PROGRAM

In celebration of National Teacher Day, Roosevelt House hosted a film screening of American Teacher followed by Q&A with Nínive Calegari, producer and social entrepreneur, and Rhena Jasey and Jamie Fidler,  teachers featured in the film. Moderated by Ellen Trief, Professor of Blind & Visually Impaired and Severe & Multiple Disabilities, School of Education, Hunter College.

About the Film: 

American Teacher tells the collective story by and about those closest to the issues in our educational system—the 3.2 million teachers who spend five days a week or more in classrooms across the country. It weaves together interviews of policy experts, startling facts and stories of the lives and careers of four teachers in order to bring awareness to the real and imminent crisis in our educational system: how little we value our strongest, most committed, and most effective teachers, and the ripple effect this has on how our children learn and their potential for future success.

About the Speakers: 

Nínive Calegari is a veteran teacher and is the co-founder and former executive director of 826 Valencia. She most recently served as the CEO of 826 National, a literacy nonprofit that galvanizes volunteers in eight cities to support teachers and help students improve their writing skills. She holds a Master’s Degree of Education in Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, and is a co-author of the New York Times bestselling book Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America’s Teachers. 

Jamie Fidler has been teaching for eleven years. She went to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. When Jamie isn’t in the classroom or working at her second or sometimes third job, she is working to fight against teacher layoffs and budget cuts to public schools.

Rhena Jasey taught for six years in the South Orange/Maplewood School District where she grew up, after attending the public schools and graduating from the local public high school. She earned her BA from Harvard University, holds an MA in Elementary and Early Childhood Education and an MEd in Educational Leadership, with a concentration in Public School Leadership from Columbia University. Rhena pursues her interest in public education policy issues by participating in programs and panels that address issues of urban education. She currently teaches at the Equity Project Charter School (T.E.P.) serving Washington Heights in New York City.

This event was made possible through support from The Financial Literacy Project at Roosevelt House, funded by the United States Small Business Administration. Learn more at www.roosevelthouse.hunter.cuny.edu