2:34 pm Sep. 25, 20125
A group backed by New York teachers unions has created a video critical of Maggie Gyllenhaal for, perhaps inadvertently, siding against them.
Gyllenhaal stars in a new movie that favorably portrays "trigger laws" that make it easier for public schools to be shut down and restructured.
The movie, Won't Back Down, is "inspired by actual events" about a parent in a failing school who uses a "parent trigger" law to take over control of the school and hand it to more competent educators. Such laws are supported by anti-union education reformers like Michelle Rhee and Joel Klein and the movie is being distributed by 20th Century Fox, a subsidiary of Klein's employer, News Corp.
The movie had its world premier in Manhattan earlier this week.
This video, called "Educating Maggie," was created by New Yorkers for Great Publc Schools and is part of a broader campaign to prevent such takeovers in New York.
"I'm surprised by the controversy to be honest," Gyllenhaal is shown saying in a red carpet interview, excerpted in this two-minute clip. "It's clear Gyllenhaal did little by way of research," a narrator says.
Juan Pagan, a parent leader with New York Communities for Change, a union-backed group that helped put together the video clip, said in a statement, "It’s disappointing to see a great actress like Maggie, who shares so many of my values, being duped by the slick messaging of the pro-corporate education reform movement. For a decade New York Parents have seen what for-profit charter school management companies, like the ones Parent Trigger hands public schools over to, subvert our democracy and hurt our communities."
The New York chapter of Rhee's group emailed in support of the movie.
StudentsFirstNY's executive director, Micah Lasher, described the movie as "invigorating" and inspirational.
"Under parent trigger, a majority of parents can petition for real, transformative changes for their school," he wrote in an email. "Seven states already have some form of parent trigger laws on the books, and more than 70% voters say they support them. These reforms haven’t come to New York – yet."
According to Geoff Decker, New York has had "parent trigger" laws "on the books for more than a decade." But a key facet of New York's version: it "doesn't allow any teacher replacement."
Maggie...you have been duped. I am no longer a fan. Do your homework next time. No awards for you and I know of thousands of teachers and their families who will not spend a dime on this propaganda rag of a movie. Really.....you didn't mind taking part in a movie that demeans teachers and portrays us as child abusers. Shame on you!
Maggie...you have been duped. I am no longer a fan. Do your homework next time. No awards for you and I know of thousands of teachers and their families who will not spend a dime on this propaganda rag of a movie. Really.....you didn't mind taking part in a movie that demeans teachers and portrays us as child abusers. Shame on you!
Follow the money. LA Public educator
Maggie Gyllenhaal deserves all of the criticism she's getting. What she has done with this terrible movie is shameful.
Why didn't YOU do your homework, Maggie? And the same question needs to be asked of everyone who played a part in this mendacious film, paid for by a right-wing, anti-gay extremist, who hates teachers and public schools even more than than people who choose to love their own gender.
Maggie, what's wrong with you? Can you at least own your mistake and accept responsibility for it?
I was a big fan. I defended her against internet trolls because she had done nudity, because people were mean about her looks and because she had breast fed in public. When people accused her of nepotism, I said I thought she was talented.
I still think she's talented. But when it emerged she had worn real fur, I realised that anyone who could think that how she looks is more important than the plight of animals in traps or cages is a little bit ... too self-important to need my help. And the revelation she would be in a film which lies about unions just makes me glad I stopped putting energy into defending her.