"Waiting for Superman" - A Documentary on the State of Public Education
“Waiting for Superman” is a documentary that depicts the contemporary state of public education today. It has recommendations from various experts in the field of education on how to improve the education system. “Waiting for Superman” is the creation of David Guggenheim the filmmaker who also created “An Inconvenient Truth.” The documentary has a moving theme where it portrays profiles of 5 students in difficult circumstances struggling to succeed. In this film, Guggenheim alleges that in every 26 seconds there is a student who drops out from high school in America today. Guggenheim, however, offers a one-sided approach from controversial reformers to the solutions of problems that face the public school system. From the multiple problems presented, the film cleverly guides the viewer towards what Guggenheim considers as the major problem in education: bad teachers and the labor unions that protect them.
The Role of Teachers and Teacher Unions in Educational Failure
For any superhero to thrive there is need to introduce a nemesis. Guggenheim identifies teachers and teacher unions as those responsible for educational failure in America. According to him, it is the protected, pensioned and tenured teacher that is the reason for a lowered standard of education in America. To emphasize this point, the film shows a teacher reading a newspaper while his students sit idle in class. This form of negligence is what Guggenheim alleges is happening in most overcrowded public schools. The film “Waiting for Superman” has a lot of unsupported claims and misleading statistics. However, Guggenheim’s main error is that of omission. His film does not give teachers a chance to offer their perspective on the matter. It is purely one-sided.
The Arrival of "Superman" in Education Reforms
The documentary puts forward that only Superman can bring about reforms in public schools. Well, Superman has already arrived, however not as the super strong superhero who wears Kryptonian Battle Armor. Superman has arrived in the form of strong forces that are driving change in the education system like never before. These forces are; an increased understanding of what works in the education sector; increased pressure by the public for better education and the necessity for making sound decisions in face of a tough fiscal crisis.
The Quest for Better Education
There is an understandable public impatience with the education systems stagnation. Parents and voters are always demanding better results. While political pundits allege that educational policies have turned out to be partisan, there is evidence that there is higher support for competitive reform measures such as in charter schools. Corporate and private foundations have joined the accountability brigade. They have awakened from philanthropic slumber and are now looking at a return on investment on their school programs. This is done to build an enabling environment for schools, its administrators, and teachers to continue to do well. We now have current knowledge of what works better in education. It is now known that good teachers enhance student learning while bad ones seem to impede student learning. Parent engagement in school affairs makes a positive difference.
Educational Reform in the Face of Fiscal Crisis
Educational reform has been accelerated due to the fiscal crisis in the nation. Due to shrinking state budgets, there is a need to enhance efficiency and innovation in the education sector. Schools will be forced to adopt strategies and management techniques that are sustainable. The quest for reforms in education has been a tiring journey. Presently, it seems things are moving in the right direction due to the suitable alignment of forces that drive change. These forces of knowledge, evidence, fiscal restrictions and increased public pressure will lead to results that are good for students, teachers and the nation as well.
