All around the world parents are beginning to wake up to the fact that learning and schools are not synonymous and as such are moving towards homeschooling, unschooling and other alternative ways of learning outside of the traditional school model. Word about the The Class Dismissed movie has also been growing, which naturally we’re thrilled about.

In an effort to reach more people and to make the film easier to access, we’ve recently made it available in a couple of new ways.

Firstly, the DVD is now available for purchase on Amazon!

At the moment it’s just in the US, but we’re hoping to expand that soon and make it available worldwide as a DVD and streamable on Amazon Prime.

We’re also aware that for people overseas in countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and other places in the world, the shipping costs for DVD’s or the long periods of waiting for customs clearance, has made owning the film cost-prohibitive and ineffective so we’ve also added a digital download option to our online streaming platform. So if you live outside the US and have been holding off, you can now purchase a digital download at just $14.99 and watch it as many times as you wish.

We hope that these options make it easier for people to experience the film and share it with others all over the world.

Thanks so much for your support.

Jeremy & Dustin

Through the 300+ screenings of Class Dismissed, we’ve discovered a large number of unexpected audiences whose lifestyles, backgrounds, or learning styles correlate well with the messages and experiences shown in the Class Dismissed movie. Here are the top 10 audiences we believe need to see the Class Dismissed movie, but may not realize it:

1. TEACHERS

The audience most likely to be offended by Class Dismissed is also an audience most likely to benefit from seeing the film. Most teachers will agree with the majority of the film, but the one pill that is hard for teachers to swallow is the History of School section. I have yet to meet a teacher that knew this history before seeing the movie. Understanding the industrial-age history helps teacher & administrators better break the mold. If teachers view the film as a snapshot of what learning looks like with no restrictions, it better helps them understand important research-backed concepts like customizing education to the child and the power of self-directed learning. We’ve had many teachers comment on how the movie inspired to change the way they run their classrooms. We also discovered a large number of teachers who homeschool their children (including some in the film).

“Class Dismissed shows parents a glimpse into the future of education. Everyone concerned with education would benefit by watching this film.”
– John Taylor Gatto, Former New York State Teacher of the Year and Author.

2. THE TECH CROWD

Wired magazine reached out to us when they noticed a growing trend: more and more of their readers were choosing to homeschool their kids. Developers, Designers, IT professionals, and most people in the tech or startup industries didn’t learn their skills during their 13 years of K-12 schooling, and very few learned those skills in college either.

Elon Musk recently created a “school” for his kids & employees of Space-X that is based on unschooling principles and resembles the homeschool hybrid concepts shown in the film.

3. AP PARENTS

Professionals with background in child-development, or parents who subscribe to Attachment Parenting often find themselves transitioning into homeschooling because it is a decision made in the best interest of the child. Schools are specifically designed to be authoritarian. There’s a reason why school policy is to separate twins into different classrooms.

4. PTA PARTICIPANTS

Parents who belong to their school’s Parent Teacher Association, or volunteer in the classroom already have the determination and desire to provide the best academic situation for their child. The part they don’t realize is that homeschooling is incredibly efficient and doesn’t require teaching credentials. Anything that is accomplished in a classroom setting over the course of a full day could be accomplished at home in under two hours. And the more advanced topics that make most parents feel inadequate (like Calculus) may not require their help – many older homeschool kids teach themselves or take an outside class. You may also discover that things like Calculus are only necessary for very specific fields. I met one kid who learned K-12 math in 3 months after he decided he wanted to be an EMT.

5. CREATIVES

Much like those in the Tech field, Creatives rarely learned their skills in school. In fact, the school system was specifically designed to combat creativity and individual thinking. To make matters worse, the recent focus on testing has caused many schools to completely cut their art programs. Judging from the outside classes or programs homeschoolers spend their money on, it is safe to assume that the average homeschool family puts much greater value on creative outlets like music, acting, art, and design. Enjoy hassle-free gaming with UFABET เว็บตรง where excitement and entertainment await at every click.

As a child I was advised to stay away from careers in movies & gaming because I would go broke. Those industries are now worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year. In all industries, employers are desperately seeking creatives and people with out-of-the-box thinking.

6. EDUCATION REFORMERS

A surprising number of education reformers eventually land on homeschooling and unschooling. A prime example is one of unschooling’s early leaders, John Holt. It is often said that innovations rarely come from within a industry – they often come from outside of it. This is mostly because those outside an industry aren’t constrained by the assumed limitations of the industry. Homeschoolers aren’t bound by the policies and logistical issues schools are and have the freedom to find what actually works.

7. PARENTS OF UNDER ACHIEVERS OR OVER-ACHIEVERS

Teachers don’t have the luxury of teaching one-on-one to a classroom of 30+ kids. They must shoot for the average kid, which doesn’t serve the kids at the top or bottom of a bell curve. They also can’t teach in multiple styles at once. Some kids are more visual, some are auditory, some prefer kinesthetic learning, plus let’s not forget logic, social, and interpersonal learners.

