"Waiting for Superman"

Poster for 2010 release of "Waiting for Superman"

"Waiting for Superman" is a full length documentary that recently made it to theaters across the United States. The documentary highlights the pitfalls of the current educational system in North America. It provides commentary on Jeffrey Canada's teaching methods, how some schools are truly succeeding in educating students, and questions why other schools around the U.S. are not taking the same approach. It basically explains the root of America's educational problems as the education system itself and the teachers within that system. Some teachers simply teach 1/3 of the content they should in one school year. The movie basically says these teachers should be removed from schools, but due to tenure, as well as teacher's unions, this becomes an impossible feat. Finally, the movie tugs at heartstrings by showing 4-5 students who are looking to get into charter schools as a better option to the previous schools they have attended, or failing public schools they may have to attend. Each student must go through a lottery process and many do not make it into the school they hope for. Instead, they must attend a school where they will most likely fall behind grade level, ultimately meaning they are less likely to go to, or be successful in, college.

Jeffrey Canada with Students in the Harlem Children's Zone

I found this movie to be extremely discouraging for teachers. Of course, I have heard others say it is extremely motivating. A friend of mine told me this movie was meant to point out what is truly wrong in our educational system and motivate everyone to fix the issue. However, I am quick to point out the movie actually claims the problem with education are the teachers who do not know how to teach and the educational system itself. Say I am a teacher who is dedicated to fixing the system. Say, I am a good teacher and I work as hard as I can to teach my students. Just because I am one teacher, does that mean I actually can make a difference in the whole system? Michelle Rhee had influential power over the DC educational system and she ended up resigning from her position, disappointed that her efforts to fix the system did not work. Personally, I do not believe Rhee's efforts were really in the right mindset, but that is for another time. If this extremely motivated young woman with so much power over a district cannot make a difference in a classroom, how can I as one teacher?

Michelle Rhee- Former Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools

I was sitting in one of my education classes the other day, when I really began to question what other teacher's might think about changing the system. We were having a discussion about "tracking," trying to determine if we thought it was a good or bad thing to have in a school system. As the discussion continued my classmate explained that students should be able to chose their track. She said "If a student is simply lazy and does not want to do the AP courses, they should be allowed to chose the lower track. Then, they can get good grades in these lower courses, rather than bad grades in the upper courses." This was a sad moment for me. I looked at my classmate and said "How does this set high expectations? This student is simply lazy. They know the information necessary, but need to apply themselves. Taking lower classes is not going to prepare them for college or the workforce. They need to be pushed to work hard in order to learn that effort is necessary in life." She looked at me in an angry fashion and said "but that doesn't make sense. He would get better grades in the lower track!"

Suddenly, I realized the problem. This movie was right, we need good teachers who are willing to push their students. We need teachers who know their content and who have experience teaching that content to their designated age level. However, look at the future teacher from my story. She will meet all the requirements of content and methodology for an Indiana Teaching License. She will probably be a student who maintains a high GPA through college and will gain enough experience to become a teacher. But will she ever change her mindset about pushing students to challenge themselves to do better? And if she doesn't, how effective will she be as a teacher? When I see this, I have to wonder how much of a systemic change could be made when even trained teachers still do not believe in pushing their students to challenge themselves. How can I counteract this as just one teacher, in one school, in one district, in one state?

I believe that if we truly can put enough good teachers in the schools-- the ones who have experience with methodology and content and who also care to see each and every student challenge themselves to succeed, then our education system will see great improvement. The question is, HOW do we fill our schools with the best possible teachers? HOW do we know who they are? HOW do we know where to find them?