Brian Malone has written and directed a new documentary that belongs with your collection of films that make the current assault on public education clear and vivid. And the film's official release is tomorrow.
Education Inc is in the fine tradition of Food, Inc. It provides both a specific and important story and a clear and comprehensible overview of the larger forces shaping the small battles in education. The small picture is of events in Colorado, where Jefferson and Douglass counties find their school boards being bought up by outsider interests and their schools hammered by the folks who want to see public education run by private corporations.
The larger picture shows how this local battle is just one manifestation of forces that are dismantling public education across the entire country. Here's the trailer:
Tomorrow is the official launch of the film, though copies have been available for a while now. Many "official" screenings are scheduled across the country (you can find a partial listing here), but you can also go ahead and buy a copy ($15 plus s/h), then screen the film in the comfort of your own home.
This is one more opportunity to bring clarity and real information to the education debates. Check out Malone's film-- if not tomorrow, then as soon as you're able.
As it happens, Jefferson County, the neighboring district to the one featured in the movie, was the subject of this article in my newsfeed just this morning:
ReplyDeletehttp://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/colorado-school-board-recall-proxy-fight
I'll reiterate my suggestion not to watch the movie close to bedtime, or you'll be tossing and turning all night.