Any doubt that folks are concerned – and excited – about the future of education was erased recently when nearly 200 people from near and far gathered at the Middleburg Community Center for Foxcroft School's presentation of the new documentary Most Likely to Succeed and the stimulating conversation that followed.

Faculty and administrators from at least a dozen independent schools, three public school systems and several colleges were on hand, along with many parents and townspeople. They came from such places as Reston and Winchester, Warrenton and Ashburn, and represented schools as far away as Mercersburg, PA, Frederick, MD, and Washington, DC.

"I was thrilled to see the turnout and interest from the community," said Foxcroft Head of School Cathy McGehee, "and to bring our faculty together with other teachers, parents and community leaders to share ideas about how we can genuinely engage our students in learning that is relevant and prepares them for their futures."

"This event was incredible because it got people together, got the conversation going," said Craig Mueller, a Middleburg Community Charter School Board member and former school administrator. "Most people know that the education system is not working as well as we would like and there is a real thirst for something different, something that works. I hope tonight was the launch of an ongoing initiative."

The film, which was a 2015 Sundance Film Festival selection, observes that our current educational model was created at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and no longer meets students' needs in the fast-moving 21st century. Focusing in large part on High Tech High School in San Diego, CA, it presents a very different project-based, crossdisciplinary, student-centered approach.

Following the screening, a panel of six educators from five area schools -- Foxcroft, Hill, Highland, Wakefield and the Middleburg Community Charter School -- kicked off a stimulating discussion, facilitated by Foxcroft's new Director of Marketing and Strategic Initiatives Shelly Betz. While the emphasis on "soft skills," inquiry-based and hands-on learning was widely supported, the challenges of preparing students for college and meeting state- and federally –mandated standards, as well as parents' fear about their children's readiness for the working world, were voiced.

"There was nothing really new to many of us in this room," said panelist Cathy Campbell, the Dean of Students and an English teacher at Highland School, "but most of us have to use a hybrid of the traditional approach and the type of learning experience shown in the film because many colleges still do things the traditional way."

"It's not an either/or thing," agreed Hunt Lyman, Ph.D., Academic Dean of The Hill School and another of the six panelists. "I thought the film was a little too black and white."

What it is -- and how it could or should change classrooms and schools -- was the heart of the comments, questions and ideas that filled the group discussion and spilled over into individual conversations following the program.

"I want to thank Cathy and Foxcroft for bringing the film to Middleburg and organizing the evening," said Lyman. "It's so invigorating to talk about education and the many difficult challenges and the extremely exciting ideas around the subject."

Barry Stern, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of education who is a senior adviser to the Haberman Educational Foundation, was glad he made the trip from Round Hill.

"I was very impressed with the crowd and the engagement of so many people from different walks of life – teachers, parents, townspeople, administrators," he said "What a terrific thing to provide an outstanding film and a forum for people to get together and think about what could be."

"The movie generated a lot of great ideas and conversation," said McGehee. "I am grateful to our panelists for their willingness to share their thoughts and to the Middleburg Community Center for making the screening possible."

"Several schools expressed a desire to continue the conversation and to look for more ways we can share professional development opportunities for our faculties," she added. "I hope this is the first of more events."

In addition to Campbell, Lyman and Mueller, Dr. Maria Evans, Science Department Chair at Foxcroft, and Alex Northrup , who heads the History Department and Technology Integration there, and Dr. Dorothy Fontaine, an educational consultant and former Wakefield teacher, also participated on the panel. A number of individuals from the audience shared reactions and ideas.

"Wired Up Home Theater" provided sound and Deltone Moore of Popcorn Monkey donated snacks. Popcorn at the movies was apparently one age-old tradition that no one objected to.