Hollywood, I'm Calling You OUT!

Obviously we all know Hollywood is a giant construct.

I just had the kind of day where I think it is appropriate to remind you, the reading public, that the films depicting "rough" high school classrooms are more fake and harmful than the mushy rom-coms that try to sell us prince charming in a hipster beard.

Take this for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9yGsweX6eA

or this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz-gv6af-tw&feature=related


THIS IS NOT REALITY. These are supposed to be THUGS? Are you EFFING with me?!? If my GOOD classes were this quiet on a daily basis I'd be happy. But hells no, my classes are a lot more like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uslwB3lcF3c

except it's ALL of them, not one of them.

Now, not every day is like that, but today was. Seriously. And I thought it was appropriate to share that today in light of this recent news:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19867.html

One of my favourite lines is:

“It is time to start rewarding good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones,” Obama said.

Ok, fair enough in theory. But what about bad bankers, politicians, CEOs, etc.? Who decides who is good and who is bad and what will the benchmark be? Standardized Tests? BRILLIANT idea.

As Upton Sinclair said:
“If is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it"; not understanding that the children are illiterate, that is.

I would also like to know where student accountability comes in, and to ask if those of you in post-secondary education or the hiring-end of the workforce are noticing a difference in the quality of students/employees coming through the doors. Because I can pull out all the Hollywood teaching tricks I want, but it really doesn't matter if the script describes a circus going on while the character at the front of the room is desperately trying to be heard.

She knows how it is:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawndiqbu/3345244192/