School
Public School: America's 200-Year Experiment

DCI was proud to be asked to coordinate the national promotion of the major, new PBS series School: The Story of American Public Education. Narrated by Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, the series chronicled the great American experiment of universal public education from colonial times to the present. Working toward the ambitious goal of encouraging community dialogue about the role of public schools was a creative partnership of professionals including the production team, KCET/Hollywood and the PBS system, as well as Beacon Press, publishers of the companion book.

Through the combined efforts of this group, a national public awareness campaign was launched that extended beyond the television page to media aimed at parents, educators and policy makers. The press results were spectacular. The Associated Press called the series "a fascinating primer on the roots of American schools" and praised its "evenhanded look at... contemporary issues," The New York Times proclaimed it "should be required homework for policymakers" and The Baltimore Sun said it represented "exactly what public television should be doing above all else." Over 6.4 million Americans tuned in to watch School, making it the most successful education program to air on PBS in the past five years.