Waiting for Superman

Candace Sandstrom

February 5, 2013

Dr. Una

Diversity in Education

Observation of “Waiting for Superman”

            Waiting for Superman was a great insight into the life of students and their families who dream of a better education.  What I think the movie failed to mention is that these “drop-out” factories all around the country have students whose parents and/or guardians that just don’t care about their child’s education.   The movie failed to show how do we as a nation, as teachers, make a difference in the schools where all the students know if failure?  How do we teach students that dropping out of school is not an option?  Is it the moral decay of the nation that is part of the problem?

Ms. Rhee was something to watch.  She was full of fire.  I wish more people had that kind of courage.  She had the student’s best interest at heart.  I loved how she came in and fired principals and teachers and there was real success happening. She was met with opposition at every turn.  But how do we get the teachers in the unions to teach?  How do we get teacher’s to put the student’s best interest first?  It was so typical how when Ms. Rhee gave a good comprise to the teachers to abolish their unions and not one teacher would vote on it. 

The movie left me asking many questions of why is education the way it is.  It also made me feel like the problem is so big.  It almost feels overwhelming.