[Fredslist] Fw: "Waiting for Superman"

[fklein at legal.org]

Here's a women with passion, a point of view and no fear of expressing it. Please see below. 
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: SUMMALEAD at aol.com
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:25:41 
To: <samorbutch at aol.com>; <pkpiccone at alum.syracuse.edu>; <Lizzido at aol.com>; <lmorriso at syr.edu>; <fklein at legal.org>; <jhenn at syr.edu>; <jennbrown at mac.com>; <arbradel at yahoo.com>; <rrudelson at gmail.com>; <shannon_froehlich at hotmail.com>; <tbronsn at schools.nyc.gov>; <allison.weingarten at gs.com>; <RuthinMN at aol.com>; <lwilkin at syr.edu>; <meghan at blisspr.com>; <Sbloom at bloomreg.com>; <karen.au22 at gmail.com>; <jeromeryan at hotmail.com>; <longformdocs at gmail.com>; <nshanok at tishmanspeyer.com>; <Corey.R.Karsch at aexp.com>; <LPender at schools.nyc.gov>; <rtwitchell at hotmail.com>
Subject: "Waiting for Superman"

Dan and I braved the Steuben Day parade and went across town to Broadway
and 68th Street to see this film. (Yes, we went to the west side, snide
remarks  to the contrary)

For those of us who care about this country, the is the single most
important film you will ever see. I urge you to see it, soon. (Corey, please
forward this to all your SUMMA mentors) Take your students, tell everyone of
conscience that you know to see it and to tell others.

There are one or two light moments, one of two short laughs, there are many
 more teary moments.  Most of all there is the bare, tell-all truth  about
how our educational system is driven, in spite of decades of US Presidents
talking about it and trying to change it.

We were trying as assemble our thoughts on the ride home and shared our
emotional reactions. We came up with embarrassed, humiliated, frustrated,
ashamed, mortified, shocked, chagrined and many more. But mostly what we felt
was anger, red hot furious anger that this situation can exist in this
country. Furious at the so-called educators, the bureaucrats, and yes, yes, yes,
 yes, the Teachers Union. If I could, I would rip Randy Weingarten's throat
out.  Because, at the end of the day it is all about the quality of our
teachers, and  the system, and the "contract" that allows them the latitude
they enjoy with no  accountability to anyone. And the moment they gain
"tenure", they cannot be  touched for the rest of their lives, they cannot be fired
even if they sit in a  classroom every day for the rest of their lives and
teach nothing at all.

My sincere apologies to the really great teachers, and caring educators.
They know who they are and so do we. And so do our kids.

This situation has to change. Otherwise we should all just pack up our
hopes and dreams for keeping the United States from being a totally second
rate country in the next decade. We can do better. We must do better.

We all saw "An Inconvenient Truth" which has, in time, changed the way  our
entire country thinks about the environment, and launched an entire Green
movement. We can do the same, and more, if enough of us get angry and force
change. See the film, go to the web sites, get the Blue bracelet, which
they  will give you when you leave the theater, and act. It is the Public, and
only  the Public who can force the issue. I don't care for whom you vote,
make your  voice heard.

JWP




Jane W.  Present
799 Park Avenue
Apartment 14 C
NY NY 10021
Telephone -  212-988-7602
Email - SUMMALEAD at aol.com

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