The Philadelphia Student Union held a demonstration in support of their underfunded, beleaguered schools and their teachers, whose contract was summarily terminated by the SRC. According to this story, a member of the School Reform Commission–the state-appointed board that runs the schools–shouted at the students that they should be in jail, that they probably go to failing schools. Wow.
Meanwhile, the SRC screened the anti-public school, pro-charter propaganda film “Won’t Back Down” as part of Parent Appreciation Night. The film, produced by rightwing billionaire Philip Anschutz, depicts a parent and a teacher using the parent trigger to turn their public school over to a charter operator. The teachers’ union is portrayed in the film as the bad guys. Not only was Anschutz a producer of “Waiting for Superman,” he is a major player in the fracking industry, which is huge in Pennsylvania. He doesn’t like unions or public education. “Won’t Back Down” was a total bomb when it was released a few years ago. It disappeared from the nation’s screens within 30 days with the worst box office of any national film in decades. Funny that the SRC disinterred this stinker to show appreciation for parents.
According to the story:
“Things turned ugly when members of Philadelphia Student Union interrupted a film screening at the School District of Philadelphia’s headquarters with School Reform Commissioner Sylvia Simms.
“In a video posted on YouTube, Simms began shouting at students sitting-in on the screening of “Won’t Back Down,” chanting, “SOS, save our schools,” and, “Philly is a union town.” While in the video there is too much noise to make out what Simms said, students reported that the SRC commissioner told them, “you all probably go to failing schools,” and, “you belong in jail.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Sounds about right to me. The reformist movement has never been about the children. It’s always been about demonizing teachers and their unions and turning a high profit on the backs of the taxpayers.
This Simms person just said what they all think. She is a disgusting example of the kinds of bottom feeders that make up the reform movement.
So right, Chris in Florida.
Again, here’s the video, which includes the young woman recounting the “You must all go to failing schools!” tirade.
Simms should be dismissed from her post. Immediately. Think that will happen?
Parent appreciation night film, Won’t Back Down – now that is hilarious. That is a “how to” ruin your neighborhood manifesto, right? Maybe they should just put something into the drinking water that will turn the parents and kids into zombies that go along with the charterizing/privatizing program. I bet the reformers and the SRC would like that, huh?
God bless the children. God bless the students. I am SO PROUD of them for standing up for themselves, their parents, their teachers, their schools.
Indeed, this incident brings back
memories of the atrocity known as
“WON’T BACK DOWN”
SALON’s Andrew O’Hehir
wrote a great review, which I’ll excert
here.
http://www.salon.com/2012/09/26/wont_back_down_why_do_teachers_unions_hate_america/
—————————————————————
ANDREW O’HEHIR:
“So teachers’ unions don’t care about
kids. Oh, and luck is a foxy lady. This is
what I took away from the inept and
bizarre “WON’T BACK DOWN,” a set
of right-wing anti-union talking points
disguised (with very limited success)
as a mainstream motion-picture-type
product. Someone needs to launch
an investigation into what combination of
crimes, dares, alcoholic binges and
lapses in judgment got Viola Davis and
Maggie Gyllenhaal into this movie.
Neither of them seems likely to
sympathize with its thinly veiled
labor-bashing agenda and, way more
to the point, I thought they had better
taste.
” … ”
“As presented in this script (written
by Barnz and Brin Hill), the Pittsburgh
teachers’ union has no goal beyond
protecting the status quo at all costs,
and no interest whatever – no
altruistic interest, no self-interest and
no public-relations interest — in
improving the quality of public education.
“Most people still understand, I
believe, that teachers work extremely
hard for little pay and low social
status in a thankless, no-win situation.
“But this is one of those areas
where conservatives have been
extremely successful in dividing the
working class, which is precisely the
agenda in “WON’T BACK DOWN.”
Breeding hostility to unions in themselves,
and occasionally insinuating that
unionized teachers are a protected
caste of incompetents who get three
damn months off every single year,
has been an effective tactic in what we
might call postmodern Republican
populism, especially in recent battles
over public employee contracts in
Wisconsin and elsewhere.
“It works something like this:
“1) Turn the resentment and
frustration of people like (the working
class main character) Jamie – people
with crappy service-sector jobs and
few benefits, whose kids are stuck in
‘failing’ schools – against the declining
group of public employees who still
have a decent deal.
“2) Strip away job security and
collective bargaining; hand out beer
and ukuleles instead.
“3) La la la la, tax cuts, tax cuts,
I can’t hear you!”
…and here you go. The kids were great!!!
Hooray for the kids. Gotta love their passion and commitment. Nothing shows the true colors of the SRC than the scheduled showing of an anti-union, anti-teacher film that was produced by a right-wing fracker. The group has shown itself to be totally unqualified to run a public restroom let alone a public school.
After viewing the video, how can anyone say these kids are from failing schools? These children learned a valuable lesson from their teachers and parents – to stand up for their rights! These kids were amazing! I think the film audience was made up of their parents (see all the videotaping of the group). The SRC group should be ashamed of itself. How much money does one get to sell ones soul?
Their parents are afraid. Children teach your parents well…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztVaqZajq-I
A great song that speaks to these children
Crosby, Stills & Nash… Teach your Children
You, who are on the road must have a code that you can live by.
And so become yourself because the past is just a good bye.
Teach your children well, their father’s hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams, the one they fix, the one you’ll know by.
Don’t you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.
And you, of the tender years can’t know the fears that your elders grew by,
And so please help them with your youth, they seek the truth before they can die.
Teach your parents well, their children’s hell will slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams, the one they fix,the one you’ll know by.
Don’t you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.
This is what the real civil rights movement looked like.
This is what a real human rights movement looks like.
“There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part; you can’t even passively take part, and you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop. And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you’re free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!”
Mario Savio, Free Speech Movement, December 3, 1964.
Shortly after, marching and singing of “We Shall Overcome.”
And yes, Betsy Marshall, the words to the song “Teach Your Children.”
😎
Just back from the rally of PFT members in front of the SRC in downtown Philly. Beautiful weather and lots of great energy. Over 1000 members, Randi said all the right things, students out in numbers in support as well along with labor leaders and religious community. I think Corbett’s days, and hopefully the SRC’s days, are numbered. This rally will definitely get out the vote.
Thanks, also, to Pittsburgh teachers for their show of solidarity. Sorry about the Pirates.
One instigator of the SRC action is Matthew Brouillette president of the Commonwealth Foundation, a “limited government” group. He claims to have 7years experience teaching middle and high school (informed by his degrees from Cornell College — in Iowa and his ABD from Walden). Alas, nowhere is it possible to find where he taught. Was it a unionized public school? Did he benefit from a contract? Does anyone know?