Leaders in education gathered Sept. 17 to discuss the future of American education and screen a documentary highlighting an exemplary charter school in Arizona, which filmmaker Bob Compton said holds the solution to the country's education problems.

"We're beyond education reform. We need an education revolution," Compton said.

The event also featured commentary from the Rev. Al Sharpton and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who are embarking on a tour around the country with Education Secretary Arne Duncan to highlight the Obama administration's efforts to reform public education, spur innovation, and discuss the challenges facing America's schools.

"I approach education reform from a civil rights point of view. I think the civil rights issue of the 21st century is education reform. I think the problem of ... inequality in education is an urgent matter," Sharpton said.

Gingrich agreed, adding that policy makers must convince people that education reform is important in light of new global challenges.

"We're going to try to convince people that there are solutions that will really work. And we're going to try to convince people that it is their duty as citizens, as parents, as members of the community, to get this to really work," he said. "We are not going to succeed in the world market with the current level of learning."

The film, "Two Million Minutes: The 21st Century Solution," showcased the accomplishments of BASIS Charter School, which has locations in Tucson and Scottsdale, Ariz. The film was a sequel to Compton's 2007 film, "Two Million Minutes -- A Global Examination."

The first film, which followed two students at schools in the United States, India, and China, found that American students were years behind Asian students academically. (See story here.) Further research brought Compton to BASIS, where he said he found a school that teaches "ordinary" students at an extraordinarily high academic level.

"I was shocked to find what I consider to be the world's best high school in one of the poorest parts of America," Compton said. "The school is educating its students at a level that is globally competitive and preparing them to compete in the 21st-century economy."

The school was created by Michael and Olga Block in 1997 when they decided that the U.S. education system wasn't reaching its full potential.

"The average student gets a very poor education, even in suburban schools. There's only a few schools around the country that really have a superb education," Michael Block said in the film.