Headlined Guests
Headlined Guests that have appeared on BBS Radio TV
GUESTS: ALLYSON PHELAN-EAGAN
ALLYSON PHELAN-EAGAN
Originally from Vancouver BC, I was awarded a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Paul Rudd and I went through the program together and am proud to say that we graduated in the same class.
Dance
My first love was dance. I have been a dancer my whole life and performed with a Vancouver based company until I decided to make my way to the land of “dreams come true”. My love for dance kept me in one studio or another teaching classes and choreographing students ranging from 3 years to adult. Dance is my soul.
Modeling
I won the FRESH LOOK CANADA 1980 modeling contest and was then recruited by a prestigious Vancouver based modeling agency. This led to the film and television world where I began building my resume. One of my first times on set was in a scene with Johnny Depp when he had a show called 21 Jump Street which filmed in Vancouver.
Pageants
My pageant career was intense. I won several titles and loved the hard work that went into presenting my best self. Representing my city, province, country meant a great deal to me and I did my very best to be an outstanding citizen and virtuous role model to all. My first and most memorable title was Miss Teen Vancouver which landed me a trip to Toronto where I competed in the Miss Teen Canada Contest. The next most prominent title was Miss Canada Runner Up. I am still very proud of these titles which allowed me to contribute to the community in so many beneficial ways for many years.
National CFL Cheerleader/Sports Dancer
The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders were very popular at this time in my life. One of my aspirations was to represent our national team, The BC Lions as a cheerleader/sports dancer. After a long day of grueling auditions I was ecstatic to be one of the few chosen out of hundreds of dancers who showed up for tryouts. There were only a few spots in the line that were open and I really wanted one. I succeeded, was the youngest dancer ever on the team and probably the most joyous as well.
University of British Columbia
I attended UBC, University of British Columbia but all I could think about was being accepted to a school like. FAME. I did my research, auditioned for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (LA/NYC) was awarded a scholarship and packed my bags for Los Angeles.
After graduating from the American Academy I was cast in a film called Barbarians at the Gate. This was an HBO film starring James Garner and Jonathon Price. It was my first audition out of school and thought to myself… wow this is easier than I thought!
I continued with the journey by pounding the pavement: Student films, endless performances in plays all over the city, making the casting rounds, go to acting class 4 nights a week, attending workshops, theatre sports, networking, earned my SAG card, etc, …. doing everything possible in my power to achieve success.
As luck would have it, I met a wonderful fellow thespian with whom I co-wrote a sitcom and shopped it. Not getting the reaction we wanted, we decided to take a producer class at UCLA extension with Howard Storm. He told us to write about what you know… what you are good at. My partner and I were both full of enthusiasm and lots of fun so we decided to write a show about Nightlife. We filmed in LA and Las Vegas and planned on taking it across the globe.
We started with the basics. A pitch. We did not just do any pitch, we did a performance pitch. We wore costumes, choreographed a 2 minute routine and actually performed for our potential investors in their offices!!!
KTLA/WB was interested but they wanted to see a pilot. We raised $15,000.00 in one week, hired a production company and filmed two months later on New Year’s Eve. Our very first interview was with Paul Oakenfold, starting at the top with the biggest DJ in the world. Literally.
KTLA picked up our show which was called CLUBBIN’. It ran for two seasons and had top ratings, only second
to The Jimmy Kimmel Show.
Then this happened… Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson had that wardrobe faux pas at the Super Bowl half time show and everything changed for KTLA and Tribune. We had already shot a whole new season and it was in the can which unfortunately is where it stayed. The FCC was coming down hard and KTLA’s lawyers were not in favor of another of season of Clubbin’.
As one door closed another opened. A new company called nowlive.com was looking for content for their TV Web channel and they loved Clubbin’. We were on air, live, for two hours once a week for two years. We hosted in studio guests, had chatters, callers and a very loyal following. This interactive concept which combined so many forms of media into one made for an extremely exhilarating experience.
This lead to covering red carpet events, music festivals, food and wine shows, etc… LIVE on location.
CBS LA approached me about writing for cbsla.com under the pen name SHARLA. Currently I still write for them about LA hot spots and entertainment.
Within this time frame I wrote a spinoff of Clubbin’ called GIRLZ WEEKEND. I filmed the pilot in Las Vegas and had just secured an investor to fund this show when I was diagnosed with Stage 3 colo-rectal cancer.
All bets were off.
