Movie time: Won't back down vs the real world

I have no idea what message is being pushed in the new movie Won't Back Down starring Maggie Gyllenhaal.  But I do know that it will be oversimplified and has the potential for driving the education reform discussion in the public just as Waiting for Superman has.

Here's the trailer:

The movie is set for a September 28 release, just in time for the Back to School crowd.  

I can't tell if the target is the teachers, the system, or what.  I did see a really evil teacher in this trailer and heard a reference to the 'poverty is the problem' that critics deem an excuse by bad teachers.

Watch and judge for yourself.  Comment below.

If you are looking for movies that follow real teachers through real issues, here are a few recommendations:

American Teacher:  produced by Dave Eggers and the Teacher Salary Project.

What's it like to be a teacher in times of high stakes testing?  Watch Mitchell 20 (you can get a ticket to watch it online. Follow the Mitchell 20 hyperlink.).  This is produced by teachers, about teachers.  It must have been too close to the truth since some teachers were punished for their role in this film.

A response to the highly produced Waiting for Superman, produced by New York city teachers who have been in the classroom through the corporate reforms.  Definitely not highly produced, gritty.  What do you expect on a teacher's salary?

The Inconvenient Truth behind Waiting for Superman.

Tired of bashing and want some solutions?  Try these.

The Finland Phenomenon.  Imagine what school could be like if we only spent our money on what we already knows works with kids and teachers.  You can watch the whole movie here:

A short film on the vision proposed in CTQ's recently published Teaching 2030.