Backpack Full of Cash (2016)

Introduction
"Backpack Full of Cash" is a 2016 documentary film directed by Sarah Mondale and narrated by Matt Damon. The film is a review of the increasing trend of privatization and market-based academic reform in the United States. It argues that this method is changing public education into a service, draining pipes resources from standard public schools, and exacerbating inequality.

Summary
Set versus the background of the 2013-2014 academic year in Philadelphia, "Backpack Full of Cash" explores how radical financing cuts have actually affected the general public education system. Concurrently, the film analyzes the increase of privately-run charter schools, online schools, and coupon programs, painting a plain contrast in between these privatized institutions and the having a hard time public schools that are frequently in underserved neighborhoods. The movie title refers to the idea that trainee funding can be considered a backpack filled with cash traveling with the child to whichever school they attend.

Themes and Examination
In highlighting questionable concerns like the growth of charter schools and voucher programs, the documentary raises many concerns about the objectives and impacts of these reforms. The movie underscores the concept that these policies frequently serve to benefit personal interests rather than enhance instructional results for all students, particularly those from marginalized communities.

"Backpack Full of Cash" mainly checks out the effects of spending plan cuts, the function and impact of billionaires and their structures, and the disparity in quality in between public and charter schools. It suggests that by siphoning public funds, privatized and market-based schools compromise the overall quality of public education and disproportionately harm low-income communities.

Case Studies
Numerous case studies are featured in the film. One consists of a trainee called Jitu Brown who takes a trip an hour every day to attend a personal high school due to the fact that the local public school in his Chicago community is under-resourced and under-performing. In another case study, the film reveals the extreme budget cuts in Philadelphia public schools that caused instructor layoffs, bigger class sizes, and loss of important resources like nursing and therapy personnel.

Meanwhile, charter schools in New Orleans and other cities touted as models of reform are revealed as having actually blended outcomes at best, with numerous carrying out no much better, and in some cases worse, than conventional public schools.

Conclusion
The documentary concludes that the market-based reform technique is undermining the guarantee and purpose of public education. "Backpack Full of Cash" proposes that children's education must not depend on a lottery or the impulses of the market but must be a basic human and democratic right.

The movie pleads for reasonable, fair funding for all schools, responsibility for all educational institutions (including charters and private schools that get public funding), and more assistance for instructors and school communities. It also calls for an increased focus on mentor important thinking, creativity, and citizenship rather of a narrowed focus on standardized test ratings.

Reception

"Backpack Full of Cash" has stimulated robust discussion and vital recognition for its examination into the corporate-driven educational reforms. It shines a light on the perceived injustices of a system quickly shifting towards privatization, promoting for a reassessing of the American public education system.

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