USA Today has dubbed 2010 the "year of the education documentary," and cites The Cartel as a vital part of bringing ideas about education reform into the mainstream. This is a good thing--good for public awareness, good for our national debate about our failing schools, and good for the prospects of kids, who need better educational options if they are to have the futures we would like them to have.
But the teachers unions don't agree. Earlier this month, at the annual meeting of the National Education Association, delegates considered a proposal to spend $3.5 million on a publicity campaign to "counter the media propaganda" of "anti-teacher union" documentaries, naming The Cartel and the other hard-hitting films that are currently challenging how we approach--and fund--public education in this country.
Accusing the filmmakers of telling lies and of being "secretly" funded by special interest groups, the measure was factually inaccurate and riddled with ad hominem attack. And while it was defeated, the fact that it was considered at all sends a strong message about the NEA's openness to constructive discussion about how we might improve education for all children in this country.
"They should get their facts right," Cartel director Bob Bowdon said. "This movie was funded entirely by myself. I only accepted distribution money after the movie was finished and had already been shown at a film festival, where it won an award. ... Ad hominem attacks have been the union's favored approach because they ignore the argument of the movie, which is very simply that consumer choice works in every other aspect of our lives, so why would it not work in K-12 education? It certainly works in higher education."
The NEA--which numbers over 3 million dues-paying members--also considered a proposal to spend $25 million on a documentary opposing charter schools. It was voted down. But that doesn't mean the union is dropping the issue. What did pass: a measure directing the NEA and its affiliates "to expose and educate the media and the public about allegedly grassroots, pro-charter 'parent groups' that are popping up with greater frequency on both the national and local level."
"Exposure" and "education" are wonderful--as long as they are accurate, conducted with transparency, and handled as part of a free-wheeling, unfettered debate. Let the best ideas win!