An urgent documentary following a teacher as he investigates the plan to destroy public education in America
Story
Imagine a world where classrooms disappear, recess is a relic, and learning becomes a subscription service. The transformation of public education is already underway—schools are being privatized, teachers are gig workers, and students are mere data points in a vast corporate system. Class Wars exposes this dystopian shift, revealing who profits and who gets left behind.
Through deeply personal stories, expert insights, and investigative journalism, Class Wars follows the unraveling of public education. A former teacher, disillusioned by systemic failures, embarks on a journey to uncover the forces behind the collapse. From understaffed schools to billionaire-backed reforms, from online learning monopolies to the erosion of childhood itself, the film paints a stark picture of a future that is already here.
Spanning three countries and over 25 interviews, Class Wars combines raw storytelling with incisive analysis. It channels the spirit of Roger & Me, placing a working-class protagonist at the heart of an urgent investigation. With unparalleled access to key players—policy makers, educators, families, and activists—this documentary captures the global stakes of a crisis decades in the making.
Backed by a fiscal sponsorship from Film Independent, Class Wars is ready to ignite debate and inspire action. This is more than a film; it’s a battle cry. Now is the time to expose the truth and fight for the future of education before it’s sold to the highest bidder.
Synopsis
Class Wars follows a charismatic teacher as he quits his job and sets out to find out why the public education system in America is being rapidly dismantled. His journey takes him across America and eventually to Berlin where he uncovers a Lovecraftian reality far beyond anything he imagined: a complex and highly coordinated plan spanning many decades, involving the highest levels of office, the most powerful titans of industry, Nazis, and a diabolical death cult attempting to summon an ancient god to destroy the world. Yes, this is a true story. The truth is more frightening than fiction.
Unfolding like a conspiracy thriller/horror film and featuring interviews with world renowned educators, philosophers, politicians, students, and tech leaders, Class Wars delivers a dire and complex story about our failing education system in a clever way that is as funny as it is frightening.
“It is happenig again” – the Giant
Writer/Director/Producer
Joseph Erikson
Joseph Erikson is a former Social Studies teacher who left the classroom after being accosted by maniacs who oppose “Marxist indoctrination” (critical thinking). A pre-gentrification New Yorker born to struggling teens, his candid, conscious perspective finds commonality with George Carlin and Michael Moore. His disarming charisma, inquisitive nature, and comical disbelief as he stumbles his way through a harrowing journey makes him a relatable avatar for the audience. On the flipside, his deep understanding of the history of race and class in America, along with his oratory skills as a teacher, allow him to shepherd the audience using critical thinking, without thinking about it.
Featuring commentary by luminaries in the know
Dr. Cornell West
American philosopher, theologian, political activist, politician, social critic, and public intellectual.
Dr. Susan Neiman
American moral philosopher and culture commentator at the juncture between philosophical enlightenment, metaphysics, and politics.
Rep. April Berg
State Representative, WA-44 (D); Everett School Board member
Bryan Chu
Mic Crenshaw
Portland-based recording artist, political activist, American educator, and social equity and racial justice champion.
Lois Weiner
Researcher & author “The Future of our Schools: Teachers Unions and Social Justice”
Wayne Au
Dean, University of Washington school of Educational Studies; author “A Marxist Education”
Jennifer Berkshire
Journalist; educator; co-author “A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door”
David Archibald
Professor of Political Cinemas (Theatre, Film & Television Studies) in Glasgow, UK.
Jana Nelson
2020 Oklahoma State Teacher of the Year
Jack Schneider
Director of Education Policy, UMASS Amherst; co-author “The Education Wars”
Class Wars “School House Rock” inspired short-sleeved tee
Class Wars “School of Rock” inspired logo, hand drawn by video game pioneer and Portland-based artist Paul Culp. High-quality, soft Bella Canvas shirt with art that doesn’t crack – designed with the comfort of front line workers, students, and teachers in mind. This one’s gonna be in your weekly rotation for years and years.
Printed locally and ethically in beautiful Portland, Oregon, each order is shipped with care by hand, and includes stickers and buttons while supplies last.
All sales go toward covering production costs for the Class Wars documentary project. Your purchase helps support the educators, artists, and engineers pouring their hearts out behind the camera to make this film a possibility.
Jx
PRODUCTION TIMELINE
Path to Launch
After 2 years of filming all around the US and abroad, we are now seeking international pre-sales, financing, and distribution partnerships. Queries welcome.
MILESTONES COMPLETED
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
APRIL 2022-APRIL 2023
ON LOCATION FILMING
APRIL 2023-FALL 2024 IN BERLIN, Portland, Seattle, TULSA, OKLAHOMA CITY, GLASGOW, BOSTON, CHICAGO, Honolulu, New York
OVER 24 INTERVIEWS
Featuring world-class experts on education, fascism, technology, and standardized testing, as well as chilling testimony from public school teachers, students, and community organizers
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