Now here I am… on the other side and am ever so passionate about giving back through information, information and insight.
Below you will find clips of my work from Clubbin’ to Cancer and everything in between.
With all the love and strength in my heart, I thank you. Allyson Phelan-Eagan
*TV Personality:
*Writer CBSLA:
*Webshow Talk Host:
*American Academy of Dramatic Arts Scholarship Graduate
*Miss World Canada runner-up *Miss Teen Vancouver
*BC Lions Cheerleader (CFL)
Public Speaking
Gratitude and Cancer
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4em3sv57e2ize8k/Allys on%20Phelan-Eagan.mov (7 minute version)
My Top 5 Favorite Words You Can Say to Another Human Being (Parts 1-2-3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpcAEp5qDog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF1kOl5DO6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbS7YrnRT0U
Kicking Cancer You Tube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/KickCancerToTheCurb
BlogSpot
http://kickingcancertothecub.blogspot.com
Obinna Eze-Ajoku
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Obinna grew up a pianist and an arranger. He spent some time in Nairobi, Kenya where he sang classical tenor for about a year at the age of 12. He returned to Nigeria where he developed his piano talents, playing and arranging music in churches as a teenager.
From the age of 19, he began to sing a lot more, going on to record original songs that were played on radio stations around Africa. He and his songs would feature on song charts, a BBC TV series, documentaries and huge concerts.
After a few years also doubled as a daily radio talk show host where he would speak with people who shared live stories and sought counseling and advise on the air. Every now and then, the show would also delve into political issues, however the main content of the show was Family and Relationships.
In 2013 he attended Full Sail University, Orlando Florida, graduating as Overall Best Student in the Recordings Arts Program for the year. During the time, working as an audio engineer and technician with companies such as ESPN, WWE and composing for productions done for non-profit organizations and the FBI.
Presently Obinna is working as an audio engineer with EA Sports, a video game company. When he’s not creating sounds or scripting, he is playing the piano, arranging or composing for himself, another singer or a church.
GUEST: ARTIS LANE
Artis Lane was born in North Buxton in southern Ontario, Canada, on May 14, 1927. When she was two years old, Lane’s family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Lane attended school and began to distinguish herself as an artist. By the age of fifteen, she was painting portraits of her classmates, and after graduating from high school, she was awarded a scholarship to the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. After graduating, she married journalist Bill Lane and moved with him to Detroit, where the Urban League, Detroit Chapter, played an instrumental role in Lane’s being the first woman to be admitted to Cranbrook Art Academy. Lane used her artistic talent to help support her family by painting portraits of auto industry executives and then Governor of Michigan George Romney.
Lane met actress Diahann Carroll shortly afterwards, and moved to New York City, where she continued to paint portraits while becoming a member of Portraits Incorporated. She soon moved to Los Angeles and began working with Universal Studios. There, she met actor Cary Grant, and the two became close friends. Over the ensuing decades, she was commissioned to paint such notables as President John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Henry Kissinger, Barbara Bush, Rosa Parks, Michael Jordan and Aretha Franklin, among others. In addition to her portraitures, Lane created bronze sculptures for the National Council of Negro Women’s Dorothy Height and Mary McLeod Bethune.
Lane has created bronze sculptures for the Soul Train Awards and has designed book covers and the original logo for the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Lane has held exhibitions throughout the United States and Canada. Her works can be seen in the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Missouri Library, AT&T’s corporate collection, the offices of Motown Records and numerous private galleries.
Lane is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Women of Excellence Award from the Chatham-Kent Family YMCA in Canada, the Museum of African American Art Award in Los Angeles, and the Women for Women Award from the Martin Luther King, Jr. General Hospital Foundation. In 2004, Lane continued to live and work in Los Angeles.
Kim Castle, star of kimTV and the upcoming series, Aging Ungracefully™, is a fresh voice for feminine leadership. After running herself into the ground striving tirelessly for success, she recovered from exhaustion, depression, and stress-related illness naturally through diet and lifestyle changes. With humor, insight, and vulnerability, she helps busy women discover a better way to live with her recipes and shortcuts to feeling great again at any age.
A former stand-up comedienne, TV host, writer. and award winning art director, Kim’s wit and wisdom has been featured on CNN Headline News, Fox Business News, Yahoo Small Business, Inc and countless books and magazines. She’s won a Webby for her groundbreaking work for General Motors and was nominated for the Los Angeles Women Making A Difference Award.
