The Cartel

Bob Bowdon’s documentary “The Cartel” about what’s wrong with education looks even better on the big screen. I attended the premiere in Teaneck Saturday. I saw an advanced copy on dvd so I could write a column about it. That allowed me to pay more attention to the audience reaction when the film was viewed by it for the first time. It commanded attention. There was no talking to each other or texting. Only one person I saw left a seat temporarily. The audience was spellbound at the jaw-dropping corrupti0n and waste that has resulted in New Jersey’s property taxes being the worst in the nation and our kids getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. The audience laughed as the NJEA president tried to explain why tenured teachers seldom are fired no matter how bad they are. They snickered at Corzine’s education commissioner, Lucille Davy, who couldn’t explain why charter school applications are turned down. They saw Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts tell reporters there are no sacred cows in Corzine’s budget then saw Corzine brag about adding more education money, probably headed for some rat hole.

There were the kids crying because they lost out in the lottery to get one of the open seats at a good charter school. They laughed as the film demonstrated if car manufacturers were assigned districts like schools some people would have no choice but to buy a Yugo.

This film is like a sharp stick in the eye. It should be seen by anyone who votes or pays taxes in New Jersey or plans to. More than that, it should be seen by Davy, Corzine and the members of the Legislature who stand behind this fraud of a “thorough and efficient system” of education.

‘The Cartel’ is a must see
by Bob Ingle

The Cartel
A Feature Documentary on How American Public Education Primarily Serves Its Employees, Not Its Children