As a Public School Teacher, I Believe One of My Principal Duties Is to Help Students See

Dear Parents,

As a public school teacher, I believe one of my principal duties is to help students see the world with new eyes and from multiple perspectives. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch eloquently summarizes the importance of this “global perspective” when he tells his daughter: “If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” In our ever-shrinking world, this idea couldn’t be more important.

One of the tools I have used to help meet this objective is a documentary called Born into Brothels. Born into Brothels, by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski, is the winner of the 77th annual Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, Born into Brothels is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta. Zana Briski, a New York-based photographer, gives each of the children a camera and teaches them to look at the world with new eyes. This humorous and heartfelt story portrays the power of art and the courage of those willing to change their own lives (for further information about the film, Zana Briski, or her charity organization, Kids with Cameras, please visit www.kids-with-cameras.org.).

The purpose of this letter is to keep the lines of communication between home and school open. The film carries an MPAA rating of “R” for “some sequences of strong language”; however, the entire film is in English subtitles and the language can easily be edited out by a simple click of the fast-forward button.

As your child’s teacher, I want to be respectful of your right to parent your child – I know some parents may be uncomfortable with having their child view an R-rated film. I am a firm believer in the educational value of this work; however, I want to honor parents’ rights. Please complete the slip listed below and return it to me no later than: Monday, May 5, 2008. I will give students not viewing the film an alternative assignment to complete during the time the film is shown.

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I DO / DO NOT give my child, ______, permission to view Born into Brothels.

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Parent/Guardian Signature Date