HBO Documentary: Hard Times at Douglass High

TO: Dear Baltimore City, Prince George’s County and District of Columbia Public School Teachers
FROM: Donald Mooers
DATE: June 23, 2008
SUBJECT: “Hard Times at Douglass High”: ON AIR TONIGHT
HBO, Monday, 6/23 at 9:00 PM (Eastern Time)


Dear friends:

I write to you both as your immigration attorney and as a grateful Citizen of the United States . As I have told many of you on several occasions, you and your certified teacher colleagues from the Philippines and elsewhere are helping to rescue America ’s educational system from the depths of despair. Thank you for doing what you do.

Tonight, viewers across the country will get a first-hand view of the challenges that many of you face each day in your classrooms. HBO Films produced a documentary called “Hard Times at Douglass High”, which covers the 2004 – 2005 school year at one of the Baltimore City Public Schools where Filipino H-1B teachers have been assigned. One of the recurring messages throughout the movie is that Baltimore City faces a critical shortage of qualified teachers – it is not by coincidence that Filipino teachers began arriving to work in the School System for the 2005 – 2006 academic year.

I hope that each of you has the opportunity to watch the documentary this evening. If you are not able to watch it, below is the description from HBO.com that also includes the dates and times when “Hard Times” will be re-broadcast.

On Friday, June 20, I attended the World Premier of “Hard Times at Douglass High” at the 2008 SilverDocs Film Festival. Many of the individuals, including the then-principal and the Douglass Marching Band, were in attendance with me. It is because of the profound impact of watching this powerful documentary that I recommend it to your viewing.

I also suggest that you forward my e-mail on to your colleagues and friends – it is important that they too understand some of the challenges that you have faced as you have helped turn around the educational systems in the school systems where you work.

Once again, I thank you for the service that you are providing to your students and the schools where you teach. You are truly unsung heroes, and I consider it an honor to have the opportunity to assist you through the complex and convoluted US immigration system.

Sincerely,
Don Mooers
****************************************
HARD TIMES AT DOUGLASS HIGH
Rated TV14: ADULT CONTENT, VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE
Running Time: 112 minutes
Genre: Documentary

At Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore , MD , the expectations raised by the No Child Left Behind Act have reached a critical point. Shot over the course of one year, this film looks at this storied institution at a time when its very existence has been put in doubt. Oscar®-winning filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond delve into the classrooms, corridors and offices of Douglass High. Their focus: to look at the challenges facing teachers and students as this inner-city school copes with the looming specter of sanctions in the wake of the 2002 education-reform act designed to raise academic standards. (TV14) (AC,AL,V)
Director(s): SUSAN RAYMOND, ALAN RAYMOND

SCHEDULE:
Mon 6/23 09:00 PM HBO - EAST
Mon 6/23 11:00 PM HBO LATINO - EAST
Tue 6/24 12:00 AM HBO - WEST
Tue 6/24 01:00 AM HBO2 - EAST
Tue 6/24 02:00 AM HBO LATINO - WEST
Tue 6/24 04:00 AM HBO2 - WEST
Wed 6/25 11:00 PM HBO - EAST
Thu 6/26 02:00 AM HBO - WEST
Thu 6/26 09:00 PM HBO - EAST
Thu 6/26 09:00 PM HBO LATINO - EAST
Fri 6/27 12:00 AM HBO - WEST
Fri 6/27 12:00 AM HBO LATINO - WEST
Sat 6/28 02:30 PM HBO - EAST
Sat 6/28 02:30 PM HBO LATINO - EAST
Sat 6/28 05:30 PM HBO - WEST
Sat 6/28 05:30 PM HBO LATINO - WEST
Sun 6/29 11:30 AM HBO SIGNATURE - EAST
Sun 6/29 02:30 PM HBO SIGNATURE - WEST
Sun 6/29 09:00 PM HBO SIGNATURE - EAST
Mon 6/30 12:00 AM HBO SIGNATURE - WEST
Wed 7/2 11:50 PM HBO2 - EAST
Thu 7/3 02:50 AM HBO2 - WEST
Sun 7/6 08:00 AM HBO - EAST
Sun 7/6 08:00 AM HBO LATINO - EAST
Sun 7/6 11:00 AM HBO - WEST
Sun 7/6 11:00 AM HBO LATINO - WEST
Tue 7/8 02:30 PM HBO - EAST
Tue 7/8 02:30 PM HBO LATINO - EAST
Tue 7/8 05:30 PM HBO - WEST
Tue 7/8 05:30 PM HBO LATINO - WEST
Fri 7/11 11:00 AM HBO2 - EAST
Fri 7/11 02:00 PM HBO2 - WEST
Wed 7/16 04:30 P HBO SIGNATURE - EAST
Wed 7/16 07:30 PM HBO SIGNATURE - WEST
Sat 7/26 07:00 PM HBO SIGNATURE - EAST
Sat 7/26 10:00 PM HBO SIGNATURE - WEST