Of the Waiting for Superman - Movie Review Example

Review of the movie Waiting for Superman The movie Waiting for Superman was a documentary film about the dismal of America’s educational system. It was directed and directed by a familiar personality Davis Guggenheim who incidentally also narrated another documentary about the environmental degration documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Guggenheim also co-wrote the documentary with Billy Kimball (Holden). In essence, the film was an exhaustive documentary about how America’s public school has degraded which in part can be attributed to policy maker’s neglect and the teacher’s recalcitrant stance against any progressive suggestion that could improve America’s public school system as it now lags behind in terms of STEM performance (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) among developed countries (Holden). This sorry state of America’s educational system is narrated against the backdrop of America’s policy of No Child Left Behind which was supposed to provide quality education and opportunity to every child in America. To highlight the disconnect between policy and actual sorry state reality of America’s educational system, the story followed the story of five children as they attempt to get a decent education from good schools – which are the charter and magnet schools. These charter schools provide quality education with the right assistance for the learner only that it is not provided to every child in America. In fact, it has to be won through a lottery which in effect, the film depicted that the children’s future in America, especially those who are underprivilidged, rest not on the putative policy of No Child Left Behind but rather on chance depending on the bingo caller’s reel or randomized computer program which made the whole situation not only disgusting but sad (Prisco). This is the situation where Geoffrey Canada and Michele A. Rhee came where they have to put up against reactionary system and hostile union to do what is right for America’s public school system, at least in their respective jurisdictions, to improve them. Mr. Canada was an untiring educational reformer who was not discouraged by the surrounding of Harlem to put up a school that provides quality education and sends students into college. It was difficult but through persistence and standing against all odds, Mr. Canada was able to overcome funding difficulties to make the Harlen Children’s Zone school operational. Ms. Rhee equally did a daunting task being the Chancellor of Washington D.C. public school system where she vehemently challenged the current status quo of America’s educational system. Doing the right thing with her job meant making unpopular decisions and standing up against the deeply entrenched teacher’s union. In carrying out these tough decision, she has to make a very unpopular decision of closing ineffective schools who are described in the film as “academic sinkholes” and “drop out factories” (Waiting for Superman). This was to give way to performing schools to have more resources and provide quality education for children. She also has to stand up against the union who would vilify her because the teacher’s union exalt teachers no matter how ineffectual nor incompetent they are to be heroes and therefore they should not be fired even if they underperform. Ms. Rhee was just a single person but she had to put against an organized union that made up virtually impossible to fire a teacher who had gained tenure after two years of teaching. This system of making it impossible to fire incompetent teachers after gaining tenure is one of the reasons why America’s public school system is deteriorating. If the education system has to improve, this meant standing up against them. They are so protective of their tenure even if it contributed to the deterioration of the public school system that when a proposal was offerred to exchange tenure for merit that would enable teacher’s higher pay, the Washington Teachers’ Union declined to keep their tenures. Her initiatives, despite viewed as unpopular by the Washington Teachers’ Union, was vindicated in the film when disturbing statistics were shown alongside with following the five children who were going to school. The five children were Anthony, a fifth grader who was raised by his grandmother amid a drug infested neighborhood. Anthony is vying for a chance among the 24 slot available of the 64 applicants to get into a charger school where students 90% of the time (9 out of 10 goes to college). Another is the first grader Francisco who has to contend with the other 792 applicants for the 40 slots available at the Harlem Success Academy. Incidentally, another student is also vying for the school. Bianca was a kindergarten student and she has to compete with 767 students for a mere 35 spots. Daisy, a fifth grader also has to contend among 135 applicants to get into Kipp LA Prep where 10 students will only be accepted. Lastl is Emily who would like to transfer in a charter public school where she will not be placed on a lower academic track. All these inequities in opportunities to get into a good school at a young age is filmed against the backdrop of a No Child Left Behind policy. It was heart crushing when these children were asked by Guggenheim of what their dreams are of which they replied that they want to go to college to become a veterinarian or nurse of “a recorder just like you guys” (Prisco). Along with these aspirations are the odds stacked against these children’s dreams that the government actually spends more on its inmates in prisons than the future of the children. The statistics were disappointing. As the children dreamt about their future, they have to rely on lottery just to get to charter schools to get quality education and the odds were quite high. Meanwhile, the government “pays $33,000 to house one inmate for a year, which if averaging sentences comes to $132,000 for a 4 year stay. Private schooling in PA costs $8,300 a year. To pay for 13 years of private schooling for one student would actually cost less, leaving over $24,000 aside as a payment for a 4-year state college education” (Denby). Such that, this kind of academic performance that America’s public education has will only qualify 50 million Americans out of the 123 million highly paid jobs in 2020. The children on their young age are on the right track. Doing the right thing to get into good school and stay to realize their dreams only that the public school is thwarting their intentions and dreams. Children, being young and frail as they are cannot improve the system yet. Such, it would be necessary for few individuals in the persons of Ms. Rhee and Mr. Canada to stand up against the odds and fight the status quo that brings about mediocrity. It is difficult and unpopular, but somebody has to stand up to get things right – especially if it involves our children’s future. Works Cited Denby, David. “School Spirit: Waiting for Superman”. October 11, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2010/10/11/101011crci_cinema_denby Holden, Stephen. “Students Caught in the School Squeeze”. September 23, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/movies/24waiting.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Prisco, Brian. “Hey Teachers Leave Them Kids Alone!” Retrieved from http://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/waiting-for-superman-review-hey-teachers-leave-them-kids-alone.php Waiting for Superman. Youtube. 2010. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjkjyS3ib1w Read More