Bumping this thread due to the film spotlighted on Oprah today.
I have such mixed feelings about the show. Yes we have bad teachers and I experienced it first hand when student teaching under one of them, but I was really upset that it appears they are making the issue of our nation's education all about the bad teachers ... they are the only reason or so it appears. What about the system put into place NCLB? Not once was this mentioned. I find the whole thing narrowed minded and more of a witch hunt.
I shouldn't comment because I haven't seen the whole movie yet, only bits, but here goes anyway. It not only seems to ignore the inappropriate and ineffective system required by NCLB and its Testing is Everything mindset, but also the critical role that parents play in the education of their children. Even the best of teachers can't always combat the anti-intellectualism of many in this country. You can lead a horse to water and all the other cliches are rather appropriate when talking about trying to force an education on some.
The movie seems more like fuel for the private charter school crowd who are salivating at the prospect of being handed tens or hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars with little to no oversight.
