The school system possibly could be made to be exceptionally profitable, says Bob Bowdon, although exclusively at the expense of things like teachers and students. In his education documentary "The Cartel," Bowdon, a TV news reporter in New Jersey, paints a reasonably ugly impression of the institutional putridness that has resulted in pretty much incredible wastes of taxpayer money. As $400,000 is spent per classroom, but reading proficiency is alone 39% (and math at 40%), the crisis is unmistakable, which doesn't indicate it's not controversial.
At hand are two major factions in Bowdon's movie -- the villains are pretty clearly the Jersey teachers union and school board who funnel 90 cents of every dollar away from teachers' salaries and towards incidentals, including six-figure salaries for school administrators. On the other side are the supporters of charter schools -- private schools that can work outside the influence of what Bowdon calls The Cartel. In those disordered public schools, Bowdon points out, it's virtually unimaginable to fire an instructor -- so even a shoddy one has a job for life.
"'The Cartel' examines lots of distinctive aspects of public education, tenure, backing, support drops, corruption --meaning theft -- vouchers and charter schools," says Bowdon. "The idiom education documentary can sound to some like dull squared, but in fact the film itself betrays an fervid passion for the predicament of particularly inner-city children."
Bowdon's documentary started touring the festival circuit in summer of 2009 and made its theatrical debut in April 2010. It therefore proceeds the more-recently released, while higher profile, education docudrama "Waiting for Superman," directed by Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth"). Bowdon sees the films as complementary, and hopes that "Superman," with its human-interest ideology, draws more interest to his own, which focuses on public policy. "My film is the left-brained variant, more analytical," Bowdon says, "'Waiting for Superman' is more the right-brained treatment."
It is unquestionably analytical, couching its arguments in an assessment of how the money is being spent, or misspent. Though he calls it left-brained, still "The Cartel" reaches some unhappy moments of emotion. A girl's crying upon hearing that she wasn't selected to attend a charter school, that she's stuck in her public school, portray the failure of a system as well as Bowdon's charts and interviews.
And whilst it may be straightforward to acknowledge the presence of corruption in a state so associated with organized crime, the uncomfortable fact of the subject is that this is an extremely familiar condition. Any watcher will discern the failings of their own state's education system and the struggle for control. Bowdon puts his faith in the charter schools, where the taxpayer has influence over the kind and quality of instruction. But he also makes it comprehensible that those in power are going to be unwilling to give it up without a fight. - 40724
At hand are two major factions in Bowdon's movie -- the villains are pretty clearly the Jersey teachers union and school board who funnel 90 cents of every dollar away from teachers' salaries and towards incidentals, including six-figure salaries for school administrators. On the other side are the supporters of charter schools -- private schools that can work outside the influence of what Bowdon calls The Cartel. In those disordered public schools, Bowdon points out, it's virtually unimaginable to fire an instructor -- so even a shoddy one has a job for life.
"'The Cartel' examines lots of distinctive aspects of public education, tenure, backing, support drops, corruption --meaning theft -- vouchers and charter schools," says Bowdon. "The idiom education documentary can sound to some like dull squared, but in fact the film itself betrays an fervid passion for the predicament of particularly inner-city children."
Bowdon's documentary started touring the festival circuit in summer of 2009 and made its theatrical debut in April 2010. It therefore proceeds the more-recently released, while higher profile, education docudrama "Waiting for Superman," directed by Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth"). Bowdon sees the films as complementary, and hopes that "Superman," with its human-interest ideology, draws more interest to his own, which focuses on public policy. "My film is the left-brained variant, more analytical," Bowdon says, "'Waiting for Superman' is more the right-brained treatment."
It is unquestionably analytical, couching its arguments in an assessment of how the money is being spent, or misspent. Though he calls it left-brained, still "The Cartel" reaches some unhappy moments of emotion. A girl's crying upon hearing that she wasn't selected to attend a charter school, that she's stuck in her public school, portray the failure of a system as well as Bowdon's charts and interviews.
And whilst it may be straightforward to acknowledge the presence of corruption in a state so associated with organized crime, the uncomfortable fact of the subject is that this is an extremely familiar condition. Any watcher will discern the failings of their own state's education system and the struggle for control. Bowdon puts his faith in the charter schools, where the taxpayer has influence over the kind and quality of instruction. But he also makes it comprehensible that those in power are going to be unwilling to give it up without a fight. - 40724
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