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New movie reignites debate over ‘parent trigger’ laws
AFT blasts portrayal of educators, union in latest school-reform film
The filmmaker, who co-wrote the script, says he tried to be especially sensitive regarding the portrayal of the union, going so far as to create a sympathetic character, teacher Michael Raymond (played by Oscar Isaacs), who is a loyal union supporter.
“I think of this movie as a David and Goliath story and for me, it’s a multifaceted Goliath made up of many things that are represented in the film: parental apathy, an incompetent principal, a dispassionate teacher. Part of it is the teachers union,” said Barnz.
“In my mind, it’s an even-handed portrait. I think it’s hard in this education reform dialog to have a position that falls in the middle. Ving Rhames in the movie says, ‘You can support and criticize unions.’ That’s what I think the film does.”
Florida parent activist Rita Solnet wrote a piece for the Washington Post, saying the movie seemed a mechanism to promote charter schools and their private management companies.
“As a parent volunteer in public schools for 16 years, it startled me not to see anyone working on the problems together in this movie. I didn’t see parents talking to teachers to help improve the school. No sign or talk of School Advisory Councils, of PTAs, not even parent friends talking to each other over coffee about how they could organize to speak to the principal or district or board to improve the school. Not all principals are underhanded and despicable as they are in this movie.”
Solnet continued: “There were no scenes or discussions of parents at school board meetings to formally complain and formally request solutions be put in place. When you organize and speak as a group, you can be heard. Why was this mom and teacher’s first step to conduct a takeover? Because it is fiction.”
Material from the Los Angeles Times, the Orlando Sentinel, and the Beaver County Times (Beaver, Pa.) was used in this report. Copyright 2012; distributed by MCT Information Services.
See also:
Readers: Parents not experienced enough to run failing schools
2 Responses to New movie reignites debate over ‘parent trigger’ laws
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jcschweitzer
August 30, 2012 at 4:19 pm
For years all I’ve heard from teachers in low performing schools (actually all schools) is that things would be better if more parents were involved. Now they cry when parents get involved.
The problem isn’t the “parent trigger”, it is the need for it to be enabled.
jacks107
August 30, 2012 at 5:30 pm
the quote “Florida parent activist Rita Solnet wrote a piece for the Washington Post, saying the movie seemed a mechanism to promote charter schools and their private management companies.”
I found this quote very hard to swallow. I work as a charter school teacher. Not all charter have private management companies. My school in Nevada has to follow all the same rules as a regular public school if we want to receive funding.
I also disliked that the stereotype of charters schools being managed by private companies to make a profit. Not all charter schools are managed this way. If you want to see a charter school that works visit acehighschool.org