In a comprehensive speech at the National Press Club, AFT president Randi Weingarten charted a new path for public education reform. With clear reference to ill conceived strategies "that fixate on the supposed silver bullet of doing away with bad teachers," born of her frustration with Michelle Rhee's approach, Weingarten offered instead an integrated approach with four components: 1. a new template for evaluation, standards and student outcomes, 2. a new expedited approach to due process, 3. a focus on the conditions teachers need to be successful, and 4. relationships of trust and respect for teachers. "The problem with the so-called "bad teacher" refrain isn't just that it's too harsh or too unforgiving," Weingarten said, "The problem is that it's too limited. It fails to recognize that we have a systems problem." The film clip of the speech can be viewed at the AFT's "A New Path Forward" web site .
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HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
The Lottery, a suspenseful and emotional documentary about the crisis in public education by producer-director Madeleine Sackler, will be coming to theaters beginning May 7, 2010 through Zipline Entertainment.
A trailer for the film and information about the crisis – and what we can do to help – can be found at the film’s website
www.thelotteryfilm.com
Trailer also here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMzt7YGxLjg
Please post the link to help spread the word for education reform!
Website also features a press packet with additional information and resources for parents, teachers, and students.
The website also launches the first ever
Education Constitution
http://thelotteryfilm.com/homepage/petition
Help to solicit signatures so that we can press our counry’s leadership to improve education standards and the future of America!
Visitors to the website can also
Demand the Film
by entering their email address and zipcode on the home page.
Do this so that we know to bring the film to a theater near you!
About the Film
The Lottery documentary follows four families as they flee their assigned public schools and enter a high stakes and low odds lottery for acceptance into a Harlem charter school. A heartbreaking look at parents who will not accept failing schools for their children but may have to, The Lottery exposes the backwards politics and nefarious agendas of politicians and special interest groups who stand in the way of improving a failing public school system.
“I wanted to show that we do not have to accept failure, because some schools are proving that all kids can succeed if given the chance. Parents know the difference and apply in droves to the better schools. The tragedy is that the demands of adults are getting in the way of the needs of kids,” said Sackler. “Where you’re born is a lottery. Going to a great school shouldn’t be.”
Interviewees include Mayor Cory Booker, Chancellor Joel Klein, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, Harlem Success Academy founder Eva Moskowitz, Harlem Children’s Zone President and CEO Geoffrey Canada, Achievement First co-CEO Dacia Toll, and New York Times Magazine editor Paul Tough.
“This is a New York story about a national crisis,” says producer James Lawler. “Through four beautifully told human stories, it poses the question, do we really want an America where we’ve institutionalized the failure of thousands of schools?”
For additional information, including setting up interviews with the filmmakers:
Nina Baron – nina@ziplineentertainment.com / 212.257.6919
George Nicholis – george@ziplineentertainment.com / 212.257.6914
Well, I guess better late than never. Twenty some years late. The whole reform movement was based upon politics, business and distorted and erroneous interpretations of a very selective base of research. It flew in the face of fifty years of research such as research on locus of control, importance of motivation, appropriate level of difficulty, appropriate goal setting, developmentally appropriate education and ... I could go on and on.
I am the post named "F/". Sorry, clicked too soon by mistake.
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