Their goal was not to attack any specific group but rather to provide a platform for stories that demonstrate what is possible when passionate educators take charge of broken schools or neglected communities.

The website reflected this philosophy by offering:

  • Background information on the film’s development

  • Profiles of educators featured in the documentary

  • Summaries of educational research cited in the film

  • Quotes from interviews, newspaper columns, and national commentators

  • Details about festival screenings and awards

While the site itself had a clean, minimalist design, its deeper purpose was to offer supplementary material for screenings, policy discussions, and community events.

Website Layout and “Menus”

FlunkedTheMovie.com included several standard pages typical for a documentary website but offered them in a way that reinforced the film’s instructional tone. Key sections on the site included:

1. The Film

This section offered the official synopsis. It laid out the fundamental problem: American students score well in early grades but fall dramatically behind their international peers by high school. It also described the film’s focus on schools that overcame systemic problems through accountability, high expectations, and innovative teaching.

2. Statistics and Research

The site presented a range of educational data, including international test comparisons and longitudinal studies showing how American literacy and math proficiency have declined over time. These statistics underscored the urgency behind the documentary’s message.

3. Characters and Schools Featured

The site described the educators featured in the film—principals, teachers, and reform advocates who achieved measurable gains in environments historically plagued by low performance. Profiles emphasized their methods, philosophies, and results.

4. Behind-the-Scenes

This area gave insights into filming locations, production anecdotes, and narratives from the crew. It highlighted how the team selected schools, what they observed on location, and how the film evolved during production.

5. Screenings and Events

The website announced public screenings, festival showings, educational gatherings, and community discussions. These were often paired with workshops or Q&A sessions.

6. Awards

FlunkedTheMovie.com documented the film’s reception at various festivals and competitions, showcasing its credibility within the documentary circuit.

7. Purchase and Educational Use

The site offered DVDs for purchase, particularly targeting:

  • Teacher training programs

  • Parent-advocacy groups

  • Charter school boards

  • Community organizations

  • Public policy centers

This part of the site played an important role in spreading the documentary’s message long after its initial release.

Distribution, Popularity, and Public Engagement

Though Flunked was a niche film within the education-reform space, it garnered attention from educators, policymakers, commentators, and parents who were already engaged in the national conversation about academic achievement and school choice. The website significantly amplified that reach.

Community Screenings

The film was screened by parent associations, civic groups, think tanks, and nonprofit organizations across the United States. The website helped coordinate these events by offering contact information, promotional materials, and updates.

Film Festival Recognition

FlunkedTheMovie.com documented its awards, which included honors at regional film festivals and recognition in educational categories. These accolades helped boost the film’s profile among audiences concerned with public policy and community reform.

Use in Educational Workshops

The documentary was frequently used as a discussion tool. Workshops included topics such as:

  • Why some schools fail and others succeed

  • How leadership influences educational outcomes

  • Why charter schools thrive in certain circumstances

  • What parents can do when neighborhood schools are chronically underperforming

The website reinforced these uses by presenting additional articles, quotes, and research summaries.

Reviews and Critical Reception

One of the significant features of FlunkedTheMovie.com was its collection of reviews, testimonials, and excerpts from interviews with critics. These included perspectives from radio hosts, policy analysts, educators, and journalists.

Among the most notable reactions were:

  • Praise for the film’s clarity and honesty

  • Recognition of its non-partisan approach to educational improvement

  • Appreciation for its spotlight on real educators rather than political rhetoric

Critics considered the film a powerful contribution to public discourse because it avoided ideological extremism and instead showcased human stories of persistence and transformation.

Audience and Intended Viewers

The site made clear that the film was designed for a wide audience, including:

1. Parents

Especially those concerned with the quality of their local public schools and looking for practical examples of alternatives or reforms.

2. Teachers

Educators seeking new ideas or inspiration could use the film as a resource for understanding how other schools overcame obstacles.

3. Policymakers

Local and state-level decision-makers often screened the film to gain insight into community-led reform models.

4. Students and Future Educators

Teacher-preparation programs sometimes included the film to help students explore the realities of K–12 challenges.

5. Reform Advocates

Groups supporting school choice, charter schools, and innovation embraced the website as a marketing and outreach tool.

The site deliberately positioned the film as accessible, practical, and relevant to anyone invested in helping students thrive.

Historical Context: Why the Film and Website Mattered

When Flunked was released, the United States was experiencing heightened concern about international competitiveness, test scores, and the long-term economic implications of failing schools. Public debates over charter schools, accountability laws, standardized testing, parental rights, and urban-school performance were intensifying.

FlunkedTheMovie.com played an important role by:

  • Distilling complex educational issues into digestible summaries

  • Highlighting reform success stories rather than failures or political battles

  • Providing a platform for data-driven arguments

  • Encouraging community discussions through screenings and events

  • Giving voice to educators on the front lines

This balanced educational perspective made the film—and its website—a durable resource in school reform dialogues.

Cultural and Social Significance

The cultural significance of FlunkedTheMovie.com comes from its effort to transform the conversation around struggling schools. Rather than focusing solely on blame or political agenda, the site elevated stories of achievement and perseverance.

Its social importance derives from:

  • Encouraging communities to recognize the potential of students in underserved areas

  • Promoting effective leadership models in environments where hope was often scarce

  • Amplifying the voices of educators willing to challenge broken systems

  • Supporting the movement toward localized, choice-based solutions

  • Helping parents understand that their involvement can change the trajectory of a child’s life

The website served not merely as promotional material but as a platform for optimism rooted in real results.

Legacy of the Website

Even though FlunkedTheMovie.com now exists largely in archived formats, its influence continues in several ways:

1. Educational Influence

Many of the schools featured in the film have continued to inspire reforms benefiting students long after the documentary’s release.

2. Community Impact

The screenings and discussions fostered by the site helped shape local and regional school-improvement efforts.

3. Historical Record

The archived content provides a snapshot of American educational challenges and reform ideas during the late 2000s.

4. Documentary Significance

The site remains a valuable example of how independent filmmakers can contribute meaningfully to national policy conversations.

 

FlunkedTheMovie.com served as far more than the promotional home of a documentary. It became a gateway to understanding educational decline, an advocacy tool for reform-minded communities, a repository of educational data and interviews, and a rallying point for parents and teachers seeking excellence in K–12 schooling. Although only accessible today in archived form, the site’s emphasis on practical, actionable solutions has ensured its lasting relevance.

The documentary Flunked and its website stand as reminders that while American education faces deep challenges, genuine improvement is entirely possible—when leadership, accountability, and community involvement come together with conviction.

 

FlunkedTheMovie.com