Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures
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November 13, 2010
Kim Mejia-Cuellar, Media Academy
“Waiting for Superman” is an interesting, yet alarming documentary, portraying the hardships and failings of America’s public educational system.
It accurately points out the many restraints educators and administrators alike must face in order to create effective change within the system.
That being said, the film seems pessimistic and incredibly one-sided. It only focuses on the less-than-spectacular public schools and districts in the nation, and not enough on the amazing public school teachers students like me are fortunate enough to have.
To the filmmaker, students like me, educated 4.0 GPA debaters and public school successes, are virtually non-existent. Yes, the film does mention that a few U.S. presidents and notable celebrities were public-schooled, but it doesn’t get much more specific than that.
Some things are taken out of context, like a clip from the 2003 comedy “School of Rock” portraying actor Jack Black as a teacher refusing to teach an elementary school student, played by Miranda Cosgrove. The clip apparently attempts to cast the documentary’s ideals in a more favorable light, but instead, it just hurts the movie’s credibility. It makes me wonder: if this was taken out of context, what else was?
I agree that our school system needs a reform, and badly at that, but to make assumptions that all educators are horrendous and to consider being public-schooled a death sentence for a student’s aspirations and dreams is more than just wrong: It’s completely incorrect.
I myself attended a charter school in the sixth grade, prior to my enrollment in Oakland Unified School District’s United For Success Academy, and to be truthful, the charter wasn’t a fantastic school. Contrary to popular belief, I learned more at the public middle school than I did at the charter school. I also found public preschool, elementary and high school superior.
Another critique I have for “Waiting for Superman” is that although it points out flaws, it does not offer viable solutions to fixing America’s public school system. Should all of our kids go to charter schools? Private schools? Should parents hire private tutors or homeschool their children? Of course not!
But did “Waiting for Superman” point out any specific changes that need to be made to our appalling system? No, it didn’t.
So I propose: If a film brings up a problem, it should also suggest a way to fix it. Otherwise, it is just another blameful documentary that calls for action but takes none.
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