Rev Up the Fake Outrage Machine!

I cannot wait to see Bad Teacher, starring Cameron Diaz, Jason Segal and Justin Tinberlake. I will see it as soon as possible.

I fully predict fake outrage from educators across the land because it is never permissible to use the words, bad and teacher in the same sentence. Education is a criticism free zone and dissent is often equated with defect.

I will only be offended if Bad Teacher fails to be 1) funny and 2) fearless. There is plenty to satirize, mock and criticize in education. I have not seen anything in the advertising for the film that is worse than the abuse I witnessed in middle school.

I am optimistic that the public will be made to question some destructive education policies, like merit pay and standardized testing, since the trailer suggests that the film’s “Bad Teacher” wants to raise test scores in order to use her merit pay to purchase breast implants.

If the film does stink or is offensive to teachers, too bad!

Sticks and stones… It’s a comedy! Lighten up! Grow up! You’ll live.

Just in case the fake outrage machine is turned up to 11, might I suggest that educators learn from the example of the Church of Latter Day Saints who have made a concerted effort to not be outraged by the Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon. There are worse things than being made fun of. Appearing humorless is one of them.

Bad Teacher opens June 24th!

Want to see a fantastic film savagely mocking education? Check out the classic 1984 film, Teachers, starring Nick Nolte, JoBeth Williams, Judd Hirsch, Ralph Macchio and Richard Mulligan.

Gary Stager

Veteran educator Gary Stager, Ph.D. is the author of Twenty Things to Do with a Computer – Forward 50, co-author of Invent To Learn — Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom, publisher at Constructing Modern Knowledge Press, and the founder of the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute. He led professional development in the world’s first 1:1 laptop schools thirty years ago and designed one of the oldest online graduate school programs. Gary is also the curator of The Seymour Papert archives at DailyPapert.com. Learn more about Gary here.