Taking the freedom out of 'Freedom Writers'

Anyone who says that Hollywood filmmakers are dilettantes who talk the talk but don't walk the walk haven't met Richard LaGravenese. The Oscar-nominated screenwriter ("The Horse Whisperer" and "Bridges of Madison County") and director ("Living Out Loud") made a riveting film last year, "Freedom Writers," that starred Hilary Swank as a maverick high school teacher who gave inner-city kids a chance to tell their stories and show how the classroom could be a place that mattered in their lives. The story was inspired by Erin Gruwell's "The Freedom Writers Diary," which chronicled the real-life struggles of her Long Beach, California, schoolkids.

The days when movies were banned by local zealots are over. But a high school teacher in Perry, Indiana, has been suspended without pay by her local school board for allowing her students to read "The Freedom Writers Diary," despite the fact that she had overwhelming parental approval to use the book as a teaching tool. The school board has disciplined the local teacher, Connie Heermann, because the book contains occasional swear words and because Heermann disobeyed a direct order against using the book in her class.

But what does this have to do with Richard LaGravenese and Hilary Swank, you ask?

LaGravenese isn't just a gifted screenwriter. It turns out that he's an ardent polemicist too. When he heard about Heermann's dismissal, thanks to a CNN report, he sat down and wrote a spirited defense of academic freedom for the Huffington Post, which is a must read for anyone who cares about the sad state of education and academic freedom in today's society. One highlight:

"Through the creative act of writing these journals, [Erin Gruwell's students] learned about tolerance and service, they learned that hope was available to them and they learned how to learn. Which is exactly why Connie Heermann gave her students the book. In the CNN report, the Perry Township representatives cite the bad language of the book.... When CNN reporter Gary Tuchman remarks to School Board president Barbara Thompson how he couldn't believe that the students would be worse off by reading the book, Thompson responded: 'What worries me is that Connie Heermann sent a poor message to our children. If you're told no, do it.' ... What message is Ms. Thompson sending? Don't stand for what you believe to be right when faced with limited thinking, or worse, ignorance? Just say yes to censorship?"

LaGravenese is now trying to do more than just get the word out about this teacher's plight. With the help of Swank and "Freedom Writers" producers Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg, LaGravenese has organized a campaign to hire a crack legal team to defend Heermann, raise money to pay her bills during her suspension and support efforts to ensure that the book can continue to be taught in school systems across the country. LaGravenese points out at the end of his piece that "Freedom Writers" has been taught in schools and youth centers all over the world, from Holland to Brazil to Indonesia. As he says: "How may times, over how many centuries, do Americans like Connie Heermann have to fight for freedom of expression and thought in their own country?"

Hilary Swank photo from Paramount Pictures

Comments

[mp]

That was a horrible movie.

[E Gavin Pathenais]

I completely disagree with the above comment...I thought it was everything a movie should be...great acting, strong script and yes, content and theme that can change our lives, even just a bit. I remember the scene where the students are sitting with the holocaust survivor...proof that we can reach back into history and learn the real lesson-- to do our part to change the world for the better. Brava! to the actors, producers and writers who are stepping into the real world to back their ideals.

[Nika Cavat]

It just goes to show you that the bureaucrats in education sometimes need lessons themselves in the core function of education: to teach students to think independently, to reason soundly, to stand by what is right. The occasional swear word should never trump the higher ideals of education. Shame on this school board for forgetting they are stewards of the young, not dictators.

[caroline]

The issue is not freedom of speech but rather school board control over reading materials. If the instructor succeeds in teaching from books on the school board’s banned list, this could lead to radical texts and ideas introduced into the classroom: Imagine economics taught with texts by Thomas Sowell, political science classes with books by William Kristol and social studies classes with books by Charles Murray. Now THAT would be a revolution in the classroom.

[Nakigaia]

No question that there is some kind of a melt-down taking place in the US, and that people will react and polarize around anything. I've run out of sufficient descriptive adjectives for the sheer nuttiness that passes for administration, management, leadership and other perceived structures of authority in our country.

One can only hope that the tired, fearful and floundering educational system will simply split itself wide open from its bloat, and maybe once again focus on what it takes to actually serve the new generations of children. How about more input from the kids, and way, way less from the adults enamored with wielding clout in their self-important domains.

And to Connie Heermann: Thank you, thank you, thank you for following your heart. I don't know how this story will end, but I am confident that you will appreciate the outcome. The force is with you.

[Steve Wimer]

The teacher was insubordinate. Sure, the educational system is dysfunctional. Take away discipline, add social promotion, and the sum is poor results. But the teacher was wrong and deserves a reprimand.

[Yvonne]

This is about NCLB. Connie Heerman has been targeted. I would suggest 2 books to Connie Heermann:

1. Dealing with Difficult teachers, by Todd Whitaker. This is a staff development text, aimed at administrators about how to get rid of teachers. It suggests 3 ways... incompetence (dicumenting takes too long), firing for extreme behavior(like an affair or hitting a student; not your issue), or insubordination. They choose to make it insubordination because it is faster.

2. MOBBING, by Noa Davenport, et al. This is about surviving the emotional abuse of what they are doing to get you out. Good luck...I retired when it happened to me.

[Harold P. Donle]

I live just down the road from Perry Township and I use this film in my college class. These are not educational bureaucrats denying academic freedom it is the democratically elected school board bigots that disdain the Constitution and all that this country stands for, but that is typical of Republicans, their fundamentalist allies, and their ilk. In Indiana critical thinkers are not wanted, just keep your head down, pay homage to GOD, and obey whatever BS Authority tells you.

[allen from Indiana]

Next thing you know it will be book burning parties at the 50 yard line.

[RConstible]

Censorship, in this time we live in, is often one of those hidden forces that dictates how we conduct our lines: what we do, how we act, how we think. As a writer, I must daily take into consideration the political correctness of gender, race, religiosu beliefs, language, even sexual persuasion, or risk not being considered for publication. The problem is that when writing about events in the real world, one or more of these factors may play a role, and the role is not always complimentary.
The reality is that to deny access to the thought processes of others because of personal beliefs or hangups is to deny access to the knowledge that might be gained from indulging in those materials. But after reading Mr. Goldstein's article, I can see there is yet another book/film to add to my collection of censored material.