Do you have questions about the Buffalo Public School System? Are you satisfied with the system, or are you ready to explore new and different ways to enhance a child’s education? For those who are looking beyond the traditional schooling practices, what are the options? From educating our refugees, to educating the child next door, there are experts in the field who are interested in telling their sides of the story.
Learning Choices Network (LCN) will be hosting a series of film and speakers series, aimed at informing parents about what other communities are doing to make a difference with the way their children are learning, and how Buffalo could glean from the growing trends. Have you been catching up on standardized testing? When you point the finger, where do you point it? At the system, the teachers, the students or the parents?
It’s time to get a grip on the situation, and learn about ways to fix the system, including alternative educational opportunities.
All events are free and will profile various aspects of the local learning community discussion.
Learning How To Move: Self-Directed Learning from the Beginning
Thursday, April 23, 2015, 7:00 to 8:30 PM, at the Rose Garden Early Childhood Center
257 Lafayette, Buffalo NY 14213
This film and presentation will address child-initaated gross motor development, as informed by the work of Dr. Emmi Pikler and Magda Gerber. How does this holistic approach to gross motor development benefit the whole child and nurture lifelong learning? What are the long-term effects of this early opportunity for self-direction?
Class Dismissed: Film Showing and Discussion
Wednesday, April 29, 7:00 to 8:30 PM, at The Screening Room
3131 Sheridan Dr, Amherst, NY 14226
All across America, parents are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the state of public education. The current state of our educational system and economy shines a spotlight on problems with traditional schools. Class Dismissed, a film about learning outside the classroom, showcases a growing trend in alternative education strategies that are working for many families across America. Local community options for personalized student-centered learning will be featured.
The War on Kids: Film Showing and Discussion
Wednesday, May 6, 2015, 7:00 to 8:30 PM, at Burning Books
420 Connecticut St, Buffalo, NY 14213
The War on Kids is a 2009 documentary film about the American school system. The film takes a look at public school education in America and concludes that schools are not only failing to educate, but are increasingly authoritarian institutions more akin to prisons that are eroding the foundations of American democracy. Students are robbed of basic freedoms primarily due to irrational fears; they are searched, arbitrarily punished and force-fed dangerous pharmaceutical drugs. The educational mission of the public school system has been reduced from one of learning and preparation for adult citizenship to one of control and containment. In director Cevin Soling‘s words, “I was converted by teachers, by a number of people I interviewed, that the main mission of school is submission to authority.”
The Refugee School Experience: Film Showing and Discussion
Wednesday, May 13, 2015, 7:00 to 8:30 PM, at Ashker’s Juice Bar
1002 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222
This film and panel discussion about the educational experiences of global refugees in Buffalo will include a facilitated conversation with Buffalo City School English as Second Language teachers Kate Helms and Amanda Kisselstein. Key topics will address a refugee’s typical first days in school, the current testing climate, and suggested solutions for working together to achieve productive change. The film Stories of Refugee Youth will be shown.
Testing and Arts in 21st Century Education: Film Showing and Discussion
Saturday, May 23, 2015 1:00 to 2:30 PM, at Squeaky Wheel @ The Market Arcade
617 Main Street, Buffalo NY 14222
The Trapdoor is a short documentary that examines the role of standardized testing in schools through the lens of a three-act musical production at a low-income elementary school in Tonawanda, New York. Originally shot to keep the school from being closed down, this film tells the story of a local community school through the eyes of two generations of teachers.