Georgia teachers group to show free film about school ‘privatization’

A scene from the documentary film "Backpack Full of Cash," which will be shown during a free screening on Jan. 30 presented by the Georgia Federation of Teachers.

A scene from the documentary film "Backpack Full of Cash," which will be shown during a free screening on Jan. 30 presented by the Georgia Federation of Teachers.

The Georgia Federation of Teachers will host a free screening of the documentary film “Backpack Full of Cash” as the teachers group brings attention to what it describes as the “privatization” of public schools.

The film, narrated by actor Matt Damon, takes a look at charter schools, vouchers and what the filmmakers describe as the "growing privatization of public schools." The free screening is open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center in Decatur.

The movie was filmed in cities across the United States, including Philadelphia, New Orleans and Nashville. But organizers of the screening said the subject is particularly relevant to Atlanta because of steps the Atlanta school board has taken to embrace charter schools and charter-school operators.

In recent years, Atlanta Public Schools has hired outside groups affiliated with charter schools to run a handful of the district's struggling schools as part of an effort to improve them. The school board also is working on a strategic plan to better all of its schools by creating a rating system to assess how schools are performing and then developing a menu of options for what to do with schools that succeed or fail. Potential actions could include hiring outside partners to run additional district schools.

As part of its work, three school board members recently visited Denver, where the Colorado school system's similar school-reform attempts have led to a growth in charter schools and more flexibility for other schools.

The Atlanta school board is expected to vote in the coming months on a plan to rate and improve schools.

The teachers federation is pushing for what it describes as more "accountability" for charter schools during this year's legislative session. The group wants a law to partially restrict charter schools' use of public school properties and limit the length of contracts awarded to charter school operators.

Other groups helping to host the film screening are the NAACP DeKalb County Chapter and the organization Justice Equality & Economics.