After insulting parents during a public forum on education, two arrogant government officials find themselves in hot water when they are “sentenced” to spend time at the local high school.

SYNOPSIS:

PREMISE OF THE SHOW Walking Backwards is a spoof about the public education system; the show focuses on how government officials get a taste of their own medicine when they struggle to teach the curriculum that they are supposed to enforce. Meanwhile faculty not only has to deal with the sudden intrusion of the officials, but also the crazy antics of the students and the administration. THE SHOW In the small town of Greenville Flats, New York, the Jr. Sr. High School is gearing up for the yearly onslaught of standardized testing. At this time, the New York State Commissioner of Education and the state’s Governor are “strongly suggesting” that the schools put into operation the Common Core Curriculum. While the staff is working frantically to implement this new curriculum, their egomaniacal superintendent continues to make illogical decisions regarding the school’s daily operations. Local parents are in an uproar over this sudden intrusion of the Common Core into their children’s education. Because the parents are concerned about the logic of these new standards, they question the government and their reasoning regarding the rush to implement this curriculum. While the “civil servants” believe that they are increasing the value of education, the issue lies with the illogical tactics that they use to implement the new curriculum. Eventually, a public forum is held where both the officials and the New York State Board of Regents answer questions regarding the CCSS. As the accusations begin to fly and the bureaucrats face the firing squad, they are suddenly blaming each other for the holes in this new program. While the governor originally endorsed this sudden rush to implement the new standards, he suddenly has a “change of heart.” By the end of the session, both men have insulted the parents to the point where they demand that the government officials, who have never set foot in a classroom, spend some time in an actual school setting. So what happens when these government officials are suddenly placed in the classroom? The people who have been instrumental in making teachers’ careers difficult are suddenly at their mercy. The series puts a comical spin on how the educational crisis in public schools today directly impacts students and teachers, and it allows the bureaucrats an insight as to what happens in the classroom.