Waiting For Superman
Vanessa Garcia
Professor Susan Auerbach
ELPS 203
15 December 2014
ELPS 203 Final Essay: “Waiting for Superman”
All through our lives teachers are an important factor in our education from the very first day we begin to learn how to walk and learn to count. In the film of “Waiting for Superman” directed by Davis Guggenheim, we are taken through the different ways that the public education system has failed students in urban schools. By interviewing reformers different ideas are brought to attention on how the public educational system can be improved. Guggenheim takes us through the lives of five different students, four of whom attend public schools, and one in a catholic school, that all attempt to leave the public school system behind. Experiencing the struggles of these students and their families, we learn how they are placed in a lottery system to be able to gain admission at a charter school. All with the same goal in common and dreams of a better education, students still have to rely solely on luck. The film later shows how four of the five students are turned away by the lottery.
This film appeared to stir up controversy in the state that Guggenheim promotes charter schools and blames the teachers for the educational failures. In the film, Guggenheim puts a huge role on charter schools and how they could be the solution to all the issues in the public school systems. In his eyes the reason why so many students aren’t receiving the adequate education they should be is because of the teachers and the way they are being protected by the union and tenure. According to Guggenheim, he focuses on giving teachers a negative image when students do not appear to show growth in test scores. While watching the film I was reminded of Ravitch’s article of “Reign of Error, Reform Text.” He states, “Blame must fall on the shoulders of the teachers and principals. Where test scores are low, it is their fault. They should be held accountable for this educational
Professor Susan Auerbach
ELPS 203
15 December 2014
ELPS 203 Final Essay: “Waiting for Superman”
All through our lives teachers are an important factor in our education from the very first day we begin to learn how to walk and learn to count. In the film of “Waiting for Superman” directed by Davis Guggenheim, we are taken through the different ways that the public education system has failed students in urban schools. By interviewing reformers different ideas are brought to attention on how the public educational system can be improved. Guggenheim takes us through the lives of five different students, four of whom attend public schools, and one in a catholic school, that all attempt to leave the public school system behind. Experiencing the struggles of these students and their families, we learn how they are placed in a lottery system to be able to gain admission at a charter school. All with the same goal in common and dreams of a better education, students still have to rely solely on luck. The film later shows how four of the five students are turned away by the lottery.
This film appeared to stir up controversy in the state that Guggenheim promotes charter schools and blames the teachers for the educational failures. In the film, Guggenheim puts a huge role on charter schools and how they could be the solution to all the issues in the public school systems. In his eyes the reason why so many students aren’t receiving the adequate education they should be is because of the teachers and the way they are being protected by the union and tenure. According to Guggenheim, he focuses on giving teachers a negative image when students do not appear to show growth in test scores. While watching the film I was reminded of Ravitch’s article of “Reign of Error, Reform Text.” He states, “Blame must fall on the shoulders of the teachers and principals. Where test scores are low, it is their fault. They should be held accountable for this educational