Funny, fashionable, and inspiring, Kim is leading the way for busy women to live well with healthy recipes and shortcuts to feeling great again at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Zr7JmeJgf1872vYNArTBQ
GUEST: DR. ROXANNE MOSCHETTI
Dr. Roxanne Moschetti was born in Northern California in the late 70’s. She was the oldest of three and served as a segregate parent to her younger sister and brother from the time they were born. Due to extensive neglect during her childhood, education was not a priority for her. Homelessness, frequent relocation, and family instability led to failing grades in school. At the age of 13, Roxanne had attended seven different schools and carried a .87 GPA. In an out of shelters and foster care, Roxanne and her siblings were finally removed from their mothers care when she was 13. Roxanne knew at that point that she never again wanted to experience the stress and pandemonium that her family had endured over the past 13 years. With this in mind, she started to look at her childhood as a learning experience rather than a hardship. Experiencing these situations helped her recognize the importance of early prevention and assistance for families that struggle with poverty and addiction.
At the age of 17, Roxanne set out to be the first in my family to attend college and enrolled in classes at Shasta Community College. She later transferred into California State University, Chico where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. While in college she took over legal guardianship of her younger and sister and brother who would remain living with her until she later applied to graduate school. Against all odds, Roxanne eventually received her Ph.D. and Master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development from University of California, Santa Barbara. She began teaching as an Assistant Professor at California State University, Northridge in 2008. Her current research focuses on the impact of social networks on underrepresented impoverished college students experiences. Roxanne spends her free time volunteering with homeless youth in the community and is currently writing a memoir about her personal experiences from growing up homeless to eventually earning her Ph.D.
Meir Schneider, Ph.D., L.M.T.
Natural Vision Improvement ,Learn a New Way of Being in the World !
Meir Schneider was born with cataracts, glaucoma, astigmatism, and nystagmus. After five unsuccessful surgeries on the lenses of his eyes, which left them shattered and filled with scar tissue, doctors pronounced was certified legally blind. Schneider performed his reading and schoolwork in Braille.
At age 17, Meir learned the Bates Method of eye exercises. He practiced them diligently, up to 13 hours a day, undeterred by the skepticism of family and friends. To this he added his own regimen of self-massage and movement. Within six months, he could recognize visual objects for the first time; within 18 months, he could read print without glasses. His vision continued to improve, and today is 20/80. He holds a current unrestricted California driver's license.
During Schneider’s recovery process, while still a teenager, Meir began to help others with a wide range of degenerative conditions, such as polio, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. He found that the same principles which enabled him to gain functional eyesight could be applied to the entire body. His discoveries led to the creation of the Meir Schneider Method of Self-Healing through Bodywork and Movement, helping tens of thousands of people with serious physical and visual conditions worldwide.
An internationally respected therapist and educator, Meir is the founder and director of the School for Self-Healing in San Francisco, the author of The Natural Vision Improvement Kit, Movement for Self-Healing, Yoga for Your Eyes, Meir Schneider's Miracle Eyesight Method, Self-Healing: My Life and Vision and the principal author of The Handbook of Self-Healing. He was awarded a PhD in the Healing Arts for his work with muscular dystrophy.
Klaus Heyne has crafted the recorded sound of cultural icons such as Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, and Lenny Kravitz, as well as that of legendary film studios and scoring stages—Lucasfilm, Paramount Studios and Disney, among others. The sound of many of the world's finest vintage microphones by Neumann, AKG, and others—a sound still unsurpassed by current technologies—continues to flourish in the 21st century largely thanks to Klaus Heyne's efforts.
In the year 2000, he partnered with Dirk Brauner to create a limited edition set of 100 recording microphones—the VM-1 Klaus Heyne Edition—the single most expensive microphone ever issued; the model has since doubled in price.
Born in Berlin, Klaus studied law in Frankfurt and apprenticed as a luthier. In the 1970's, he emigrated to the U.S., settling in San Francisco. From guitar repairman, and later, owner of a luthier shop in the S.F. Bay Area through the early 1980's, he became an importer of vintage German tube mics to the U.S. Since 1987, he has specialized in the repair, restoration and upgrade of fine European recording microphones for studios, producers, artists, voice talent, and film production companies. Klaus has expanded his services to vintage microphone authentication and investment consultation. In 1991, Klaus relocated to the Columbia Gorge, Oregon.
