A Political Analysis of a Propaganda Film
Liza Featherstone wrote a fascinating analysis of the anti-union film “Won’t Back Down.”
To whet your appetite, read this:
“Despite scapegoating teachers’ unions, ‘Won’t Back Down’ is not an anti-teacher movie. Most of the teacher characters—especially Nona, played by Viola Davis—are heroic. That’s because one of the film’s messages is that busting teachers’ unions is better for teachers. In one scene, a meeting to discuss the possible takeover,
To whet your appetite, read this:
“Despite scapegoating teachers’ unions, ‘Won’t Back Down’ is not an anti-teacher movie. Most of the teacher characters—especially Nona, played by Viola Davis—are heroic. That’s because one of the film’s messages is that busting teachers’ unions is better for teachers. In one scene, a meeting to discuss the possible takeover,
The Absolutely Best Review Ever of “Won’t Back Down”
Salon writer Andrew O’Hehir absolutely nails the anti-union, anti-teacher “Won’t Back Down.”
He opens by saying: “Someone needs to launch an investigation into what combination of crimes, dares, alcoholic binges and lapses in judgment got Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal into this movie. Neither of them seems likely to sympathize with its thinly veiled labor-bashing agenda and, way more to the point, I thought they had better taste.”
I won’t spoil your fun in reading the review. It is hilarious and spot-on.
He opens by saying: “Someone needs to launch an investigation into what combination of crimes, dares, alcoholic binges and lapses in judgment got Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal into this movie. Neither of them seems likely to sympathize with its thinly veiled labor-bashing agenda and, way more to the point, I thought they had better taste.”
I won’t spoil your fun in reading the review. It is hilarious and spot-on.
See This Youtube Video “Educating Maggie”
NYC parents organized a protest outside the opening of “Won’t Back Down.”
The parents say they don’t want corporations taking over their schools and their children. They know how little the corporations care about equity or children.
They
The parents say they don’t want corporations taking over their schools and their children. They know how little the corporations care about equity or children.
They
You Too Can Review the Anti-Union, Anti-Teacher Film
Go to “Rotten Tomatoes” and post your review here.
Has Teaching Become an Abusive Relationship?
What defines an abusive relationship?
Has teaching become an abusive relationship?
Why do teachers remain in jobs where they are treated like infants or meek wives?
More important, how can they stand up and say enough is enough? See “Chicago, Teachers Strike”
Has teaching become an abusive relationship?
Why do teachers remain in jobs where they are treated like infants or meek wives?
More important, how can they stand up and say enough is enough? See “Chicago, Teachers Strike”
Bill Moyers on ALEC
Bill Moyers reports on ALEC this week.
I hope he pays attention to what ALEC is doing to American education.
It has a bold agenda of privatization. It has model legislation for charter schools and vouchers.
It wants to destroy the teaching profession. It has model legislation for alternative certification so anyone can
I hope he pays attention to what ALEC is doing to American education.
It has a bold agenda of privatization. It has model legislation for charter schools and vouchers.
It wants to destroy the teaching profession. It has model legislation for alternative certification so anyone can
Charter Schools in South Carolina: No Better than Public Schools
By now, there should be a standard headline that reads: “Once again, charter schools are found to get no better results than public schools.” Some get worse results.
Here is the latest from South Carolina.
There are some high-performing charter schools; some low-performing charter schools. On average, the results from charter schools are no different from those of public schools. Many of the South Carolina charters getworse results than the public schools.
Yet state after state is increasing the number of charters, taking resources away from public schools to educate
Here is the latest from South Carolina.
There are some high-performing charter schools; some low-performing charter schools. On average, the results from charter schools are no different from those of public schools. Many of the South Carolina charters getworse results than the public schools.
Yet state after state is increasing the number of charters, taking resources away from public schools to educate
Analyzing President Obama’s Education Interview with NBC
Yesterday I posted an interview in which President Obama expressed his views about education.
I wanted you to read it in its entirety without my comments.
Here are my comments.
First, the President acknowledged that he was not a very good student when he was in school. He said that he was “mediocre.” Several readers have asked: Does the President think that his teachers should have been fired because he didn’t try? Did he have bad teachers? Were they responsible for his poor performance or was he?
Second, the President lauded the idea of merit pay, paying teachers more if the test scores of their students go up (and firing them if they don’t). No one has told him that merit pay has failed wherever it was tried. No one has told him that it failed in Nashville in 2010, it failed in New York City in 2010, it failed in Chicago last year. Yet his
I wanted you to read it in its entirety without my comments.
Here are my comments.
First, the President acknowledged that he was not a very good student when he was in school. He said that he was “mediocre.” Several readers have asked: Does the President think that his teachers should have been fired because he didn’t try? Did he have bad teachers? Were they responsible for his poor performance or was he?