There are thousands of examples of parents pulling their kids from school and blossoming. Kids who were penned as slow learners or needing medical help for their “ADHD” were simply not having their individual needs met.

8. HOMESCHOOL SKEPTICS

For those already homeschooling, we quickly recognize the skeptics all around us (especially that dead silence after you mention you homeschool). The skeptics may be your neighbors, friends, co-workers, parents or even your own spouse. Asking them to read a book is often too much to ask, but watching a movie is a small investment on their part. The movie packs so much information into an enjoyable story-based 90 minute documentary. We’ve had hundreds of skeptics tell us the movie completely changed their thoughts about homeschooling.

I can’t tell you how nice it has been to hand a copy of the film to someone rather then spending a couple hours trying to explain how homeschooling works.

9. UNIVERSITIES

Many of the top universities have discovered how amazing it is to admit homeschoolers who have a real love of learning. More and more of them are specifically seeking homeschoolers. Besides showing the film on several college campuses, we’ve also had several professors ask to screen the film in their classroom. With movements born out of homeschooling, such as Uncollege, more and more Universities are researching what is happening with the recent homeschool movement, looking for answers on how to change and adapt before the Higher Education Bubble bursts.

10. OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS

Many people who place high value on outdoor actives from survival skills to camping, hiking, or traveling the world find homeschooling to be a great match. There’s a whole slew of “road schoolers” and “worldschoolers” who live a nomadic lifestyle and learn on location. Last year Outside Magazine ran a piece about homeschooling.

BONUS 1: HOMESCHOOL KIDS

You’d think kids already homeschooling wouldn’t really need to see the movie. The thing that surprised me the most about our theater screenings was that kids of all ages were captivated by it. I wasn’t sure if it was the kids in the film or the fact that a movie was made about their lives, but the kids in our audience were a pleasant surprise and many of our favorite questions came from them.

We heard many stories from parents on how their kids thanked them for making the homeschool choice or were inspired so much that they wanted to start a new project immediately when they got home… at 10pm.

BONUS 2: VETERAN HOMESCHOOLERS

Some veteran homeschoolers might say “you’re preaching to the choir” or “I don’t need to see it because I’m living it”, but you’d be surprised how even the most recognized homeschool experts told us they learned a few things from the film. The film will feel familiar to many veteran homeschoolers and becomes a fun way to remember and celebrate their own journeys. There’s something in this film for everyone. Some long-time homeschoolers even change their homeschooling methods after seeing the film.

We also rely on the confident veteran homeschoolers to share this film as a resource for those asking them for advice. If you fall into this category, we believe this is one of the greatest tools for disseminating the important information in a easily digested way. In 90 minutes a family can gain 5 years worth of homeschooling experience.

WHO ELSE SHOULD SEE THIS FILM?

I’m always fascinated to learn what other groups would benefit from seeing this film and what correlates with homeschooling. I’ve seen a strong ties to the maker movement and know that many famous actors, musicians, and tech leaders were homeschooled. What groups do you think would benefit from seeing the film? Mention them in the comments below.

On October 29th we posted a clip from the movie about the history and origins of school in the U.S. It’s an eye-opening piece that touches on the Prussian military roots of the compulsory school movement that took place just over a hundred years ago in the U.S.

We knew it would resonate with our audience, but we didn’t realize how much it would spread on Facebook. Over 4,000 people shared the video, resulting in half-a-million people seeing it in their feed.

The post started like this:

The video can also be seen by clicking the date above, or directly below from YouTube:

If you found that piece intriguing, check out the rest of the movie.

It’s been one year since Class Dismissed premiered and even longer since we ended principle photography.  Lately a lot of people have been asking us how the family featured in the film are doing. The most common question we get asked about them is: “ Are they still homeschooling and what are they doing now?” Good questions for sure, so recently, we reached out to them and they were kind enough to give us the following update.

“Yes we are still homeschooling,” Rachel told us, “But we are are rarely home!”

Since finishing the film, Ana has switched her primary focus from Marine Biology to professional stage and theatrical makeup and is considering a cosmetology program. She’s been practicing her techniques on herself and her family with great results. Here’s one of her designs.

Ana also passed her driving test and is now able to drive herself and her sister Lily to the various classes and activities they’re involved in.  Many of those classes take place at a fantastic Los Angeles resource for homeschoolers called Urban Homeschoolers.

At Urban Homeschoolers both she and Lily have been working on goal setting — Ana wants to start a YouTube Channel for her makeup designs and Lily has been studying social and political movements through the history of Rock n’Roll as well as getting very interested in literature and spending lots of time reading and writing. Both girls are taking Biology and are involved in lots of activities with the new friends they’ve met there.

Lily is still very passionate about gymnastics and recently tied for first place at a regional competition. Here’s a picture.

