Education, Interrupted

Education, Interrupted tells the story of the unprecedented disruption in schooling caused by the coronavirus pandemic, through the eyes of Tyra Johnson, a single mother raising her three children in one of the poorest zip codes in the country.

Veteran journalist Aisha Sultan followed Tyra for two years, through the ups and downs of trying to home-school her children during the COVID pandemic. Tyra’s family faced overwhelming odds — an 18-month absence from in-person schooling, an unexpected pregnancy, the death of her partner, and job loss. Still, Tyra remained devoted to keeping up with her children’s education while still being the best parent she could. The film shows Tyra’s efforts to have her children meet the same educational standards that would be expected of them during in-school learning. When the results of their evaluative tests come back, the gap between expectation and reality is revealed.

Education, Interrupted examines these central questions: What are the consequences of missing so many months of formal education during children’s foundational and critical years for literacy development? Will students be able to regain this ground? Or will they join the countless children whose opportunities will be shortchanged long after the pandemic has ended? And can a parent’s relentless dedication and effort enough to overcome the setbacks created by a pandemic that exacerbated existing inequities and devastated communities around the world? Also offering a lens into how young children processed and navigated sudden changes over the course of the pandemic, Education, Interrupted is a vital document both of a specific time, and the challenges that have and continue to be faced by under-resourced schools and communities.

FILMMAKER'S STATEMENT: "I know a lot of us do not want to remember [COVID lockdown] because it was traumatic in so many ways for so many people. If you lost someone you loved. If you missed out on really important milestones in your life. And I understand this urge to try and put it behind us, move past it. Forget about it, let's just look forward. I have that urge myself.

But I feel the lingering effects of that, especially on our most vulnerable parts of our population, like children. Children from low-income neighborhoods. Children who already face a lot of challenges. We have a moral obligation not to just look away from what the impact of this two years of disruption was on them. We have a moral imperative responsibility to force ourselves — to think about this and talk about it. And hopefully, my film does it in a way that's compassionate and fair and has moments of uplift and inspiration as well as a kind of rawness.

Anybody who watches this film is going to be moved and changed by the children in the film. I want people to see that even with a parent who tried their level best there is a lasting and significant impact. I want people, moving forward, to think about rather than just thinking this is behind us, think about what can we do to lift up and bring back up the people who were most affected whose life trajectories will be changed if they don't regain some of the ground that was lost."

— Aisha Sultan

Preview link available upon request. Contact [email protected] for more information

Documentary Film - Video Project - Education Interrupted

A Film by Aisha Sultan

44 minutes

Scene Selection • Closed Captioned

Grades 10 - Adult

Item #: EIN-2045

Tells the story of a devoted mother's fight to keep her children educated during the pandemic in one of the most poverty-stricken zip codes in the country.

Starting at $79

Licensing Options

K-12 Classrooms, Public Libraries: DVD - $79 K-12 Classrooms, Public Libraries: DVD + Digital File - $129 Colleges & Institutions: DVD - $325 Colleges: DVD with Digital Site License - $425 K-12 School District pricing available. Please inquire at [email protected] Community Screenings: Please Complete 'Host a Screening' Form found on top menu bar

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Reviews and Festivals

"A valuable case study on how the pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns impacted the academic progress of American students... Filmmaker Aisha Sultan clearly portrays the struggles and sacrifices made by one mother to ensure that her children stay on target for both academic and emotional development... A natural fit for institutions with teacher education programs... This film is recommended for its authentic portrayal of recent historical events, and for its potential to serve as a 'time capsule' for future generations."

— Educational Media Reviews Online

"With compassion and poignant insight, Aisha Sultan explains an American truth that was magnified by the pandemic: Our most vulnerable citizens are constantly at risk of being left behind. Education, Interrupted packs a punch."

— Tony Messenger, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist

"The film is insightful, bold, unpretentious, and enlightening."

— Toyin Fox, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, John A. Logan College

"Delivers an unflinching yet compassionate look at a single mother in East St Louis struggling to care fore, and educate, her two young children during the pandemic lockdown. It's a welcome rejoinder to bootstrapping rhetoric that continues to plague our nation."

— Eileen G'Sell, film critic, Euclid Media and Rabkin Prize Winner for visual arts journalism

"A visceral and powerful view into a reality that will continue to impact many students and families for years to come. The story drives home that, while the official pandemic might be over, the long-term impacts on young people's education must be confronted. The remedies will require complex, thoughtful, and honest planning by educators, families, and the community as partners."

— Claire L. Wyneken, President and CEO, Wyman Center, Inc.

"Our screening of Education, Interrupted gave our staff, teens, and partners an opportunity to explore the huge impact the pandemic had on education, as well as on the lives of families. The conversations, personal stories, and ideas that were discussed after the film will be important considerations for our work with teens in the years to come."

— Kristine Raterman, Senior Vice President, Donor Engagement & Communications, Wyman

"Captures a snapshot of the private struggles many families experienced during the pandemic navigating the sudden shift to virtual learning, highlighting how the pandemic only exacerbated the urgent need to disrupt the systemic inequities associated with race and class in America."

— Isaiah Melendez, Principal, McCluer High School

" I know that this will be a rewarding program for years to come."

— Sara Jay, Ph.D., Assistant Middle School Principal / History Instructor, John Burroughs School

"Lays bare how our health, education, and social welfare systems fall short in serving those who need and deserve it most. Sultan's great accomplishment comes from putting viewers inside Johnson's everyday experience, allowing them to understand her pain, her heartbreak, her hopelessness and hopefulness. It is a call to action."

— Richard Weiss, Chair, River City Journalism Fund

"While the pandemic left us all struggling with our children's educations, this film drives home that the struggle and resources available were not the same. The gaps for low-income families became chasms despite the best efforts of parents like Tyra. Eye-opening and a must-see for all who hold the purse strings."

— Debbie Monterrey, KKMOX news anchor

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