Analysis Of Waiting For Superman

Waiting for Superman Waiting for Superman is a documentary that attempts to show inequalities in what is supposed to be a fair public education system. The film is primarily centered on five families and their attempt to secure a better education for their children. The movie shows several hardships the families have to endure and somewhat ironically, the most emotional moment for me involved one young girl not being allowed to attend her elementary school graduation because her mother fell behind on payments at a private school.
After watching Waiting for Superman I was divided in my feelings for it. After reflecting on the movie I am not sure what exactly the underlying theme of the movie is other than saying that some public school are bad and some charter schools are good. The movie never goes into the bad schools and identifies problems (other than teacher’s unions) nor does it look at the charter schools and identifies what they are doing to stand out. Waiting for Superman merely presents a few anecdotes and says there is a problem without ever revealing an underlying problem or a solution.
The
The film attacks public schools as being unfair and not good enough. However, not once does it visit many of the poor charter schools in the nation. Nor does it address what studies show time and time again is that a student’s background, including socio-economic status and family life, are the greatest indicator of a specific child’s success in school. This is no better exemplified in Anthony. Anthony is a young man that is being raised by his grandmother. His grandmother is raising him because his father died of a drug overdose (no mention was given of the biological mother). The grandmother admitted that when her son (Anthony’s father) was a young she did not understand the importance of education. Now she views Anthony’s education as the most important thing in both of their