Waiting_for_Superman_Article_Critique

Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE PAPER Article Critique Paper 04/03/2011 Article Critique Paper Waiting for Superman is a documentary film written by Davis Guggenheim in 2010 about the public education system in the United States. The film seeks to expose and analyze deficiencies and failures within the American public school system and show on the flipside, the successes experienced by alternative charter school programs. Guggenheim follows a group of five students from different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds through their neighborhoods and school systems as they try to enroll in a better performing charter school and are required to enter a lottery system. The picture Guggenheim paints of the education system in the U.S. is grim in that no one can seem to pinpoint a comprehensive reason as to why the school system is failing. Add to that the ideas surrounding what constitutes a "good" school varies as there are over 14 thousand autonomous school boards that all operate within their own system of rules and set their own conflicting standards. (Guggenheim) Therefore, not only can the school systems not come together and work in unison but also our schools often called, Failure Factories are failing to produce results with our kids being able to perform at or above grade level in core subjects. What was once prominent and regarded the best school system in the world according to the film, the United States started to see a decline in the 1970's with the overall performance of the schools and the preparation of its students as global competition increased. (Guggenheim) Since that time, the amount spent per student annually has increased on average from $4.3k to $9k, yet we have not produced better results and our scores in reading and math have seemingly flat lined. As it stands today, out of 30 industrialized countries, the US rank 25th in math and 21st in science and 28th overall according to the films website. One thing is clear; there is a multitude of differing viewpoints on the cause of the poor education system in the United States. It is often said, failing schools equals failing neighborhoods and vice versa. Others blame the teacher unions, bad teachers, tenure, devaluation of education, low teacher salary, over crowded schools and classrooms, tracking, etc.; the list goes on and on from there. There was not one definitive reason for the failure of the public school system but there were ideas on a solution. The film mentions the charter school system displaying specific school throughout and highlighting their success and innovative programs. Schools such as KIPP Schools, SEED Urban Boarding School, Harlem Success School, Summit Prep, Miller McCoy Academy and Geoffrey Canada Schools were all shown to have successful programs that were student centered and most of all breaking down the achievement gaps. Former Washington DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee highlighted another solution. She suggests we do away with tenure and offer teachers merit pay based on their performance and student growth. Along with the two solutions listed above the school unions weighed in as well. The NEA and the AFT were highlighted in the film as the two largest education unions. When asked about the merit pay reform specifically the AFT director Randi Weingarten in the film initially stated, we should not make any discriminations about teachers, a teacher is a teacher. (Guggenheim) Later in a news report on CBS, Weingarten elaborated her statement by saying, "bad teachers is not an epidemic in our schools. Most schools do a poor job of evaluating and supporting teachers. Tenure is not a fortress for bad teachers rather it is simply due process which should be the right of all teachers." (Weingarten, 2010) With fingers pointing in numerous directions, differing solutions and accusations of cause it is not hard to see why our education system is in such disarray. In comparing the three differing views offered in Guggenheim's film this author feels that each solution individually does not definitively solve the problem with the public education system in the United States. While highly regarded throughout the movie, Charter Schools as a whole are no more or less effective than the normal public school system. In fact, the film quickly glossed over the fact that research shows only 1 in 5 Charter School to have shown successes like the schools highlighted. That means that for each of the schools shown there are four additional that are not helping our kids to be at or above grade level in core subjects. If touted as the solution the numbers must be shown accurately and it is of this authors opinion that the film did not do this. It showed a few positive schools but failed to mention how Charter Schools are performing as a whole. In addition, the merit pay solution and dismissal of tenure offered by Michelle Rhee does not mention how it will be a fair determinant for all teachers. Many teachers that work with special populations such gifted children, English as a Second Language children, and Special Education children cannot be expected to make the same gains every year as general education students. Provisions will have to be built into this reform to address these types of issues before something like this becomes a viable solution. Lastly, with regard to the stance of the unions wanting to leave things at they are and placing the blame on schools and their lack of support shows how unyielding to change they are. We know there is a problem with the public school system as it is shown in our test scores, drop out rates, and scores in comparison to that of our other competing industrialized countries. To leave things as they are without even considering reform is not only not in the best interest of our students but is simply asinine. In conclusion, the three solutions for reforming the public school system in the U.S. offered in the documentary film, Waiting for Superman, individually do not prove to be viable solutions to a regime that has had a history of failure for over 30 years. On the flipside, of the comparisons, one thing that shines through similarly is that they all in some way recognize the system has abundantly clear deficiencies that need to be reformed. However, without completing a comprehensive needs assessment, polling all stakeholders from administration to students and teachers and a commitment to working collaboratively a solution may never come to fruition. With everyone simply throwing out solutions for everyone else, not looking at true cause, and being resistant to change them selves we will remain stagnant and continue to lag behind our competitors. It is not because we do not have the means. We have the tools, as individuals and institutions are making success happen for our students everyday. Schools like Kipp, Summit Prep, SEED, Miller McCoy, and Geoffrey Canada Schools prove with their increasing test scores and their declining drop out rates that we can have successful public education. This author believes we need to look at the model of those successful schools and try to emulate them not because they are a charter school but because each one has figured out a way to make the students successful. In the words of Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, "If we can't work together we will remain as we are, unable to sustain an economy based on innovation. Without individuals educated in math, science, and engineering we can't compete globally." (Guggenheim) References Guggenheim, D. (2010). Retrieved April 1, 2011, from http://www.waitingonsuperman.com Randi Weingarten on Tenure Oct 3, 2010 Weingarten, R. (2010, October 3). Tenure. Retrieved April 1, 2011, from CBS News Web site: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/01/eveningnews/main