The School Project

Executive Producers
Gordon Quinn
Bob Hercules
Supervising Producer
Rachel Dickson
Co-Directors
Jon Siskel
Greg Jacobs
Jeff McCarter
Post Production Supervisor and Editor
Melissa Sterne
Co-Producers
Danny Alpert
Rachel Pikelny
Social Media Producer
Laura Wilson
Directors of Photography
Keith Walker
Ines Sommer
Production Partners
Free Spirit Media
Chicago Sun-Times
WTTW
Catalyst Chicago

Gordon Quinn

Founder and Artistic Director

Artistic Director and founding member of Kartemquin Films, Gordon Quinn has been making documentaries for over 50 years. Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun Times, called his first film Home for Life (1966) "an extraordinarily moving documentary." With Home for Life Gordon established the direction he would take for the next four decades, making cinéma vérité films that investigate and critique society by documenting the unfolding lives of real people. 

Bob Hercules

Bob Hercules is an independent filmmaker and co-owner of Media Process Group. His recent films include Bill T. Jones: A Good Man (American Masters 2011, Full Frame/Silverdocs/IDFA/DOXA, 2011), Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance (American Masters, 2012), Forgiving Dr. Mengele (Slamdance Special Jury Prize, 2006) and Senator Obama Goes to Africa (seen in over 100 countries in 2007-08).

Rachel Dickson

Rachel Dickson is an independent documentary filmmaker based in Chicago. Before working in film, she worked as a print and radio journalist in Latin America. She is currently the Supervising Producer of The School Project, a series of short documentaries and webisodes about public education collaboratively produced by Kartemquin Films, Kindling Group, Media Process Group, Siskel/Jacobs Productions, and Free Spirit Media.

Jon Siskel

Jon Siskel of Siskel/Jacobs Productions is a veteran filmmaker whose work has been seen widely on Discovery Channel, OWN, A & E and the National Geographic Channel. Their most recent film, Louder Than a Bomb was shown on OWN in 2012 and won the Audience Award at the Chicago, Philadelphia, Palm Springs, Cleveland and Woods Hole film festivals. They also produced the Emmy award-winning 102 Minutes That Changed America for the History Channel in 2009.

Greg Jacobs

Greg Jacobs of Siskel/Jacobs Productions is a veteran filmmaker whose work has been seen widely on Discovery Channel, OWN, A & E and the National Geographic Channel. Their most recent film, Louder Than a Bomb was shown on OWN in 2012 and won the Audience Award at the Chicago, Philadelphia, Palm Springs, Cleveland and Woods Hole film festivals. They also produced the Emmy award-winning 102 Minutes That Changed America for the History Channel in 2009.

Jeff McCarter

Jeff McCarter is the Founder & Executive Director of Free Spirit Media, which he created in order to share his experience as a media professional (cameraman, editor, and Emmy Award-winning producer) with youth from under-resourced communities. In mainstream media, Jeff witnessed the lack of diversity in both representation and opportunity. Now, Free Spirit Media cultivates diverse youth voices to transform media and society. Jeff was a founding co-chair of the Chicago Youth Voices Network and serves on Chicago’s Committee for Media Access.

Melissa Sterne

Melissa Sterne is an editor whose recent credits include "Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance" which aired on the PBS series American Masters in 2012, was the opening film at the Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center, and had a national theatrical release, playing in over 130 theaters. She also edited "Radicle Disciple: The Story of Father Michael Pfleger" which garnered 3 stars from Roger Ebert, won Best Documentary at the Big Muddy Film Festival, aired on PBS, and has shown at film festivals throughout the world.

Laura Wilson

Laura Wilson is a writer, producer, and editor who joined Kindling Group as Associate Director in January 2013. Laura received her M.A. in International Development Studies from George Washington University, where she focused on the role of digital media in promoting social justice and democracy, including fieldwork and production in Cambodia and Ghana. She also earned a graduate certificate from the GWU Institute for Documentary Film. In 2011, Laura moved from D.C. home to Chicago to write video scripts and emails for President Obama's re-election campaign.

Keith Walker

Keith, co-owner and director of photography for Media Process Group, has shot hundreds of broadcast segments for shows like 60-minutes, Oprah’s Next Chapter, Dateline, and HBO Real Sports, as well as numerous award-winning documentaries for PBS, NBC and CBS. He also shot many corporate marketing and educational projects for clients like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Gates Foundation, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Starbucks.