Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/92845
"Won't Back Down" a flop Anti-teacher union movie panned A new teacher movie opened nationwide on September 28. "Won't Back Down" pushes the anti-teacher/bad teacher agenda of ALEX, the American Legislative Council. The movie, starring Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Holly Hunter, is about an angry parent that blames teachers. It enjoyed a major media push including film premiere coverage. To further boost the film's visibil- ity, Michelle Rhee's Students First and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have announced the "Breaking the Monopoly of Mediocrity" tour, fea- turing showings of the film and panel discussions. Despite this push, the movie has received overwhelmingly bad reviews: "Pedestrian and insultingly tenden- tious..condescending... dumbed- down agenda film… Given the disingenuous way in which this lumbering movie pushes obvious buttons and manipulates the audi- Vida Davis (left) and Maggie Gyllenhaal star in Won't Back Down. ence's emotional investment while conveniently skimming the issues, it's a mystery how some of these names got roped in." The Hollywood Reporter "Won't Back Down fails to make the grade. Theaters should install glow- in-the-dark versions of those old clunking classroom clocks so view- ers can count the agonizing min- utes ticking by as they watch the movie." Associated Press "Disingenuous pot-stirrer...taking public for dummies...cardboard characterizations" Variety "This is Norma Rae with chalk and erasers in place of a sewing machine, except for one major dif- ference—this time it's the unions that stand in the way of progress. With that in mind, it's little sur- prise that political conservatives at the press screening I attended booed loudly. For the most part, the direction by Daniel Barnz is clear and substantial, and the screenplay, by the director and Brin Hill, is meticulously researched and stum- ble-free. As a message picture, its heart is in the right place. Too bad it doesn't always manage to rise above a swirl of predictable Hollywood clichés." The New York Observer Which is not to say that "Won't Back Down" doesn't score as enjoy- able entertainment. It does, says NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, who recently attended a screening. Van Roekel thought the movie was moving and well-acted, but nonetheless should only be seen as a Hollywood production – noth- ing more, nothing less. "This is a movie — an act of fic- tion," Van Roekel said. "While entertaining at times, it raises a good point: parents must be involved in their child's education in order for that student to be suc- cessful. We couldn't agree more, which is why NEA members every- where are working closely with par- ents to increase student achieve- ment." Confrontation makes for a more entertaining movie, however. In this film, Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Jamie Fitzpatrick, a determined mother who believes her daughter's school is failing its students. She joins forces with a sympathetic teacher (Viola Davis) and together they mount a successful grassroots campaign to face down the forces of the status quo and seize control of the school to set up a charter. For more, go to http://neatoday. org/2012/09/20/wont-back-down/. Enhance your credentials with a graduate degree. Today's teachers address a wide array of educational needs in their classrooms. At Wilmington University, you'll learn new ways to apply the latest educational theory and research to individualize instruction for your students. And you'll do it in a way that fi ts your life, with fl exible schedules, multiple classroom locations, and online options that let you learn whenever—and wherever—it's most convenient for you. personalized education. affordable tuition. Dr. Jessica Hawk-Ippolito Delsea Regional High School Teacher of the Year Ed.D. in Innovation and Leadership, 2012 | M.Ed. in School Administration, 2003 Classes begin every eight weeks. Get started today at wilmu.edu/EducationDegrees PROGRAMS AVAILABLE M.A.T. in Secondary Education M.Ed. in Applied Technology M.Ed. in Career and Technical Education M.Ed. in Elementary Studies M.Ed. in Reading/ESOL Literacy M.Ed. in School Leadership M.Ed. in Special Education Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) (concentrations in Educational, Organizational, and Higher Education Leadership) The Standard of Excellence in Teacher Preparation An NCATE Accredited Institution 1-877-456-7003 | wilmu.edu/EducationDegrees Wilmington University is a private, non-profit institution. www.dsea.org October 2012 DSEA ACTION! 19