Hollywood Joins Debate Over Parent Trigger Laws

A new film that charts the controversies and struggles of the “parent trigger” laws comes at a time when the policy is as divisive as ever.

As school officials in Adelanto battle with parents over the implementation of new parent trigger laws – which give parents the power to take over a failing public school – Hollywood has thrown its hat into the ring to debate the controversial new state law.

“Won’t Back Down” is a film that heads smack into the controversies around so-called parent trigger laws that in California and a handful of other states allow parents to dump bad teachers and overrule administrators in bottom-ranked schools, writes Michael Cieply at the New York Times.

Oscar nominated Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal head up the cast, in a story where a teacher risks losing her career, a single mother rouses parents to take charge of their school and a union representative who employs dastardly tactics to try and fend off the takeover.

The film might seem dramatic, but the real life battle taking place over the policy is just as enthralling.

Notable backers like Bill Gates and his charity have propped up the takeover movement, which, at its grassroots level, has pushed unions and school administrators into an unwelcome role as opponents of change.

Ben Austin, the executive director of Parent Revolution, which promotes the tactic with backing from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is said to have thought it was a prank to hear that Walden Media, backed by the conservative-leaning billionaire Philip Anschutz, was shooting a drama in which teachers and parents aim to take charge.

This isn’t the first time Walden has dipped its foot into education policy, having been one of the major backers of the documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman.’ ”

While the new film is about politics, Mark Johnson, producer of “Won’t Back Down” says that it’s the humanity that shines through.

“With issues movies, some of those you remember best you remember for the people, not the issues.”

The California Teachers Association has been against announcing its formal position on parent triggers, but if teachers were included in trigger attempts then the organization would look more favorably on the action.

Frank Wells, a union spokesman, added dryly:

“I can’t wait for ‘Vouchers 3-D: The Movie,’ ” he said.

Comments

tired teacher

February 23, 2012 at 7:29 pm

yay lets try to demonize teachers unions more

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Linda Brees

February 24, 2012 at 3:30 am

” Walden Media, backed by the conservative-leaning billionaire Philip Anschutz, was shooting a drama in which teachers and parents aim to take charge.”

That’s not exactly Hollywood, is it? Clearly more an advertorial.

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Doug

February 24, 2012 at 6:19 am

It won’t make even a tiny bit of difference. Poor performing schools are poor performing schools because the kids are poor.

There is only one way to end it. End poverty.

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Guy

February 24, 2012 at 9:43 am

When parents insist that their little darlings receive
all A’s for nothing, feel that attendance is not important,
demand that no punishment take place for infractions,
and insult every faculity and staff member who try to
so much as educate their children properly, then these parents are a major part of the problem with failing schools.

Do we really want them running our school systems??

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Mike

February 24, 2012 at 10:22 am

let them have at it. Then when failure as it was seems like an even better option then what? Who do they blame then? Plus who would work for them? Not me.

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Thom

February 27, 2012 at 9:09 am

Compulsory attendance and mandatory public funding of government schools is the root of the problem. If everyone paid (at least a portion) of their children’s education expenses and could choose from many different options, then you wouldn’t have all those bad, poor, uninvolved parents to deal with. They would be customers rather than indentured servants loving off entitlements ($10-20,000 per student government school tuition, thanks to the monopoly called public schooling.)

Tired of ungrateful poor people not appreciating the schooling you are forcing their children to endure until they are 18? Then quit subsidizing bad behavior.

Let them choose whether to send their kid to school by deducting a percentage of welfare or food stamp allowances if they DON’T go to school. If they cause trouble, kick the Kid out and deduct other entitlement funds.

Actually, Anyone on food stamps and also getting free meals at school is technically double-dipping. Get food stamps? Then use that government money to pay for government lunches.

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- Kevin
  
  February 27, 2012 at 12:49 pm
  
  That’s a lovely bit of “A Modest Proposal”-style satire, Thom. Unless of course you were serious. In that case, I’m sorry for the dark dark world you live in.
  
  Reply
Mike

March 2, 2012 at 10:25 am

End poverty, with you. But you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make em drink. Or were you suggesting socialism?

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