Matt Damon Marches For Teachers

Posted on Aug 01, 2011 @ 06:00AM

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Matt Damon dedicated his Saturday to a cause close to his heart, rallying with teachers on a march to The White House.

The Bourne Identity star, whose mother was a teacher, joined the Save Our Schools March to protest the use of standardized testing throughout the education system.

PHOTOS: Matt Damon Marches In Support Of Teachers

In a touching speech to the amassed crowd, Damon, 40, discussed how he feels his own public school education impacted his life.

"As I look at my life today, the things that I value about myself, my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity, came from the way that I was parented and taught," Damon told the crowd as the sun beat down on his head, shaved bald for his next role.

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"And none of these qualities that I just mentioned, none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, none of these qualities that have brought me so much joy, that have made me so successful professionally, none of these qualities that make me who I am can be tested," he said.

“Now don’t get me wrong. I did have a brush with standardized tests at one point. I remember because my mom went to the principal’s office and said, ‘My kid ain’t taking that. It’s stupid, it won’t tell you anything and it’ll just make him nervous.’ That was in the ’70s when you could talk like that.”

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Damon also voiced support of all the educators throughout the United States.

“We love you, we thank you and we will always have your back," he said.

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Good on you, Matt.

by Bob Marley
Posted Mon, 08/01/2011 - 10:29am

If we want to save our educational system we need to get rid of the teachers unions, make the standardized testing HARDER and hold the teachers accountable when students don't pass. If they can't do their job, replace them!

by Cuz_I_Can2
Posted Mon, 08/01/2011 - 9:36am

Matt,,,,,to me, seems like a really decent guy.I actually really agree with his words.

by gedrast
Posted Mon, 08/01/2011 - 12:56am

matt damon has his lips glued to brad pittiful and angieHO's azz.

by BlogDog
Posted Mon, 08/01/2011 - 12:21am

He quoted his mother, an educator no less, as saying , "My kid ain't taking that." Nice...

by lowpro
Posted Sun, 07/31/2011 - 7:08pm

Thank you, Matt. High-stakes standardized testing is a woefully narrow social experiment which wastes tax dollars and causes horrific stress to students.

by bestpolicy
Posted Sun, 07/31/2011 - 6:56pm