Join Lesley’s Dr. Nancy Carlsson-Paige and a panel of other education experts and activists on Wednesday, Sept. 13 for the Boston premiere of “Backpack Full of Cash.”
The documentary explores the impact of education reform by taking viewers through the 2013-14 school years in Philadelphia, New Orleans, Nashville and other cities. The free screening will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 13, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Wheelock Family Theatre, 200 Riverway, Boston.
Stay for a roundtable after the film with Dr. Carlsson-Paige, narrator Matt Damon, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood Executive Director Josh Golin, and Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang. The filmmakers Sarah Mondale and Vera Aronow will also be in attendance.
“I hope people will join us for this important look at ed reform, the growing privatization of public schools and the resulting impact on our nation’s most vulnerable children,” says Dr. Carlsson Paige.
A leading early childhood education expert for four decades, Dr. Carlsson-Paige has been at the forefront of advocating for sound educational practices for our nation’s youngest students. She is a founding member of Defending the Early Years advocacy organization, author of “Taking Back Childhood: A Proven Roadmap for Raising Confident, Creative, Compassionate Kids,” and was a co-founder of Lesley’s Center for Peaceable Schools.
Dr. Carlsson-Paige has been raising the alarm that teachers and early education professionals are not included in policies and decision making, which have become increasingly disconnected from what is known about how young children learn and thrive.
“Starting with President Bush’s No Child Left Behind law and continuing with President Obama’s Race to the Top program, policy makers have pushed an agenda that disregards the knowledge base of the field of early childhood education, with poorly designed standards with an over-emphasis on academic skills,” she says.
Dr. Carlsson-Paige continues, “The standards promoted by corporate education reform policies push requirements onto young kids that they were not developmentally ready to meet. This results in confusion and stress among young children, symptoms of anxiety and fears about going to school.”
Join the conversation on Sept. 13. Tickets are not required. The event is free and open to the public.