Anyone who has ever voted Democratic in the state of New Jersey should be made to watch a particular scene on a documentary film about the state's education cartel. The scene is about a lottery drawing for places in one of New Jersey's charter schools. The audience is shown faces of children whose names have been drawn and their parents, and faces of children who were not so fortunate. Although both are crying, there is a stark contrast to their expressions. Those who were chosen were crying tears of joy and those who were not...well, you would have to see it to fully appreciate the point.
Jeannette Catsoulis, a writer for the New York Times, describes the film as "a bludgeoning rant against a single state." She described the kid who has just failed to get the slot as "another tiny victim of public school hell."
I like to think that it would be unlikely for anyone without any personal or political stake in the cartel's control over the education system to watch that particular scene without being moved. Although it is not something new for both students and teachers to fall victim to a system that does not allow teaching and learning to take place in many schools, the way the director presents his points seem like nobody has yet to act on the activities of the cartel. The sad fact is that these activities contribute to the increasing cases of students leaving school unprepared to work in the real world.
Since it came out, the movie has moved people to finally start leaving their mark on the process of school budgeting and keep themselves informed on where their taxes and their government's funding are put into good use. New York Times reported that New Jersey residents rejected over half of the budgets on the ballot during school-budget elections.
As depressing as it may sound, it seems that in New Jersey, education budgets are no longer held as something sacred anymore. Driven by that fact, Governor Christopher J. Christie took on the teachers' unions as no previous New Jersey Governor has done before. Although it may seem like his efforts in fighting the education cartel pales in comparison to his devil-may-care approach on some of the other issues he is tackling.
One other thing worth noting is how the movie establishes the director's credentials in undertaking such an issue as the cartel at the beginning of the film. It is introduced in the film that the director is a local TV reporter in New Jersey. Belonging to the media profession, his reliability stems from the fact that he sees things as they are.
The director of the documentary film also takes the flurry of statistics concerning government funds on education and comparisons on outcomes of New Jersey education with other states, and makes them as comprehensive as possible to the audience without compromising any of the facts.
The movie has the cartel running scared now. And the fact that they are criticizing New Jersey's Governor is not helping them. Hopefully this movie will inspire many to act and do something about this issue. We owe it to the weeping child.
Jeannette Catsoulis, a writer for the New York Times, describes the film as "a bludgeoning rant against a single state." She described the kid who has just failed to get the slot as "another tiny victim of public school hell."
I like to think that it would be unlikely for anyone without any personal or political stake in the cartel's control over the education system to watch that particular scene without being moved. Although it is not something new for both students and teachers to fall victim to a system that does not allow teaching and learning to take place in many schools, the way the director presents his points seem like nobody has yet to act on the activities of the cartel. The sad fact is that these activities contribute to the increasing cases of students leaving school unprepared to work in the real world.
Since it came out, the movie has moved people to finally start leaving their mark on the process of school budgeting and keep themselves informed on where their taxes and their government's funding are put into good use. New York Times reported that New Jersey residents rejected over half of the budgets on the ballot during school-budget elections.
As depressing as it may sound, it seems that in New Jersey, education budgets are no longer held as something sacred anymore. Driven by that fact, Governor Christopher J. Christie took on the teachers' unions as no previous New Jersey Governor has done before. Although it may seem like his efforts in fighting the education cartel pales in comparison to his devil-may-care approach on some of the other issues he is tackling.
One other thing worth noting is how the movie establishes the director's credentials in undertaking such an issue as the cartel at the beginning of the film. It is introduced in the film that the director is a local TV reporter in New Jersey. Belonging to the media profession, his reliability stems from the fact that he sees things as they are.
The director of the documentary film also takes the flurry of statistics concerning government funds on education and comparisons on outcomes of New Jersey education with other states, and makes them as comprehensive as possible to the audience without compromising any of the facts.
The movie has the cartel running scared now. And the fact that they are criticizing New Jersey's Governor is not helping them. Hopefully this movie will inspire many to act and do something about this issue. We owe it to the weeping child.
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Sparta Independent: The Cartel movie had interesting points. A film by Bob Bowdon.
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