Darcie Cimarusti blogs under the name “Mother Crusader.”
She is a parent activist in New Jersey who joined the battle to save her community’s public schools from privatizers.
She was one of the parents who protested outside the opening of “Won’t Back Down” in New York City.
In interviews and articles, the film’s director Daniel Barnz made condescending comments about the parents. He said that they didn’t know what they were protesting against. He claimed they were misinformed.
Mother Crusader calls out Barnz for slandering her and her fellow parents. She knew why she was protesting. She saw the movie. She was not ignorant, misled or misinformed.
The parent protesters are in fact, as Darcie shows, very well informed about the film and its political message, even if its director is not. He comes across as a political naif.
Was Barnz unaware that the “parent trigger” is heavily promoted by rightwing groups like ALEC? Was Barnz ignorant of the political agenda of his billionaire producer, Philip Anschutz, owner of Walden Media? Did he know nothing of Anschutz’s political activism, his funding of anti-gay initiatives in Colorado and California, his hostility to unions, his antagonism to public education, his anti-environmental hydro-fracking business, his contributions to rightwing think tanks? Five minutes on the Internet would have informed Barnz.
Who is misinformed? Not Mother Crusader, and not the other parents who picketed Barnz’s movie. The best one can say about Daniel Barnz is that he is misinformed.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Darcie,
I love your writing and I admire your persistence. Thank you for all your hard work!
Diane just posted a great sequel title: Can’t Fool Us.
Thank you, Linda! It’s so amazing that Diane has created this space where we can all come together and find the strength to expose what is truly happening.
“Five minutes on the Internet would have informed Barnz.”
This is exactly the point. He cannot feign ignorance.
I’m waiting for the teachers he claims are in his family to appear and be made available for interviews. He appears to be a noxious individual. Lecturing protesting parents, (his target demo) claiming they don’t know what they’re talking about, wow. Talk about a deadly combination of stupidity and ignorance.
Hollywood gives an actor or actress a pass on a bomb. Directors and writers, not so. By the way, just why is he out promoting this movie? Generally it’s big name directors like Clint, Francis, or Steven who do the talk show rounds. Not unknown and soon to be forgotten directors.
Darcie,
We need more parents like you to stand for our children. During the summer I lamented the path we were on and wondered how we would stop this path of destruction that billionaire CEOs and politicians have created to take over education with no education credentials. I was becoming discouraged and felt helpless as governors across our nation enacted laws that were designed to destroy public education. Our elected officials were complicent, allowing this take over.
As an administrator, I didn’t know what to do to protect my students and teachers. Then it hit me. The only way to fight this is to work WITH my parents. To work together to create a school environment that was supportive of ALL students. It’s what I already had going on at our school. Nothing new to us. I don’t know how successful we will be. Only time will tell. But as I watch the tide turn, I am encouraged that parents are the key. I hope that school systems will realize this and begin to empower parents to become allies in the fight for great public education.
I hope that the parents at our school will never allow THEIR school to be shut down and taken over by for profit corporations. We continue to struggle, but we are committed to excellence. I will not abandon the fight. I hope that our parents are willing to fight with us, not against us. We are here for the children.
I agree, parents are key. As a teacher I’ve always made contact seeking support and keeping them appraised of what we were doing in class, what their child was doing well as well as what could be improved. Why teachers considered parents to be a bother …I’ll never know. They’ve always been an ally of mine. They are part of the solution Folks, not part of the problem. In the days ahead we’ll need them on our side and along our sides.
Exactly Bridget, this is what I found so incredibly distressing about the film – it is a false portrayal of what parent empowerment really is.
If I only advocate for my daughters, what am I teaching them about the world they live in? If we don’t teach our children to live in a world where we are not just responsible for ourselves, but for those around us as well, where will we all end up?
I am now on the school board in my town, and I hope I can make similar strides in our district. Bringing together parents, teachers, and administrators is no small feat, but in the end, what choice do we have? Public education as an institution is under attack. If we are to defend our public schools we must all work together.
I see far too much finger wagging these days, with one interest group blaming another for supposed shortcomings in our schools. If we could all work together I honestly believe any issues we face are surmountable.
Good luck with your parents, teachers and students. Please check in from time to time on my blog and let me know how you are fairing!
I hope the one positive that comes from this bottom line (an economic failure for the movie and a “loser label” on the acting creds for some very talented people) is that actors, directors, and producers with CLOUT will start doing more research into the facts and backgrounds before signing on, for their own sakes and ours.
One of the actresses in the disgusting anti-Islamic trailer that has triggered death and destruction was interviewed about her role and said that even though she was kept in the dark about all but small portions of the script, “what could she do”, she’s a nothing actress who was looking to get a job, who couldn’t speak up and question things.
This certainly can’t be true for actresses and others who are “A list” stars with closets full of awards.
Perhaps celebrity, success and, let’s say what it is, star power, carry with it responsibility to choose roles and projects from a more informed position, and then to present the project more honestly for what it is- propaganda, if that’s what it clearly is.
Thank you, Diane. It is humbling to have you acknowledge my work. There aren’t words to express my gratitude for what you do, and for the incredible example you set for all of us.
Darcie,
I came across this article from last week (http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/09/23/daniel-barnz-new-movie-makes-him-teachers-union-whipping-boy.html), in which Barnz insists that his anti-union film is not an anti-union film. He describes himself as a liberal Democrat. No less strange is that he is a gay man who chose to work for a rightwing billionaire who funded anti-gay campaigns in Colorado and California. To put it mildly, I don’t understand his thinking.
Diane