The documentary “Backpack Full of Cash” tells the story of the well-funded, duplicitous attack on public education. It was created by a professional team that had trouble raising money since most foundations docilely follow the lead of the Gates Foundation. “Backpack” was intended to be the answer to “Waiting for Superman,” but the filmmakers lacked the kind of lavish funding from billionaires like Bill Gates and industrialist-evangelical Philip Anschutz for production, promotion, and marketing that “Superman” had.
The documentary shows that charters, online charters, and other forms of privatization are causing public schools to be underfunded, closed, stripped of resources, while charters flourish and select their students.
The title of the film was taken from an interview that the filmmakers had with Jeanne Allen, who is a clone of Betsy DeVos. Her “Center for Education Reform” is funded by foundations and financiers who want to privatize public education.
Allen has given the documentary widespread attention because she keeps attacking Damon for narrating it. He is the proud product of public schools, but sends his own children to private schools. He pays their tuition. He doesn’t think the public should pay their tuition. He understands that supporting public schools is a civic duty, not a consumer choice. He can afford a private security force for his family, but he doesn’t expect the public to pay for his private choices.
Allen doesn’t understand the civic duty thing. Like her mentor Betsy DeVos, she wants to abolish public schools or let them languish as one of many choices, even though they are required to take the children that no one else wants. She wants them to survive as a dumping ground, not hold pride of place as a basic democratic institution.
For some reason, she thinks Matt Damon might notice her. Dream on, Jeanne.
What you are doing with great success is giving the pro-public school documentary the fabulous publicity that its filmmakers can’t afford to buy.
See the film for yourself. Organize a community viewing. PBS was paid millions by rightwing foundations to run a libertarian propaganda film earlier this year. But for some reason, PBS can’t find a way to air “Backpack.” No billionaire backers? Too controversial?
Thank you, Jeanne Allen, for calling attention to this important documentary. Keep it up.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
DeVos gives the same speech everywhere she goes, and this is one her favorite talking points:
“If you choose to go to Gonzaga, are you somehow against the Huskies or the Cougs? Well, you’re not — except when they’re on the basketball court.
If you decide to go to Seattle University, are you somehow against public universities?
No one seems to criticize those choices. No one thinks choice in higher education is wrong. So why is it wrong in elementary school, middle school, or high school?”
I’m horrified that the US Department of Education doesn’t know the difference between a universal system that has to serve every single child and the higher ed system, which isn’t universal and has no mandate or requirement to serve everyone.
And higher ed DOESN’T serve even close to “everyone” – it serves about 69%. There is a huge group of people who don’t go to college.
DeVos jeers at “systems” in these speeches, but she doesn’t know the first thing about systems and hasn’t given any thought to at all to how systems differ or how they work.
If she gets her wish and public schools are eradicated, we’ll still have a SYSTEM of schools, because we have to. It will just be a system of private and contractor schools because every single child in a given area will have to be guaranteed a “free public education”
I guess it would be great if they were just wandering around with their backpack vouchers hoping they find a school they can attend that year, but that ain’t gonna work because that isn’t universal.
It really doesn’t matter if ed reformers jeer at “systems” and insist K-12 is exactly like higher ed when it obviously isn’t- they’re going to end up with a system or they aren’t going to be able to guarantee universal free access. It will just be a privatized system.
LikeLike
i have emailed the linc for this movie 2 times with no response. i really want to show it in Bellingham, WA. What am i doing wrong in my correspondence?
LikeLike
Hi Marcia, Did you email screenings@backpackfullofcash.com?
That’s the email address I used and received promp reply. Good luck!
LikeLike
Right, Chiara. That simile doesn’t hold water, in fact is a poor watery broth of an argument. US owes its kids equal access to a quality K12 ed– no less, & no more!
LikeLike
Here’s another ”kids first” slur, this one from the utterly demented school privatizer Jeanne Allen, who links and equates opponents of school reform with … I kid you not, folks… a notorious sexual predator and alleged rapist — movie mogul Harvey Weinstein (who’s been in the news of late.)
Opponents of privatizing our schools, those who challenge Allen … why they’re all “predators”, in Allen’s deranged mind, that is.
Yep. That’s right.
Alleged rapist Harvey & parents / teachers opposed to school privatization / corporate ed. reform …
… two peas in a pod, doncha know?
Allen responds to a tweet where actress Emma Thompson calls Weinstein a “predator.”
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Jeanne Allen @JeanneAllen
“Her (actress Emma Thompson’s) description (of Weinstein as a “predator”) could apply as well to those celebrating Matt Damon’s ed film (who are) bullying people who put adult jobs over kids’ needs.”
