I realize that the opinions on 'Waiting for Superman' and it's message may be very divided among teachers.  I'm not looking to debate or get into a heated discussion, but would like to see what teachers are saying about this movie.  Basic point: let's respect each others opinions here :)

That said, who has seen the documentary Waiting for Superman?  What did you think?

 

 

DH and I drove 30 minutes to one of the only theaters in Colorado showing it. . .and it was definitely worth the drive.  I had to try *really* hard not to cry at the end, you could hear the sniffles from the other people in the theater.  It really summed up everything I had been thinking about public education and just didn't know how to express. . .and what I appreciated about it is that instead of just saying 'it's broken', the movie said 'it's broken, but look at what IS working.'  

 

 

 

I cried my eyes out. Like you I was fighting back the tears, but gave in. There are so many factors that affect public education...I like that they show the  different perspectives, and doesn't really put the blame on just one group. I also liked how it doesn't just target inner city schools, but schools in suburban areas as well.  Overall, it's a thought provoking film that everyone should watch despite their opinion.

That was well-put mg :)  I do think everybody should watch it.  My MIL is a Democratic lobbyist for the public schools in Nevada. . .she liked it a lot.  I'm more conservative and I loved it as well - it's definitely not a political based film IMO.  

Two arguments I've heard against the movie:

• Charter schools fail!  Some people are saying that the movie is all about charter schools.  I didn't see that.  Yes, charters do fail.  But so do some traditional public schools.  The movie showed us a school that was working. . .it *happens* to be a charter school.
• It's anti-union!  Again, I didn't see it as anti-union so much.  I saw the movie more as 'look whats wrong with the union', and also how the union conflicts with the State and Federal education organizations.  The union has it's place, but they do make it difficult to ensure that only the best teachers are both staffed and also then rewarded for their efforts.  Frankly, if you are a bad teacher, you have no place running my child's classroom. . .kwim?  Just like if you stink at flipping burgers, you have no place in the kitchen at McDonalds.  If you can't do basic math, you have no place engineering a Boeing.  

You really have to watch it with an open mind and see the big picture.  No matter how you spin it, we are failing.  It sucks to have to say that - and nobody wants to hear it.

I loved how to counter the 'we're failing our kids' statement, they showed us what *is* working.  It's not about charter schools, or firing teachers, or budget shortfalls.  It's about telling our kids that they are worth it, they are expected to do well, and giving our good teachers the power to make that happen.  I loved how the schools that are working are doing it on the same budget as the schools that are failing.  It's about so much more than just money. . .

 

Wow.... I have never heard of this film! The closest city to me is on the coming soon list so I will definitely make sure I go see it!

Being a teacher in Canada.... I've never really experienced a public school vs private school issue really as the majority of our schools are public, government funded and regulated and only one province has Charter Schools. We have a Separate School System as well which are usually Catholic or religion-based but they are still "public".

If you guys don't mind me asking, because I truly don't know.... but why is this such a heated issue in the US? I don't want to cause debate or anything, just if someone can fill me in on the issues.