Are we really Waiting for Superman?

Posted in Education PolicySchoolsTeaching on Sep 22, 2010 - 08:37 AM

In two days, one of the most well publicized education documentaries in recent memory premiers in several cities around the country - Waiting for Superman. You may have already heard about it on The Oprah Show, in Time magazine, or from any number of other sources. Most of the coverage in these media outlets has been overwhelmingly positive, and there are many big name supporters of the film, including Bill Gates and the controversial Chancellor of D.C. Schools, Michelle Rhee, in addition to the big-name director of the film, Davis Guggenheim of An Inconvenient Truth.

In short, the documentary profiles 5 children and their families who are hoping to get into charter schools as a way in which to invite viewers into the complexity of the U.S. education system. From its website, the documentary's goals are to "spark a vital national conversation" about education and introduce "a group of education reformers who are defying the odds." Supporters of the documentary say it brings to light the problems in education today, showcases some schools that are doing things differently, and will motivate the public to get involved in making changes in education. Since those broad goals are nearly identical to those of IDEA, my interest has been piqued. And a couple education colleagues of mine have been cautiously optimistic about the documentary.

I'll be real clear - I have yet to see it. However, I must admit that red flags also came to my mind when I first heard about this film several months ago. I was worried that it might portray all public schools and public school teachers as ineffective, that it would promote a narrow and standardized vision of learning, and that it could point to charter schools (a complex issue that to me has nuance and possibility in addition to real dangers) as the main solution to improving education. And unfortunately, in the past couple of weeks I've been reading critiques of Waiting for Superman from those who have seen early screenings, and at least in the perspective of some it looks like there is reason to worry.

Two critical reviews to check out: Stan Karp and the Rethinking Schools editorial board, and John Merrow of PBS from his Learning Matters blog. I won't summarize their views here, but if you've been seeing some positive reviews of the film, you might want to balance that out with these perspectives.

Most importantly, though, I hope you'll go see this documentary and come up with your own opinions and reactions to it. Like both the supporters and some of the critics of the film, I hope that Waiting for Superman does well at the box office and helps to bring the dialogue about education to the broad public. Yet, I also hope that viewers go to the screenings with a healthy skepticism about simple solutions and with a set of questions and values to guide their (your) response.

Then, whatever your reaction is, I hope that you are inspired to get involved, speak up, and stand up for what you believe is right and best for young people and for building a more democratic, just, and sustainable society.

Tags for this entry:
education reform, k-12 education, film, charter schools

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