Your editor will be busy finishing up a project. But you should watch this scene from rapper Saul Williams’ cinematic tour de force, Slam. More than any other movie currently at Sundance (sorry Waiting for Superman), this movie offers some of the most-compelling lessons on the costs paid by children and society for America’s academic and community failures. Watch, think and take action.
As Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Bennett wrangles with a state that has both swiftly addressed some issues (the need for charter schools, for example), but is otherwise comfortable with a status quo that tolerates low graduation rates and woeful academic achievement. Below is a video (courtesy of the Hoosier State’s Department of Education) of him explaining why he’s going full-bore on reforming teacher training and academic performance. You may also check out Dropout Nation’s Series and Projects page to learn more about how Indiana is an epicenter of the nation’s dropout crisis.
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