Both Ana and Lily have been babysitting to make money and Ana recently got a job at a fabric company which helps fund her interests and travel.  And of course, being homeschooled makes traveling easier, especially since you can travel off-season. Rachel recently traveled to China and the UK and the girls visited Montreal as well as various places in the US.

“As the girls get a little older, they’ve been considering their options for further education and college is still on the table if they choose to go,” Rachel told us. “With Ana in particular, we’ve been talking to Wes Beach who is an expert at helping teens put together college entrance transcripts for those who have not had a traditional high-school experience. But it will be up to her to decide if she wants to go.“

Now that Rachel doesn’t have to drive the girls everywhere, she’s had more time to follow some of her own passions too. In addition to working at Todd’s video game studio a few days a week, she’s taking a painting class, and studying CranioSacral Therapy and Polarity at a nearby massage school. And Todd? Todd is doing what he does best — drawing, drawing and drawing. If you haven’t seen his brilliant work check out his blog here: http://hog-heaven.blogspot.com/

“So that’s about it, lots of interesting things happening.  We’re loving life and learning all the time,” says Rachel.

We’ve said this before, but it bears saying again — Dustin and I are hugely grateful to Rachel and her family for allowing us into their lives to document their extraordinary journey from school to homeschool. We’ve heard from so many people all over the world whose lives have been changed by watching the film.

Thank you Rachel, Todd, Thomas, Ana and Lily.

Jeremy & Dustin

Today, October 15^th, marks the one-year anniversary of the world premiere of Class Dismissed! On that fateful day a year ago, we screened the film publicly for the very first time to a packed theater in Los Angeles, California.

It was an amazing night, although it didn’t begin that way.

Last minute preparations had kept us frantic, pre-purchased ticket sales had been slower than we had hoped for, we discovered we lacked proper permits for our photo-shoot with our red-carpet celebrity guests, and we barely even had time to check the master playback to make sure the film looked and sounded good. When the lights went down and we took our seats in the audience, we were exhausted and neither Dustin nor I had any idea what to expect.

But 90 minutes later when the lights came back up, the air was electric. Somehow we had pulled it off and the applause and comments from the audience during the Q&A validated everything we had gone through the four years leading up to it.

That night kicked off a whirlwind 32-city theater tour with more than half the dates selling out in advance. Combine that with over 275 community-organized screenings in 7 countries and we’ve come a long way since that first night!

So to celebrate our one-year anniversary, we’re having a special 3-day sale! For the next 72 hours you can get 30% off the cost of renting Class Dismissed and/or $25 off a screener pack. 
So if you haven’t seen the movie yet, now is the time. Or if you have seen it & enjoyed it, consider sharing it with your community (the screener pack comes with a license to screen the film).

To rent at a discount, simply visit http://rent.classdismissedmovie.com/ and enter the code: oneyearspecial into the coupon box upon checkout. Then grab some popcorn and enjoy the movie in the comfort of your own home.

To purchase a screener pack at a $25 discount, visit this page: http://classdismissedmovie.com/see-the-film/screener-pack/

Thank you for coming on this journey with us, enjoy the movie and as always thanks so much for your support.

Jeremy & Dustin

Many schools are back in action, but we’re not letting homeschoolers off the hook. We’d like to issue an unexcused absence notice to many families who haven’t seen Class Dismissed yet. In all fairness, some of these may be excused absences. Perhaps they don’t like to buy DVDs of movies they haven’t seen. Perhaps they live in a country where DVD shipping is unreliable. Maybe they don’t even have a DVD player.

To remedy this situation, we’re excited to announce that:

CLASS DISMISSED IS NOW RENTABLE!

The best part is, you don’t have to drive down to the movie rental store (do these even exist anymore?). To rent Class Dismissed, simply visit rent.classdismissedmovie.com. Once you rent it, you’ll have three days to watch it.

Our hope is that you’ll enjoy it so much that you’ll still want to own a DVD copy. Or, even better, host a screening of the movie for your group or community.

So no more excuses. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, the movie is now available online, at your convenience.

For those who have seen the movie, we are excited to share in-depth extended interviews with you. If you’d like to hear more from experts in the movie like Blake Boles, Diane Flynn Keith, Jerry Mintz, Dale Stephens, Lisa Nielsen, Sandra Dodd, Linda Dobson, Pat Farenga, and Laurie A. Couture, check out the 6+ hours of extended interviews.

Thanks again to everyone for helping to spread the word about the film. With no distributor, we are really relying on people sharing the film by word of mouth. If you know of any non-homeschool families who are struggling with school that might benefit from the alternative approaches shown in this film, please share the rentable link to them as well.

Image disclaimer: The Jack Black photo does not imply he promoted Class Dismissed in a video store back in the 80s, nor does he necessarily endorse the alternative education methods shown in the movie (though if he’s anything like his role in School of Rock he may).