He is currently writing "The Vintage Microphone Handbook", a guidebook for acquiring and preserving vintage microphones—a long awaited publication. Klaus moderates a world-renowned online forum on Prosound Web. A link can be found here.
The link for Klaus Heyne's company, German Masterworks: http://www.germanmasterworks.com Join us for a special edition of Lena Live, in a conversation with "the man behind the sound". BBS Radio—Station 1
DOUGLAS RICHARDS PhD is Director of Research for Atlantic University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He has a Ph.D. in biology from the University of North Carolina. In 1976 and 1984 he participated in expeditions to the island of Bimini in the Bahamas in search of the ruins of Atlantis. He is the author of numerous scientific papers, including "Water Penetration Aerial Photography" in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration, as well as Mysteries of Atlantis Revisited.
GAIL CAYCE SCHWARTZER is the granddaughter of Edgar Cayce and daughter of Edgar Evans Cayce. She graduated from Ohio State University in1968 with a B.S. in psychology. She worked with the Edgar Cayce Foundation for 15 years, and is the author of Osteopathy-- Comparative Concepts of A. T. Still and Edgar Cayce, as well as Mysteries of Atlantis Revisited.
MIKE PALECEK lives in Sheldon, Iowa with his family. He works at a group home. He has been a federal prisoner for peace. He met Fr. Dan Berrigan while in the Catholic seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berrigan told him things about America and the Catholic Church that changed Mike's life. So, Mike went to jail, went crazy, went home, like that.
And Mike has worked as a reporter, editor, publisher on small-town newspapers in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota. The small newspaper Mike & Ruth owned and operated in southeast Minnesota won the Minnesota Newspaper of the Year Award from the MNA in 1994, and went out of business later that year. Mike was the Iowa Democratic Party nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000. He received 65,000 votes in a conservative district on an anti-military, anti-prison, pro-immigration platform, even after endorsing Ralph Nader over Al Gore.
One thing you might not know about Mike Palecek: He once spent an overnight in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary and did not like it.
Bio for Rev. Michael J. S. Carter
Rev. Michael J. Carter is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. He moved to New York City in 1980 and lived there for 25 years, working as a professional actor before moving to Asheville with his family. Michael is an ordained Inter-faith minister and received his BA Degree in Letters from the College of New Rochelle where he graduated cum laude. He received his Masters In Divinity Degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City (class of 2000).While serving various Unitarian Universalist Congregations in New York, Michael was trained as an anti-racism trainer and has been recognized by President Clinton for his efforts. Michael was also a weekly columnist for the Asheville Citizen Times. Rev. Carter now serves as the minister for Unitarian Universalist Congregation of The Swannanoa Valley, in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
Rev. Carter has written articles on UFOs and Religion for such publications as UFO Magazine, Alien Encounters ( A British Publication),The MUFON UFO Journal, Contact Forum, The S.P.A.C.E. Newsletter (Support Program for Abductees Contact Encounters) a UFO support group in New York City. He has spoken at UFO Conferences such as the 2nd Philadelphia, Need –To- Know Conference, The Annual Long Island UFO Conference with the late Budd Hopkins, as well as appearing on radio and TV appearences across the nation. Rev. Carter has also appeared on Japanese television discussing the Bible and UFOs. Author Whitley Strieber has called Rev. Carter’s book the best book ever written on the subject.
Charles Thomas Cayce, PhD, trained as a psychologist, is a grandson of Edgar Cayce, and one of the A.R.E.'s most popular presenters. He was president of the Association for Research and Enlightenment, Inc. (A.R.E.) for many years where he worked to bring a holistic philosophy of management. He is president of the Edgar Cayce Foundation and a member of A.R.E.'s Board of Trustees. His expertise lies in the potential of our mind, relationships, meditation, dealing with stress creatively, and the integration of spirituality into our daily lives.
Cielito Pascual is a producer and co-host of the soon-to-be-launched Share International Radio podcast featured on OM Times Radio at OM Times dot com.Share International Radio presents a unique spiritual perspective on global trends and world events, pointing to the imminent transformation of our global economy based on the principle of sharing.Cielito has spoken for over 15 years on television and radio and in talks in New York City and Seattle saying that this transformation is unfolding right now, galvanized by the emergence into full public life of Maitreya the World Teacher, and the Masters of Wisdom.
Focused on the transformation of global consciousness, three points are emphasized: 1) We are never alone 2) We have help of an extraordinary kind 3) The solutions to the world's most challenging problems are within our grasp.
Many people know that humanity is at a critical crossroads for change. Cielito will point to political events, healing miracles and unexplained phenomena that are signs of the planetary, interplanetary and cosmic help that is accessible and available so that all may participate in the healing of the planet.
The story of the Emergence of Maitreya the World Teacher and the Masters of Wisdom is an inspiring story of hope. It reveals the critical relationship between the human and spiritual kingdoms. It shows us that by replacing greed and competition with sharing and right relationship, extraordinary possibilities become available for all life on Earth.
LISA SCHERMERHORN is a successful Personal Development Coach.
Lisa can help you make some real, positive and lasting changes in your life by helping you identify the obstacles that are holding you back.
Lisa received her BA in Management from Simmons College in 1984. She is a Certified Hypnotist, helping people with weight loss, smoking cessation, work and relationship issues, as well as Past Life Regression and Life In Between Lives Regression.
She is a Reiki Master, practices the Emotional Release Method, Energy Medicine Practitioner, and has traveled to Peru to study with several Shaman and has been studying Shamanic healing for fifteen years.
Lisa is the Past President of the Woman’s Club of Concord, graduate of the Leadership Greater Concord Program, graduate of the Fast Track Program of the National Speakers Association, and an award-winning speaker.
Daniel Teague had a near death experience when he was 18 years old during a traumatic car accident. Although he has no memory of this accident he is aware it happened from obvious trauma and over a week of missing time. He went through a spontaneous personality change. After his initial recovery he began to automatically gain psychic awareness, learn to control dreams, have paranormal experiences and the list has continued over the past 2 decades.
Today he is an Energy Healer and creates his own healing modalities in addition to professional trained healing. Daniel loves to make people aware of what is available. Daniel has a unique ability to do Aura scans and energy healings from a distance as no direct contact is needed.
Daniel can be found working at local Holistic and Psychic fairs in the Arizona area. He is available by phone, email and Skype chat.
LIA TARACHANSKY is a Jaffa-based filmmaker and the Israel/Palestine correspondent for https://therealnews.com/ (TRNN) where she produces short, documentary-style reports exploring the context behind the news. In 2012 Tarachansky produced and co-directed with British journalist Phil Caller a BBC-World documentary about Israel's Social Justice (J14) movement and the wave of self-immolations it sparked, in protest of the harsh economic reality many face in Israel.
In 2013 Tarachansky completed work on an independent feature documentary, ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, a Naretiv Productions film. The film is an exploration of the power of denial. It questions what Israelis learn, know, and sometimes choose not to know about the 1948 war. That fateful year led to the birth of the state of Israel and displacement of two-thirds of the Palestinian people. The film is currently screening in theaters and festivals in Israel/Palestine and around the world. In 2015 she co-directed ETHNOCRACY IN THE PROMISED LAND with Canadian journalist Jesse Freeston for the largest Spanish-language TV, TeleSUR. The film exposes Israel's policies towards African refugees, attempting to seek asylum in the Jewish state.
Tarachansky's work is frequently featured in publications such as +972 Magazine, Mondoweiss, USA Today, Al Jazeera, and the Huffington Post. Her journalism was profiled in the renown Max Blumenthal book, Goliath.
Dr. Shani Fox, ND, helps cancer survivors create lives of wellness, authenticity and joy. Her leading-edge “Back in Charge!” medical care model picks up where conventional cancer treatment ends, helping survivors restore vitality of body and spirit, prevent recurrence and reclaim the healthy, happy future they so richly deserve.
Dr. Shani’s empowering messages about your innate power to generate wellness and happiness have made her a popular national speaker, radio guest and guest blogger for cancer survivor and wellness communities, including W4CS.com: Cancer Survivor Radio, The Frankie Boyer Show, Five to Thrive and NOU, the magazine of the Women Survivors Alliance. She is the author of The Cancer Survivor’s Fear First Aid Kit: 5 Simple Steps to Release Your Fear of Cancer Recurrence and has been published in the peer-reviewed Natural Medicine Journal. Dr. Shani serves survivors across the nation through live and innovative virtual programs.
Dr. Shani’s free assessment “How Cancer-Proof Are You?” helps pinpoint ways you can stay cancer-free, so you can relax into deep wellness and peace of mind. Take your free assessment today at http://www.wellaftercancer.com
Join us Sunday, June 14 for 'A Conversation with Teacher and Film Director Laurie Gabriel' - Laurie is the Writer/Director/Filmmaker of 'HEAL OUR SCHOOLS; HEAR OUR TEACHERS' a documentary film about the real issues hurting our public schools and what real teachers have to offer as real answers and solutions. Laurie will talk about her new teacher-produced documentary and how to put control back into the hands of the people who know the students - the teachers who are the experts.
'Heal Our Schools; Hear Our Teachers' was produced with the mission of uncovering and solving the real problems of public education in America. This venture is different from other education documentaries in that it fully explores the experience and expertise of our most overlooked resource: teachers. Through this platform, educators from all over the country can share their compelling (and strikingly similar) stories and solutions. 'Heal Our Schools; Hear Our Teachers' is an enlightening look into what's really going on behind school doors, as well as a collection of virtually cost-free answers to the education crisis--answers that are based on teachers' caring compassion for the children they serve.
Recent reforms, penned by politicians and policymakers who often have little-to-no classroom experience, have been addressing the same surface issues (testing, teacher evaluation, vouchers, etc.) instead of the real problems: herding of children by subject and by age; daunting bureaucratic paperwork; our society's lack of adult role models who exemplify compassion, honesty, patience, and commitment; parents who do not support the schools; and the reduction of meaningful teacher/student relationships to overcrowded buildings and faceless statistics. Until these truths are acknowledged and addressed, no other reform plan will work.
The teaching profession is currently being maligned by a number of politicians and other persons in the media spotlight, leading to a dangerous plan to replace teachers without finding out what's really keeping them from effectively helping their students. Instead of seeing a turnaround in student achievement, we'll only see a repeat of the same setbacks with the next batch of teachers (if we're able to attract new teachers at all). It's time to set the record straight.
A review of the film:
Documentary aims to 'bring back trust of teachers'
By DEBBIE KELLEY, The Gazette - May 30, 2015
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Teaching a herd of sheep to move in one direction at the same time works. Similarly, teaching a herd of children to read a book, solve math problems and other lessons doesn't.
That's one of the messages conveyed in a new documentary a former Colorado Springs public school teacher created, directed and produced.
"Heal Our Schools" "illuminates the problems federal and corporate takeover have created in our schools and provides teacher-generated solutions." It will debut with screenings in Colorado Springs this weekend and June 13.
Laurie Gabriel, who taught music, drama, choir and orchestra for 27 years in public schools in Colorado, most recently in Colorado Springs School District 11, spent four years and a chunk of money creating the film.
She traveled the country talking to teachers, education policy analysts, authors and other education experts.
"It's getting more and more important that the general public understands what's going on in education, that kids and teachers are being left out, as profit-driven corporations have taken over testing," she said.
Her goal: "To bring back trust of teachers. We've been painted sometimes as not knowing what's best for the kids. We do, and we can work together with parents for the benefit of the kids."
Teachers, Gabriel said, are being left out of the decision-making processes in education to the point that "the silence of the teachers is deafening."
Teachers are being blamed for students not performing well on standardized tests, she said, and in many cases are being threatened with losing their jobs for speaking out against the system.
"I watched the profession deteriorate bit by bit, and it seemed like we teachers were helpless to do anything," Gabriel said. "I heard the same stories in the teachers' lounge and on Facebook and instead of swallowing it, I decided to tell the story."
Along with teachers and students talking about today's classroom environment and impediments to learning, the film includes commentary by high-profile personalities. Those include former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch; Jonathan Kozol, an award-winning author on public education; and author and co-founder of an institute to minimize school violence Nancy Carlsson-Paige. She's the mother of actor Matt Damon, who puts in an appearance in the documentary.
Merril Boruchin Spielman, a reading specialist who lives in Manitou Springs, is one of the film's featured teachers. She volunteers to teach students in Southeast Asia and is a substitute teacher in Colorado Springs School District 11.
"I am afraid for our public school system and the dangers that are happening," Boruchin Spielman said. "Ask the teachers what isn't working and how to improve that.
"Whenever there's a problem, we blame and judge rather than look at the solution," she said.
Gabriel said the main problem with today's public education system is that teachers no longer have control of how and what to teach. She advocates localizing and individualizing education. Smaller class sizes, curriculum that includes the arts and humanities, less emphasis on high-stakes testing and more emphasis on promoting individual students' gifts are some of the ideas she puts forth in her documentary.
