On watching “Mr. Holland’s Opus” in Jersey in June
By now, hundreds of teachers throughout the state, most non-tenured, have received non-renewal notices. A few tenured teachers also are likely to lose jobs because their positions have been eliminated. But thousands of older, more experienced teachers have decided to retire because they cannot put up with the stress created by New Jersey’s governor and those who convert his bullying, vengeful and know-nothing attitude toward teachers into state policy.
In other words, it was a good day today to broadcast “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” a 1995 movie about a dedicated music teacher who is fired from the position he held for 30 years after his music program is cut for budget reasons.
There are a few lines toward the end of the movie that say it all. Glenn Holland, the teacher, is leaving and he is talking to his friend, the football coach. He says:
“You work for 30 years because you think that what you do makes a difference, you think it matters to people, but then you wake up one morning and find out, well no, On watching “Mr. Holland’s Opus” in Jersey in June | Bob Braun's Ledger:
