Are schools in America getting the job done?
All the reports of bullying, poor teachers and how the government is ruining the school systems by linking performance to funding are enough to worry any parent.
These concerns are reflected in the film Won’t Back Down, which raises the question of how valuable teachers’ unions are and how effective schools are for our children.
Starring Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Holly Hunter, the film (playing now in theaters) is about a mother and a teacher who team up to campagin against a failing public school.
The mother is motivated by a need to provide the best education for her dyslexic daughter. As she attempts to confront the school, the teachers union attempts to quiet her campaign by offering her a scholarship to a private school. However, the mother refuses it, believing that the problem is not with her daughter but with the system.
Won’t Back Down was previewed at the Republican National Convention already, and will be screened at the Democratic National Convention as well. Reviews have been popping up all over the Internet decrying the film as unfair to teachers. And obviously there are issues in the school systems. Teachers of at-risk students are fired because their children do not score as well on standardized tests, regardless of their home situations. Schools lose funding if they don’t perform well overall on governmental standards.
But no matter where you stand on these issues, watching Won’t Back Down should be on your to-do list. The movie raises great questions that every parent should be asking.
What could you be doing to ensure that they are getting the best educational experience? Could you possibly be speaking up? Or should you be stepping up to protect the teachers in your schools in order to protect your kids?
Check out the trailer below:
