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Schools

Cartel Comes To Westfield Again

Filmmaker on hand for two showings and Q&A sessions at the Rialto

Journalist Bob Bowdon was back at the Rialto with his documentary, "The Cartel" on June 2. Wednesday night was the second time Bowdon showed "The Cartel" in Westfield, and this time had two showings and two question-and-answer sessions. Viewers came from all over the area: Edison, Newark, even New York City.

"We had a good showing in Westfield last time," said Bowdon. "We sold out last time, so that's why we wanted to come back."

Though neither the 7 p.m. nor the 9 p.m. shows sold out this time, both had lively crowds and few empty seats. The audiences laughed, gasped and hissed along with the film, and engaged in spirited discussion with Bowdon when he asked for questions.

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"The Cartel" calls for nationwide education reform, using examples mostly from urban New Jersey schools. The film illustrates the high spending and poor performance of many district schools, the dominance of teachers' unions have on New Jersey politics and the demonization of school vouchers and charter schools. The audience seemed to respond well to the film, with many members prefacing their questions with comments expressing support. The comments were similar to those from the first screening in Westfield.

"People register outrage when they see this film," he said.

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More than one audience member wanted to know how to fix the myriad problems addressed in the film.

"School choice is the answer," said Bowdon. He believes competition will raise the level of every school's performance. "Dunkin Donuts got a whole lot better when Starbucks came into town. This one-size-fits-all model of education does not work for American kids."

Bowdon is also optimistic about the Christie administration. He believes they will approve more charter schools, and points to the Opportunity Scholarship Act currently being debated in the state legislature as a sign of progress. The bill is sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).

"This is a very exciting time in education reform," he said.

Not everyone in the audience was complimentary, however. One woman felt Bowdon focused too much on failing urban school districts and not enough on suburban districts that don't struggle so much. Bowdon responded by pointing out that he acknowledged in several places during the film that there are good teachers and districts throughout the state, and that focusing on where the problems are is the nature of an expose'.

"If half of the movie was about schools that were doing fine, it would make for a very boring movie," he said.

"Debating the dissenters is child's play," said Bowdon in the lobby after the screening. "There's so much evidence (for my side of the story)."

A DVD of "The Cartel" will be available in August or September, and the film's soundtrack -written, arranged and performed by Bowdon- is available on iTunes. Visit the film's website for more information.

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