Second, the President lauded the idea of merit pay, paying teachers more if the test scores of their students go up (and firing them if they don’t). No one has told him that merit pay has failed wherever it was tried. No one has told him that it failed in Nashville in 2010, it failed in New York City in 2010, it failed in Chicago last year. Yet his
Rhee’s Teacher Evaluation Program Bombs in DC
This is a stunning article about the teacher evaluation system that Michelle Rhee put in place in the District of Columbia.
Rhee fired about 1,000 teachers during her time as chancellor.
Since her evaluation system was put into place, 400 teachers have been fired.
Since the evaluation system was put into place, the federal test scores for the District went flat.
Some teachers get big bonuses. One teacher, at the end of the article, says she is rated “highly effective” and she turned down the bonus.
As Mary Levy, a long-time analyst of the DC school system, says in the article: We have gone from a system where almost no one was terminated, no matter how bad, to the other extreme, where good teachers as well as bad are terminated,” said Mary Levy, an attorney and a longtime analyst of city education policy. “The latter is
Rhee fired about 1,000 teachers during her time as chancellor.
Since her evaluation system was put into place, 400 teachers have been fired.
Since the evaluation system was put into place, the federal test scores for the District went flat.
Some teachers get big bonuses. One teacher, at the end of the article, says she is rated “highly effective” and she turned down the bonus.
As Mary Levy, a long-time analyst of the DC school system, says in the article: We have gone from a system where almost no one was terminated, no matter how bad, to the other extreme, where good teachers as well as bad are terminated,” said Mary Levy, an attorney and a longtime analyst of city education policy. “The latter is
Why Are the Media So Upset about an Inexperienced Referee?
A reader reacted to an earlier post about TFA by noting how upset the media are about an inexperienced referee. She sees an important parallel:
Isn’t it ironic that the news stations and many fans are more upset about a second-rate referee making a bad call in a football game, but they are not so worried about untrained, novice TFA teachers practicing on our kids for 180+ days and then ditching the profession?
No wonder the teaching profession is doomed.
Will the politicians and corporate reformers be working to dismantle the referees’ union as fiercely as they are the teachers’ union?
Isn’t it ironic that the news stations and many fans are more upset about a second-rate referee making a bad call in a football game, but they are not so worried about untrained, novice TFA teachers practicing on our kids for 180+ days and then ditching the profession?
No wonder the teaching profession is doomed.
Will the politicians and corporate reformers be working to dismantle the referees’ union as fiercely as they are the teachers’ union?
A Sound Mind in a Sound Body
As everyone knows by now, there are districts that are eliminating recess and physical education because they want that time to devote to test preparation.
The test scores determine who will get a bonus, who will be fired, and whether the school lives or dies.
This is awful for children. They are active, growing, and in need of a break from study.
Now comes more evidence that physical activity is good for mental activity.
Actually, physical activity, play, unsupervised play is good in and of itself.
Whether it is walking, running, jumping, playing games, or just messing around, children and adults need time to
The test scores determine who will get a bonus, who will be fired, and whether the school lives or dies.
This is awful for children. They are active, growing, and in need of a break from study.
Now comes more evidence that physical activity is good for mental activity.
Actually, physical activity, play, unsupervised play is good in and of itself.
Whether it is walking, running, jumping, playing games, or just messing around, children and adults need time to
Why Is TFA Collecting Your Nickels and Dimes?
TFA is clearly a very successful operation. It places some 10,000 or so young college graduates in the nation’s schools each year, after giving them five weeks of training. They commit to stay for two years but some stay for three or four, and a few stay longer. Districts pay TFA $2,000-5,000 for each recruit.
According to a recent article in Reuters, TFA has assets of $300 million.
TFA has an awesome fund-raising machine. It won $50 million from the U.S. Department of Education; anothe
According to a recent article in Reuters, TFA has assets of $300 million.
TFA has an awesome fund-raising machine. It won $50 million from the U.S. Department of Education; anothe
An Ironic Story
Viola Davis, the film star who appears in the anti-union, pro-charter movie “Won’t Back Down,” recently appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show.
Davis is a graduate of Central Falls High School in Rhode Island. This is the school that was targeted for closure in 2010, where there was a pitched battle between the district/state leadership and the teachers in the school. When Davis won an Academy Award in 2010, she gave a shout-out to her alma mater, Central Falls High School, and that gave the teachers there a big boost.
So now she is a star in a movie that encourages parents and teachers to “seize control” of their public school
Davis is a graduate of Central Falls High School in Rhode Island. This is the school that was targeted for closure in 2010, where there was a pitched battle between the district/state leadership and the teachers in the school. When Davis won an Academy Award in 2010, she gave a shout-out to her alma mater, Central Falls High School, and that gave the teachers there a big boost.
So now she is a star in a movie that encourages parents and teachers to “seize control” of their public school
Why Is the South So Easily Fooled?
