Cure for the Cameron Diaz
I swear I have a sense of humor, but so close on the heels of states stripping teacher rights and benefits, trailers for Bad Teacher--the Cameron Diaz comeback vehicle and extension of the Bad Santa brand--make me cringe. ("I became a teacher for all the right reasons: summers off, no accountability.")
No worries--a few education documentaries are making the rounds this summer, offering a more thoughtful take on education (though Bad Teacher's portrayal of high stakes test pressure is nottotally off-base).
Here's a preview:
American Teacher / USA, 2011 (Director: Vanessa Roth) — Through vignettes following several teachers in varying circumstances, viewers learn the societal cost of low teacher salary, support, and status in the U.S. (Read previous post on this film.)
The Bully Project / USA, 2011 (Director: Lee Hirsch) — A sensitive examination of an urgent crisis in American society, this film follows five children and their families over the course of one school year as