Natasha Holder
EDPC 603
Waiting
for Superman is a documentary outlining the problems within the educational
system in the United States. The film examines charter school success, failing
public schools, teacher tenure and teacher union issues. It also follows the
grim story of several families on their journey to attend charter schools based
on the lottery system. The film is filled with scary facts such as public high school
students at a second grade reading levels, 68% of inmates are high school
dropouts and the savings of prison vs. private schools being $24,000 per year. The
film shows the American public education system as a failed enterprise. Waiting
for Superman is both correct and mistaken in their reasoning as to why the
system is failing. The film wants you to believe that all you need for education
reform are more charter schools, removal of bad teachers and the unions that protect
them and increased testing standards. I believe
the main issue in our educational system is the bureaucracy. Charter schools
are great, but they are not the solution to the educational problems in the US
as the film wants you to believe. The film fails to realize that there are good
and bad charter schools just like there are good and bad public schools. It
also fails to realize that there are other factors such as poverty, language barriers,
and unstable homes to take into consideration as to why schools are failing.
One
factor the film suggests that lack of funding in public schools is a problem. Charter
schools receive millions of dollars in funding from private sources. If a
public school received such funding, couldn’t it be just as successful? Guggenheim
says that “failing neighborhoods cause failing schools” not the other way
around. What about the charter schools
that are failing or are on comparable levels in reading and math levels as
their neighboring public schools? One other factor that I don’t agree with is the
fact that competition improves training. Instead, I believe it encourages
cheating, hiding information and curriculum strategies. The film gives a one
sided view of teachers unions. I do not completely agree with the film that teacher
unions are the problem. Yes, unions need to be improved and more accountable. The
majority of Finland’s and other developed countries with thriving schools are
unionized. Why is that? There must be something that they are doing correctly that
we can learn from. I would have also liked to see more interviews from teachers
in the film. The film claims that good teachers make a difference, but I can
only recall one brief interview of a teacher and not much teachers during classroom
time was shown.
I
do agree with some points such as using merit based systems, allowing
innovation practices, and building stronger programs from preschool to
development. We need to start rewarding the good teachers and stop making
excuses for the bad ones that do not care and are only there for the paycheck,
salary differentials and summers off. One positive approach that I have seen in
a charter school are that students and teachers can be removed. This policy
encourages parents and teachers to work harder to make sure children are doing
their best.
To
improve schools we need higher teacher salaries, better screening of teacher
candidates, support and mentoring systems, better working conditions and to
make surrounding neighborhoods better (afterschool programs or centers for
students continued learning). You also need parents that care, students that
want to learn, administration that allows you to explore and think outside the
box, and afterschool programs. Children should be learning outside of the
classroom. One of the changes I support
are to extend school days while allowing modification of the curriculum to allow
teachers more freedom in methods of instruction. A typical school day of 6
hours is long when your day primarily consists of lecture. We need to allow teachers
the autonomy of teaching using different approaches- neighborhood trips,
technology lessons, dramas, plays as part of classroom instruction. We need to
really examine what are we (USA) is doing wrong? Finnish teacher Pasi Sahlberg
states, “We prepare children how to learn, not how to take a test.” Growing up,
I was taught how to take a test and for the most part the same method exist.
There are a variety of SAT and other prep books to teach you how to be a better
test taker. The key is to teach students how to learn and understand the
material. One issue is that no one is in support to change the system-
innovative educators are met with resistance as seen by Michelle Rhee's efforts in Washington DC. We need this innovation to see
what works and what doesn’t work. We should always be looking at ways to
improve.
I
appreciate the movie for enlightening us on the failing educational system. Although,
I did not agree with all of its factors, Guggenheim has made some valid points.
The film willingly or not, definitely made me feel angry and heartbroken for
these families that are trying to give their children the best education but
cannot. Parents and children that genuinely want to be better are forced to
rely on a lottery system to get into a better school because of the
neighborhood they live in. Slowly counting down the lottery spaces, while watching
the fate of teary eyed parents and children really plays on our sympathy to
support the “charter school movement.”
For me, this was a wake up call on the importance of not just being a
good teacher but to also fight for change in administration and polices within
the NYC educational system.
REFERENCES
Barr,
Sam (2010). Review of “Waiting for Superman”. Retrieved from:
Hancock,
LynNell (2011). Why are Finland’s Schools Successful? Smithsonian.com Retrieved
Harvard
Educational Review. (2010) Waiting for Superman. Retrieved from:
Heilemann,
John (2010). Schools: The Disaster Movie. Retrieved from:
Kipley,
Amanda (2010). Waiting for Superman: A Call to Action for Our Schools. TIME,
Retrieved from:
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2019663_2020590_2020592,00.html
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