Matt Damon on DC Ellipse Creates Quite a Stir

The moment Matt Damon arrived backstage at the Save Our Schools (SOS) rally and march, he was a beseiged man.  Educators and fans wanted to snap a picture..  But the dozens of reporters and camera crews who surrounded the actor wanted to find out exactly why Damon, who appeared with a head shaven for his current role in a science fiction movie he is filming, was devoting this ungodly hot July Saturday day to supporting teachers and calling for an end to unjust educational practices.

And for more than an hour Damon, whose mother is a professor of education, patiently obliged, delivering monologue after monologue cogently defending quality teaching and decrying today's teach-to-the-test mentality.

"From the time I went to kindergarten through my senior year in high school, I went to public schools. I wouldn’t trade that education and experience for anything. I had incredible teachers.

"As I look at my life today, the things I value most about myself — my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity — all come from how I was parented and taught.

"And none of these qualities that I’ve just mentioned — none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, that have brought me so much joy, that have brought me so much professional success — none of these qualities that make me who I am ... can be tested."

To read a full copy of the Damon's remarks at the rally, click here.