Teachers and parents often ask me: What can I do? How can I stop the attacks on teachers, on their unions, on public schools?
Here is one way:
On August 14, there will be an event called “Teachers Rock” to promote a film that is anti-teacher, anti-union and anti-public schools.
Let the stars involved in “Teachers Rock” know that the film they are promoting is NOT pro-teacher. It is anti-public education.
It celebrates the failed parent trigger, the idea that parents should “seize control” of their public school and hand it over to a charter corporation.
It is funded by the same pro-privatization billionaire that produced “Waiting for Superman.”
Here is some helpful advice from blogger Jersey Jszzman about how to contact the stars.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I just saw for the first time an ad for CBS’s Friday show “Teacher’s Rock”. Been too involved in watching the Olympics. Will again post this blog and encourage my peeps to do what they can to let the stars know how they feel. It definitely bothers me that only TFA members are getting special treatment. Do the producers think that they are the only ones deserving to be recognized? Talk about favoritism!
Diane,
Sometimes we are confounded for the better. Here is an example of the reverse of what usually occurs – parents, en masse, standing with striking teachers in Edwardsville, IL. How wonderful, and what a nice change.
Here’s the link: http://www.yahoo.com/_ylt=Ap4RDEEKk8kIjcOELEANFRubvZx4;_ylu=X3oDMTNvN2dsc2VvBGEDMQRjY29kZQNwemJ1YWxsY2FoNQRjcG9zAzQEZwMxBGludGwDdXMEbWNvZGUDcHpidWFsbGNhaDUEbXBvcwMzBHBrZ3QDMgRwb3MDMQRzZWMDdGQtbG9jBHNsawN0aXRsZQR0ZXN0AzcwMQR3b2UDMjUwMTQzOQ–/SIG=12seconoq/EXP=1344997972/**http%3A//www.bnd.com/2012/08/13/2283743/parents-stand-behind-teachers.html
eliotpound
Here’s another thought. You could also contact the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the American Federation of Musicians to express your opinion about this situation. It does seem a little odd that professionals in these unions would take part in a production that is sponsored and promoted by private parties intent on disparaging professionals in a different union. Just saying.
The CBS show is going to be televised this Friday, August 17th, according to our TV
listing guide. The actual event is going to be tomorrow night (Tuesday, August 14th)?
Below is the email I sent to Mr. Black:
I heard you talk at a meeting about the arts at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion. You talked about the important place your drama teacher played in shaping your life and career. PLEASE do some research before you attend the screening tomorrow. Money raised is going to Teach For America. TFA has had a large part in deprofessionalizing teaching by placing college grads with just 5 weeks of cursory training into the neediest of schools. The students in these schools are the most challenging to teach and need the most experienced teachers who have already proven to be successful in these types of classrooms. We need career teachers who make a lifetime commitment to serve children. This movie was made by the same people who brought us “Waiting for Superman”. The facts presented in that movie were proven to be totally false at the worst and horribly misleading at the best.
Corporate America has its greedy paws on the billions of dollars of education dollars up for grabs. Curriculum is being reduced to math and science. Gone or greatly reduced are foreign languages, PE, science and history. But first on the chopping block is the arts. You certainly would not support that loss to students.
The intent of the Parent Trigger law is to create more privately run charter schools while masquerading as a heroic takeover by parents. Don’t be fooled, the evidence is overwhelming. Charters are most likely to be profit making institutions, and as such, they streamline their operations and rarely, if ever, provide anything other than a bare bones curriculum.
Please stand up for public education and the need to fund it equitably across this nation. Stand up for the 25% of children in poverty who come to school in dire straits and are thus at a great disadvantage when it comes to being prepared to participate in educational activities. Stand up for the career teachers who daily put themselves on the front lines of what has become a war in which they are the target of the attacks.
In fact, someone like you could inspire a movement of actors and musicians who could truly do what’s necessary to go public in a way which only celebraties are able to do. Give back to society what it gave to you……an opportunity to develop your talents to the fullest extent.
I just sent this to my regional chapter of the Recording Academy:
Hi PNW Chapter Friends,
Just a quick note about the upcoming Teachers Rock 2012 concert in LA tomorrow. I know it’s not a Recording Academy event, but…
The concert is an affront to the public school teachers in this country. The event is sponsored by billionaires and backers of charter schools, and promotes the release of a movie (Won’t Back Down) that benefits organizations who are intent on destroying the public education system in the US. Many of the performers are Grammy winners (Garth Brooks, Josh Groban, Carrie Underwood, etc), but I believe they are unaware of the true intent of this concert with the great sounding name.
I have been a Recording Academy member for 20 years.
I have been a public school teacher (in Seattle) for 31 years.
I’m embarrassed to be associated with members of the music industry who are unaware of what their participation means to the education of the schoolchildren of America. Grammy in the Schools, Music Cares, and so on are incredible programs. This concert showcases a film that promotes a philosophy and agenda which eliminate the arts from the school curriculum.
If you have suggestions for concert/artist contacts, please let me know. There are thousands of educators across this country (many of them musicians) who are outraged about this concert, and who would like to let their musical heroes know how they feel about their participation in it. I will pass it on. Thanks for your time – Mark
I wrote to the celebrities, and I hope all our messages make a difference.
I have a pressing question that I hoped to have answered for myself by now, but I’m still searching. In less than 2 weeks I’ll be standing in front of 26 20-somethings who are preparing to be teachers. They’ll be taking at least 36 units of education courses over at least 2 years, completing countless hours of student teaching, passing several standardized tests, and expecting to make a positive difference in children’s lives. They’ll also be expecting to get a teaching job and keep it. Many readers of this blog must be in a similar place. What shall we say to these hopeful, idealistic, young people?
I wrote to the celebrities. I saw other messages already posted. I hope we can make a difference.
I have a pressing question that I hoped to have answered for myself by now, but I’m still searching for an adequate answer. In less than 2 weeks, I’ll be standing in front of a room of 20-somethings who are preparing to be teachers. They’ll be taking 36 units of education courses, completing countless hours of student teaching, passing several standardized tests, dedicating about 2 years to becoming a beginning professional, and expecting to make a positive difference in their students’ lives. They’ll also be expecting to get a job and keep it.
There must be other readers of this blog in a similar place. What do we say to these young, hopeful, bright idealists?
Not sure if this was posted, but TeachersRock2012 has an official Facebook page. I wrote on the wall that I thought it was shameless propaganda. Looks like they have blocked or erased some comments.
Has anyone actually seen this film? Can you clarifly the role of Ms. Davis’ teacher character in the “parent takeover?”
I left tweets for those on the list telling them they should be ashamed of themselves.