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
The last words of that tweet say it all. It always must come down to that false dichotomy:
Are you with the kids (like Allen is) or with adults (teachers)? You have to pick.
Oh, and exactly how is Allen being “bullied” by the film and its makers?” The film makers spend seven years making that film, sourcing and documenting all their claims in detail, vetting all of that with a fine-toothed comb in consultation with lawyers, so as to pre-empt and prevent any lawsuits.
Thus, BACKPACK FULL OF CASH presents facts. If Allen or any of her allies doesn’t like those facts, that doesn’t mean she’s being “bullied.”
LikeLike
Did you see my reply to her?
LikeLike
So my children all attended public schools and when they grew up one of them went to Michigan to a public college and the other went to Pennsylvania to a private college.
I stayed here in Ohio with their younger brothers, who went to the public school 1/4 mile away. That was important because they live in a family and unlike college students they can’t travel to a different area and go to school. In fact, the two younger kids were GUARANTEED a seat at a public school and it had to be FREE and they had to be able to get to it. What’s more, if they couldn’t have gotten to it- if it was too far away- the State of Ohio GUARANTEES free transportation.
Much different than college, which isn’t free, isn’t universal, doesn’t have to serve every person in a reasonable geographic area and is designed for adults who DON’T live with their families.
Is this REALLY a good comparison for ed reformers? College and K-12?
Because it doesn’t make any sense. These two things aren’t alike at all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
THANK YOU. It is always frustrating to hear any politician telling everyone how Public Schools and universities are somehow doing the same job.
LikeLike
Wealthy charter supporters often act like children when others use their first amendment rights and show support for public education. Since when is showing a differing perspective in defense of a public institution a controversial issue? Both PBS and Facebook are demonstrating their cowardice.
LikeLike
The criticism is especially hypocritical given that the majority of people funding the reform movement are not sending their kids to charter schools. They are sending their kids to private schools costing upwards of $40,000/year tuition.
They aren’t sending their kids to those no-excuses charters that treat children as if they are in the military at age 5.
LikeLike
Incidentally, if my 9th grade son turned in the same paper every week in English class he would fail the course and he’s in an ordinary working class district – the kind of “system” DeVos dismisses as “mediocre” and below her supposedly high standards.
DeVos should have someone write her a new speech since 90% of her work seems to consist of delivering this same speech to lobbyists and political operatives.
These adults shouldn’t be able to turn in such poor quality work when they’re traveling the country scolding public schools. Physician, heal thyself.
LikeLike
LIARS, LIARS, house on FIRE.
LikeLike
Backpack full o cash. Which is fine in a fully funded system, otherwise it’s robbing Peter to pay Paul. But if it was, then there is the issue that some children need more in the backpack, like special ed or for other reasons, so let’s talk about that and what those figures really are. Then there is the issue of transportation to far flung choices. There are some efficiency benefits and environmental bonuses to neighborhood schools.
LikeLike
What is IDEA law, what are high cost students, and what amounts are we taking about in those backpacks, or those of ESL students, etc? This is a critical component to any honest discussion of a backpack system, which I notice they conveniently ignore. Either they are obtuse or very mathematically challenged if they miss this simple concept of honest accounting.
LikeLike
Steven Singer — recently banned from Facebook for presenting views opposing corporate ed. reform — also has taken on Jeanne Allen’s lashing out at Matt Damon:
https://gadflyonthewallblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/12/will-the-real-grassroots-activists-please-stand-up-teachers-or-school-privatization-lobbyists/
STEVEN SINGER:
“It’s the public school advocates who represent the common people. They are literally an extension of the masses struggle to reassert control over their lives and our society. Not those looking to raid our public services for fun and profit!
“People get kind of upset when you try to do that. So when the villagers show up with torches and pitchforks, it does little good to argue that money equals speech.
“Better for the aristocrats to disguise themselves in peasant garb.
“Enter Jeanne Allen.
“She wants to convince you she’s the real underdog grassroots champion.
“As Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the Center for Education Reform, she’s spent most of her career lobbying for public schools to be gobbled up by private enterprise.
“So when the folks behind a new documentary about school privatization, “Backpack Full of Cash,” had the gall to cast her and her organization as the bad guy, she did what any grassroots activist would – she called the Hollywood Reporter.
“Why would anyone be against charter and voucher schools, she whined. They just suck away necessary funds from the already underfunded neighborhood school so that businesspeople can play with your tax money. They just cut services for children and parents while miraculously transforming the savings into yummy profit.
“I can’t imagine why anyone is calling her out. Can you?”
x x x x x x x x x x x
… and on it goes.
LikeLike