When I lectured in Chattanooga last week, I noticed a strange phenomenon. When I said things bluntly, people gasped. At one point, for example, I responded to a question by saying that the Legislature should not cut education to give tax breaks to corporations. The audience noticeably gasped. There were several moments like that. It occurred to me that the politicians in Tennessee are so eager to attract corporate investment, that it is a sacrilege to question the strategy of cutting education to fund corporate tax breaks.
A thoughtful comment by
A thoughtful comment by
Superintendent Tony Bennett Has a Plan
Tony Bennett of Indiana is so sure that he knows how to reform schools. He knows that reform is all about threatening teachers and schools, holding their feet to the fire, and testing ceaselessly.
He has a new idea. He wants to take over districts with low scores. Indianapolis is in his sights. He wants to take it over, shut it down, possibly privatize it.
There is an election in November. Glenda Ritz is running against Tony Bennett. She is an educator. She wants to improve schools, not privatize them. This is a chance for the citizens of Indiana to stop the assault on public
The Georgia Federation of Teachers Denounces Charter Legislation
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
Las Vegas: Class Size Up, Morale Down
President Obama Explains His Views to Education Nation
He has a new idea. He wants to take over districts with low scores. Indianapolis is in his sights. He wants to take it over, shut it down, possibly privatize it.
There is an election in November. Glenda Ritz is running against Tony Bennett. She is an educator. She wants to improve schools, not privatize them. This is a chance for the citizens of Indiana to stop the assault on public
The Georgia Federation of Teachers Denounces Charter Legislation
Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia is supporting a constitutional amendment to create a commission to approve charter schools despite the objection of local school boards. This proposal was drafted by the rightwing ALEC organization, which is heavily funded by big corporations and counts 2,000 state legislators among its members.
This is the statement issued by the Georgia Federation of Teachers about the constitutional amendment that would curtail the powers of local school boards:
Children, Not Profits, Are Our Priority
Georgia Federation of Teachers President Verdaillia Turner
This is the statement issued by the Georgia Federation of Teachers about the constitutional amendment that would curtail the powers of local school boards:
Children, Not Profits, Are Our Priority
Georgia Federation of Teachers President Verdaillia Turner
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
A reader watched Jeb Bush on television today. She reports:
I am watching Jeb Bush talk on msnbc…he says to give teachers the deal that if students learn more you get paid more. He says it is complicated but it is doable, particularly with new assessment tools that exist. He says you should get paid more if your students make better gains than the teacher who has like type kids next door, paid more if you work in a more difficult school, paid more if you are teaching science and math, and that differentiated pay was part of issue in Chicago. Joe asks why teachers resist it and Jeb says that is why it is called collective bargaining. The union most represents the teachers who have been in the system longer. LIFO is protected by the union to protect the teachers who pay more dues.
He ends by saying that middle class families think they are doing ok because they are benchmarking
I am watching Jeb Bush talk on msnbc…he says to give teachers the deal that if students learn more you get paid more. He says it is complicated but it is doable, particularly with new assessment tools that exist. He says you should get paid more if your students make better gains than the teacher who has like type kids next door, paid more if you work in a more difficult school, paid more if you are teaching science and math, and that differentiated pay was part of issue in Chicago. Joe asks why teachers resist it and Jeb says that is why it is called collective bargaining. The union most represents the teachers who have been in the system longer. LIFO is protected by the union to protect the teachers who pay more dues.
He ends by saying that middle class families think they are doing ok because they are benchmarking
Las Vegas: Class Size Up, Morale Down
In response to the transcript of President Obama’s interview with NBC, a teacher writes:
Class sizes here in Las Vegas are not going down. When they reshuffled on count day we lost teachers at our sites There are now 36 kids in all our 4th and 5th grade classes. Schools are only staffed at 93%. I think it is the districts way of punishing the Union for winning arbitration where it was clearly proved the money for salary
Class sizes here in Las Vegas are not going down. When they reshuffled on count day we lost teachers at our sites There are now 36 kids in all our 4th and 5th grade classes. Schools are only staffed at 93%. I think it is the districts way of punishing the Union for winning arbitration where it was clearly proved the money for salary
President Obama Explains His Views to Education Nation
TRANSCRIPT: PRESIDENT OBAMA SITS DOWN WITH SAVANNAH GUTHRIE
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR NBC NEWS’ “EDUCATION NATION”
September 25, 2012 — As part of the NBC News 2012 “Education Nation” Summit this week, President Barack Obama sat down with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie to discuss his vision for the future of education in America.
The exclusive interview aired Tuesday on “TODAY” and this afternoon on MSNBC. A full transcript is below. If
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR NBC NEWS’ “EDUCATION NATION”
September 25, 2012 — As part of the NBC News 2012 “Education Nation” Summit this week, President Barack Obama sat down with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie to discuss his vision for the future of education in America.
The exclusive interview aired Tuesday on “TODAY” and this afternoon on MSNBC. A full transcript is below. If
