Sunday, August 12, 2012

Still Waiting for Superman...But We'll Take Handouts from Wal Mart in the Meantime...


Did you hear there's a new movie coming out ? Well it's not really new, per se, it's  re-packaging of all the same trite b.s. that went into the last pro charter school propaganda film, errrr, movie, Waiting for Superman. And did you hear that it's based on actual events ? Well, not really, I mean there's a loose connection between some of the events in the movie and reality but, it's pretty thin. According to IMDB (where you can also find your humble blogger in a previous incarnation) the plot is this :

Two determined mothers­, one a teacher, look to transform their children's failing inner city school. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy, they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children.

 Here's a sampling from the Parents Across America review of said film :

But the storyline about the parent takeover has no resemblance to reality, says New York parent activist Leonie Haimson, a PAA co-founder. “The movie is supposedly based on a process called the ‘parent trigger,’ which purports to empower parents. But actually, the ‘parent trigger’ has a track record of 100 percent failure, and has pitted parents against parents and torn apart school communities at the two schools where it has been tried,” said Haimson. She points out that “Won’t Back Down” was produced by Walden Media, owned by conservative mogul Philip Anschutz, a major donor to anti-gay, creationist and other right-wing causes. Walden Media was the co-producer of the 2010 anti-public-education pseudo-documentary ‘Waiting for ‘Superman’.”


And did you hear that as part of the big movie hype kickoff they are having a fundraiser event called Teacher's Rock where you can donate $40.00 and one of the three recipients will be Teach for America?

And did you also know that one part of this fun event was a Stone the Teacher Booth ? Ah ha ha ha ha what zaniness. Alongside food and tee-shirt vendors is listed an entertainment booth entitled "Rock-a-Teacher.” Further description reads, “Like an old fashioned dunking booth only better. Live teachers. Real stones. C’mon, you know you’ve always wanted to.”  Oh these "reformers" and their wacky friends, they are just too much no ? Well it turns out that Meryl Streep and Josh Groban among others said there was no way they were going to participate in this nonsense until it was clear that no such booth or wacky reformer fun was going to be permitted. As usual public outcry not decency or respect caused Wal Mart and Walden Media to down and shut up about such outrageously disrespectful and stupid antics. There will now be no such event. Amazing though that anyone ever thought there should be one and that it made it out of committee and into the promotional brochure couched in the fun loving language ad men use to get you to eat chocolate ice cream sundaes covered in whipped cream with cashews and a stick of butter. Is anyone surprised that Walden Media the co propaganda ministers of Stuporman are also known to donate to anti gay groups, right wing causes and anti-environmental groups. How proud we all should be to see that now they want to honor teachers. If you consider the puppy mill graduates of TFA's 6 Weeks to Shitty Teaching crash courses "teachers."  Parents Across America has also provided a fact check for this lameass movie which shows what anyone who's not in a coma all ready knows, the ratio of fiction to fact is shall we say, out of joint. See the Facts here.

9 comments:

  1. I know that Microsoft and Walmart consist of 87 percent of private charter lobby cash. That means their soft foundation monies owns The majority of influence, and these charters are hot now! That makes me think about real democracy Sean. What is it called when the rich few have influence of the many?
    We as Educators need to reach the parents before they do. They may have the cash but they really do not have the
    "grassroot"'or parent support as they claim They just have the money.
    Where is NYSUT and the BTF? Why can't we expose this for what it is? We cannot sing the the same old song, we need to have a real plan with a real solution.

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  2. Pat,
    You are "spot on" . The Administrators at City Hall and in the schools should also have plans made to let the parents and the public know the good things that are happening every day in our schools.
    They should advertise even more than the "privatizers" who are spreading their "news releases" all over the place.

    More should be done at the building level to get parents involved and informed. News articles, should be sent to the papers, school newsletters should be regularly sent home.Workshops for parents should be developed and volunteering should be encouraged and recongition should be copious.

    Everyone should emulate Sean's dedication to getting the "message" out. Research...write...share ideas...take a "stand"...
    ( too many are taking "The position" instead of a "stand".)

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  3. Wait until the DPCC screens this at a Buffalo Public School. Just like they did with Waiting for Charterian.

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  4. I think Waterfront is ripe for a screening of The Inconvenient Truth Behind Stuporman.

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  5. Peg funny you should say that. When Pat B asked about NYSUT and BTF I had to think the battle is all ready lost if we need them to appraise us of the fire breathing dragon at our back door, I blame teachers. How many of our colleagues are caught up in their creature comforts or petty intra-building squabbles for power with other colleagues when we have the fight of our careers upon us? Maybe 20 years ago we could afford such self indulgence as the "I don't get involved in politics" or the " I just go to my room and teach" mentality. Now it's not enough to be good at paperwork and good at teaching. There is now a third category and we all better learn how to fight for our jobs. If you don't know how to fight you are an easy target for a multi-billion dollar lobby who wants you out of a job.

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  6. I wonder too if anyone will have the presence of mind and the get up off their assishness to picket any local showings of this piece of cinematic shite? BTF ? NYSUT? People we know?

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  7. I am in on the Picket. I can certainly recruit some others.

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  8. All we need is a time date and place. Let the fairy tale begin.... Did you know in the movie the teachers also had to vote to pass the trigger law and they did? Gimmee a break "reformers."

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  9. http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2012/08/faq-re-movie-wont-back-down-and-parent.html

    Count me in on the picket as well. We might be able to get a decent crowd. Maybe YNN could come and cover it. They might place a link to your blog, Sean, "for more information"!!!

    BTW, the link is a good faq from NYC's Leonie Haimson.

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