“The Lottery” is a story of education in America – it’s a tough, unapologetic look at the case for charter schools.

“The Lottery” is a story of education in America – it’s a tough, unapologetic look at the case for charter schools.

“The Lottery”, which can be seen now on OnDemand , offers a look at what should be the biggest issue in this country, but continues to fall between the cracks and egos of far too many adults: public education.   Here we jump intimately into the debate in Harlem, New York City between charter schools verses regular unionized public schools – and that debate is as ugly as it is shocking.  Threading this together is the stories of four children whose parents have entered into the lottery, hoping against hope that their name is pulled as one in the class roster for kindergarten at the Harlem Success Academy.   Over three thousand names are entered with less than 500 admitted in the fall.

For many who don’t understand, or haven’t been in this debate between charter schools verses public schools – or may not exactly understand how a charter school differs, this documentary serves as an eye opener.  But what I must add is that while there is a clear point of view, it’s one side’s; I would now love to see the debate turned round and hear from the side of the public school.  The case here is so strong that I’d like to see the other side attempt to stand up to it, although the teachers’ union is reported to be one super-tough organization.  The arguments are known to be fierce, and here we have excellent round from one of those sides in the debate on public education reform in the United States.

What really drives it, however are the stories of these four kids – beautiful, innocent, their lives ahead of them, all but one from single-parent households – and their parents’ honest love and concern that they receive an excellent education.   But space in the charter schools is limited, so each child and family must throw their name in…and wait.  Think of it as a 4 or 5 year-old child: if at the Washington Heights Armory, when the names are pulled, your name is called, you’re on your way to a potentially great education.  If not, you just sit there with your family, gob-smacked, wondering what will happen.  For in truth, when your chances of learning to read and write and do arithmetic are diminished, so are your chances of getting into a decent middle school or high school, or getting to college at all.

The tension builds enormously to the scene at the Armory, and it’s beyond painful to watch. 

Produced and directed by Madeleine Sackler, and gorgeously shot by Wolfgang Held – that alone propelled me to watch this – we also have a kind of Greek chorus in terms of experts, including Joel Klein, Chancellor of New York City’s public schools, Geoffrey Canada, President for Harlem’s Children’s Zone and a central character in Davis Guggenheim’s documentary, Waiting for Superman, just hitting cinemas now and Corey Booker, mayor of Newark, NJ and member of Democrats for Education Reform.

What might you take away from this?  Many things; mostly how unfair, how undemocratic that any child should be entangled in the fight for a decent education.  That maybe we’ll never have true equality until there’s equal education for all.

“The Lottery” runs 89 minutes and is not rated.