Multiple Choice World Premiere Draws 300+ in Newport, Calls for Bold Education Reform
NEWPORT, R.I., Sept. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 300 educators, workforce leaders, and community members gathered last week at Salve Regina University for the world premiere of Multiple Choice, a new documentary from award-winning producer Ted Dintersmith. Presented by newportFILM, the screening marked the debut of a powerful film that challenges the nation's education system to keep pace with the demands and opportunities of our ever-changing world.
Multiple Choice presents a clear and urgent argument: Career-based learning should be the part of the high-school curriculum for all students, powerfully integrated with academic theory. The film follows students and educators at the Emil & Grace Shihadeh Innovation Center in Winchester, Virginia, where this integrated approach is already reshaping the futures of young adults, bringing their community together and fueling local economic development.
"Transforming our obsolete education system isn't optional—it's integral to the high school experience for all students," said Dintersmith. "At the Innovation Center, students experience a blend of deep academic inquiry and real-world application, from carpentry and welding to cybersecurity and AI. Those entering the workforce are ready to contribute immediately, while college-bound students stand out in admissions and arrive better prepared to succeed. Multiple Choice shows what's possible when schools reimagine learning to meet the demands of the future."
Challenging Outdated Assumptions
For decades, vocational education carried a stigma as a "lesser" path, often underfunded and associated with systemic inequities. Multiple Choice highlights how the Innovation Center breaks from this history, ensuring that every student has both the intellectual grounding of rigorous academic courses and the practical, career-aligned skills of CTE programs.
"The purpose of school is not simply to be good at school—it's to prepare students for life," said Jason van Heukelum, Superintendent of Winchester Public Schools. "We want students to experiment, to explore, and to see the full range of what their futures might hold."
Katie Lockhart, Winchester's Coordinator of Career & Technical Education, underscored that the approach is universal: "It is for everybody—the college-bound and the workforce-bound. High school should be the time when students discover what excites them about the future, while it's still free and accessible to all."
Director Charles Haine added, "Classical ideas cultivate deep thinking, while hands-on applications ensure those lessons stick. This story belongs on a world stage because it's a conversation educators, families, and employers everywhere are having—but not enough are acting on."
Labor Market Urgency
The film arrives at a moment of heightened uncertainty in the U.S. labor market. Recent data from the Federal Reserve and Bureau of Labor Statistics show that under- and unemployment rates for recent college graduates now exceed 40 percent (New York Fed). As artificial intelligence advances in power, fresh college graduates will increasingly be adrift, lacking the skills needed for career and citizenship. Millions of young adults are at risk in our obsolete education system that channels students almost exclusively toward a four-year degree.
Meanwhile, skilled trades and technical fields face persistent shortages, with wages and career opportunities rising in areas such as advanced manufacturing, health care, and IT (Burning Glass Institute). Students who combine academics with hands-on CTE experiences graduate with both intellectual grounding and market-ready skills, better prepared to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy. By showcasing this dual-path model, Multiple Choice makes the case that the surest way to expand opportunity for all students is to align education with the realities of the labor market.
A Timely National Conversation
Dintersmith's work has long spotlighted the disconnect between the outdated education model and real-world readiness. His acclaimed film Most Likely to Succeed and best-selling book What School Could Be helped ignite a national conversation about transforming schools for the modern age. His forthcoming book, Aftermath, critiques the gap between traditional math education and the real-world skills students actually need to succeed.
Media outlets have already taken notice of Multiple Choice's timely message. In a feature with the Boston Globe's Rhode Map, Dintersmith discussed the need for schools to provide both intellectual rigor and practical preparation. In a recent WPRI 12 interview, he emphasized how blending AP courses with CTE training ensures students have options—and agency—in shaping their lives.
For more information about the film, or to request a screening in your community, visit whatschoolcouldbe.org/multiplechoice.
About Ted Dintersmith
Ted Dintersmith is an author, speaker, film producer, and leading education innovator whose work explores the intersection of education, innovation, and democracy. As founder of the nonprofit What School Could Be, he champions preparing young people for purposeful lives in a world shaped by rapidly advancing technology. A former top-ranked U.S. venture capitalist, Dintersmith holds a PhD in Engineering from Stanford and has been recognized nationally for his contributions to education, including the NEA's Friend of Education Award. His latest film, Multiple Choice, is distributed by Roco Films, with impact support from What School Could Be. For more information, visit whatschoolcouldbe.org/multiplechoice.
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SOURCE Ted Dintersmith