CFI EDUCATION presents: AMERICAN TEACHER

In Person: Co-Producer Nínive Calegari and education writer Mark Phillips

A new film from the co-founders of 826 Valencia, American Teacher chronicles the stories of four teachers-Erik Benner, Jonathan Dearman, Jamie Fidler, and Rhena Jasey- who live and work in disparate urban and rural areas of the country. By following these teachers as they reach different milestones in their careers, the film tells the deeper story of the teaching profession in America today. The film shows that they recognize the importance of what they do, but asks: can I afford to continue to teach? In the next ten years, more than half of the current 3.2 million teachers will be eligible to retire. We will then have a choice: continue with the current, broken system of offering low pay, long hours, little support, and no prestige -- or we change. Based on the New York Times best-selling book, Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers. Narrated by Academy Award-winner Matt Damon. Director: Vanessa Roth (US 2011) 81 min.    

Nínive Calegari: Co-producer of American Teacher, a veteran teacher and the cofounder of 826 Valencia, and 826 National, a literacy nonprofit to support teachers and help students improve their writing skills.

Mark Phillips: Professor Emeritus in the College of Education at San Francisco State University. Mark writes a column on education for the Marin IJ and is a frequent guest columnist for the Washington Post. Mark works with CFI Education on its Teacher Workshop Committee.