We are thrilled to announce a premiere event coming up on November 17th at Georgetown University in partnership with Georgetown's Prisons and Justice Initiative and its Film and Media Studies Program.
Posts tagged #education
Angelica Speaks: Like Father Like Son
By Angelica Flowers
One of my favorite Loudspeaker Films video is called "Like Father Like Son." I believe this video should be shown at schools in urban communities to have a positive influence on the young black men in my generation.
TEACHED on Vimeo-on-Demand!
We are happy to announce that our first three short films, TEACHED Vol. I, are now available for streaming on Vimeo-on-Demand! We made these films because we believe that more people need to understand how and why we still have a race-based "achievement gap" in the U.S. More people to understand the consequences of inaction especially for low-income urban youth who are hit hard by our failure to provide every student with an excellent educational experience.
Zachary Speaks: Parent Power
The area in which a child lives should not determine where he/she goes to school. After watching the our new video entitled "Because They Can: A Parent's View", I realized that the methods of teaching carried out in the area that a child lives may not match his/her learning style or satisfy their desire to learn different things.
Working seven out of six hours!
This is interesting, from Education Week (article follows):
"One in 4 (American) teachers report leading class longer than the length of the school day, according to a new analysis of a national survey"...."That's only possible...if teachers are lecturing in empty classrooms, have no lunch breaks, team-teach, or teach students in overlapping shifts. While the last two do happen—rarely—the first is ridiculous...and the second would typically run against teachers' contracts."
So American teachers have been over-reporting how many hours they spend in front of a classroom (over-reporting to a degree that can't be argued: 25% claim they are working longer than the actual school day itself). And these numbers don't even begin to look at the massive variation in what teachers are actually doing when "leading class," only how long they say they are doing so.
We love good teachers. We honor good teachers. Good teachers and schools are arguably the most direct way to eliminate inequality and promote democracy in America. But we also see that the profession has become one dominated by a culture of non-accountability, negativity and refusal to acknowledge reality that is sometimes, as this article reflects, truly unbelievable. How did the research mentioned below get used so much (U.S. teachers were supposedly teaching class up to 73% more than in other countries?!)?
How bad does it have to get?
by Kelly Amis
I am always amazed by what gets people passionately angry when discussing education reform. It seems that everyone knows there's a serious problem with getting and keeping amazing teachers in the American classroom -- and that there's an even MORE serious problem being able to fire teachers who are not good at the job, or who are even ABUSIVE to children! -- but when you begin to discuss why (i.e. union-created and strongly protected rules that make it nearly impossible to fire anyone), the outrage is suddenly directed at YOU. You must be a union-hater! You must hate teachers! (This reminds me of a quote from the classic film, The Jerk: "He hates these cans!"). As in The Jerk, this outrage is misdirected.
How can anyone deny that the profession is SERIOUSLY screwed up when it is impossible to fire people who have sexually abused children? We can have absolute proof of a teacher's indefensible actions and still not be able to fire him/her. It is great to see the media finally bringing these often-ignored issues to the forefront. Some articles on this issue, including an op-ed by former CNN analyst Campbell Brown:
Campbell Brown: Teachers Unions Go to Bat for Sexual Predators
Miramonte teacher was paid $40,000 to drop dismissal challenge
A California State Senator introduced a bill to stop the insanity and make it easier to dismiss teachers who sexually abuse children...but the bill was killed by Democrats (my political party, btw) who presumably are more concerned with keeping teachers unions happy than taking even the most obvious and basic steps to protect children. How did we get to this point? And, more importantly, how do we get out?
One thing you can do is VOTE. Follow your elected officials and vote them out of office if they choose adult interests over childrens'. Who killed this bill in California? Names included in this article:
Why California Democrats Protect Sex Abuser Teachers
Also read:
Why Is It So Hard to Do the Right Thing?
"He hates these cans!"