Boruchin Spielman said the herd mentality of teaching has resulted in classrooms having mixed levels of proficiency, with kids entering kindergarten having anywhere from fourth-grade reading levels to no reading skills.
"What do we do when we have a kindergartner who has to learn how to sit in a chair first before they learn alphabetizing, and we have to treat them all the same," she said. "We're seeing the stress this is putting on teachers and the students, and we're losing our passion."
The film highlights two teacher-led schools, one in Boulder and one in St. Paul, Minn., where students are grouped by academic abilities rather than age and teachers tailor learning to nurture each child's talents and interests.
"It was a heart-breaking decision for me to leave public school teaching," Gabriel said. "If teachers stood together it would be a lot easier for us to stand up for our kids. We need a unified voice saying the way it is isn't right for our kids."
Information from: The Gazette, https://gazette.com/
DONALD JEFFRIES was inspired by a diverse and ecclectic group of authors like Charles Dickens, Madeline L'Engle, Edward Eager, George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, Bram Stoker, Charles Fort and Ambrose Bierce. The Unreals was published in 2007 and has been compared to the television shows The Twilight Zone and X-Files, as well as the classic fairy tales The Wizard of Oz and Alice In Wonderland.
Jeffries has spent many years researching the assassination of John F. Kennedy and other significant historical and political events. Various conspiracies and unexplained, fortean-style phenomena play a strong role in his writing.
ABOUT Hidden History: An Expose of Modern Crimes, Conspiracies, and Cover-Ups in American Politics by Donald Jeffries...
The US government has spent half the time covering up conspiracies as it has spent helping the American people. In Hidden History, you will see the amount of effort over the past fifty years that our government has dedicated to lying and covering up the truth to the world.
Starting with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Don Jeffries chronicles a wide variety of issues that have plagued our country’s history. Whether it’s the assassinations of MLK and RFK, Iran-Contra, the Oklahoma City bombing, TWA Flight 800, voting fraud, or 9/11, every major disaster or war that we’ve witnessed has somehow been distorted by those who are supposed to be protecting us.
Jeffries also delves into extensive research on the death of John F. Kennedy Jr., and you’ll be shocked by what he finds out.
So whether you’ve only heard bits and pieces of these stories or have read several books on the topics, Hidden History is the book that belongs in every conspiracy theorist’s library, as the information included in this encyclopedia has never been collected together in any other published work available. So sit down, strap in, and get ready to be shocked and awed by how much has been hidden from you by our government over the past fifty years.
DAVID PAULIDES holds two degrees from the University of San Francisco, and has a professional background that includes twenty years in law enforcement and senior executive positions in the technology sector. A boyhood camping experience with his father in the late 1960s sparked his interest in Bigfoot. In 2004 he was one of the founders of North America Bigfoot Search where his investigative and analytical experiences were invaluable in researching Bigfoot sightings. He spent two years living among the Hoopa tribal members, listening to and recording their Bigfoot stories. The Hoopa Project is his first book, based upon his experiences in the Bluff Creek area of Northern California.
Books:
The Hoopa Project: Big Foot Encounters in California
Tribal Bigfoot
Missing 411 - Western United States
Missing 411-Eastern United States
Missing 411- North America and Beyond
Missing 411-The Devil’s in the Details
ABOUT Missing 41: The Devil's in the Details
This is the fourth book in the blockbuster “Missing 411” series that describes unusual incidents of people that have disappeared in National Parks and forests of the world. It is a significant step forward in the understanding of the missing phenomena that adds several new elements never before identified. This book describes additional victims, new locations and circumstances while outlining new geographical clusters. The number of people that fit the identified profile and the distances and elevations covered during their journeys will mesmerize you. The book ends with series of charts that expose specific elements that are identified in each of the other books, their frequency, location and timing.
It is highly recommended that you read any of the other “Missing 411” books prior to this. The reader needs to have a background on the topic prior to reading this work to get the full understanding of what is revealed. This book includes stories from the following areas:
United States (33 States) Canada (7 Provinces) Australia (5 Territories) Borneo Ecuador United Kingdom New Zealand Switzerland Austria Sub Chapters: Cornerstone Cases Weather Conditions Criminal Allegations Last in Line Missing from Inside the Home Missing from Inside a Vehicle Locations Previously Searched Scholars/Intellectuals Disabled or Injured Elevation Gain Distance Traveled Aircraft Associated with Missing Person Cases List of Missing from this Book
