Free World Media's documentary on the Howard County Public School System's ban on student transfers is now up at Break the Matrix TV!
The above description makes it sound a lot more dry than it is. What it's really about is the struggle of one family to have their five-year-old son transferred from the Title I school he is currently being bussed to, to one of the better elementary schools that is within walking distance of his home and that has plenty of capacity.
In navigating a maze of red tape and rejection, this family learned some surprising things about what makes a public school system tick. From the bizarre gerrymandering of school attendance areas, to preferential treatment for school system employees, to a policy that forces children to remain in underperforming schools, the incentives seem to be about everything but serving the needs of the children the schools were built for.
"Choice Denied: the Politics of Failure in Howard County Public Schools" challenges some fundamental beliefs about the benefits of public education -- about whose interests are served and whose are not.
Watch it on Break the Matrix TV. Go to: http://www.breakthematrix.com/channels/2 , click on "On Demand" and scroll down to "Choice Denied documentary".
Let us know what you think! e-mail us at info@freeworldmedia.org with your comments!
