I recently had the opportunity to view the documentary "Waiting for Superman" with hundreds of inspired, interested, and driven adolescents from the Youth Speaks Organization. As I watched this comprehensive, unsettling, and yet poignant look at the United States's educational system, I heard the cheering and clapping of concurrence from the audience. It left me with a pit in my stomach because this cross section of America's youth could relate to almost every sad and desperate scene on film. As a product of two high school teachers, education was always valued and of utmost importance in my home, and therefore, I took for granted getting an education. Unlike me, the kids who I sat among understood that in most areas in this country, education is NOT a right, but a privilege. They know that a teen drops out of high school every 26 seconds. They have also experienced among their families and friends that these drop outs are 8% more likely to end up in jail and will earn 40% on the dollar of a college graduate. This documentary was part of their story too.
The director, Davis Guggenheim, also known for his piece "An Inconvenient Truth," shares a gripping and thought-provoking story in this new film about the plight of this country's educational system. The dismal state of education, the bleak statistics, and the cumbersome politics surrounding any sort of solution is punctuated by a human element. The cost of apathy and denial are given faces and families in this film. We follow the stories of five inspiring, hopeful, and innocent children and their doting, hard working, and tireless parents who are trying to ascertain the basic American right of education. These five youths are merely examples of the millions of children who lack the means to shatter the molds that tie them to the "academic sinkholes" and "drop out factories" that they call their schools. Guggenheim illustrates this blatant injustice, and without moralizing or offering any concrete solutions, he evokes an unremitting desire to rectify the situation.
Guggenheim deconstructs the antiquated educational system, much like he did with our ostrich-like mindset about the environment in "An Inconvenient Truth," to enlighten us to the fact that when the system is broken, it must be fixed. He also shares with us the hope that exists among dedicated and talented teachers, parents, and individuals such as Washington DC chancellor of public schools, Michelle Rhee and Geoffrey Canada, the Harlem born and Harvard educated head of Harlem's Children Zone. Additionally, the movie demonstrates that some youth, despite their challenges, still have hope, excitement, and desire for a better life. Moreover, he shows us the hope of a nation -- a nation that needs to value one of the most important attributes that it has to offer: that we all deserve a chance, that we all are created equal, and that we all have the right to an education.
The devastating consequences of our inaction and this Social Darwinism survival of the fittest, or in this case, the richest, mentality, will have a destructive effect on children and their families. It will also have similar consequences on our nation as a whole. Meaning, in order to "fix" the problems that face our country and the world, such as poverty, global warming, and health care, we need an educated society. Although there are wonderful, caring, and hardworking teachers and there are parents who do their best to provide for their children, this nation's focal point needs to be put on the single most essential issue: educating our youth. It is our responsibility, and as Guggenheim illustrates so clearly, there is hope. The time to act is now, as we can't afford to be sitting around "Waiting for Superman."
As a public high school teacher beginning my 9th year, I have found that blaming the unions is a worthless exercise. A teachers union does nothing to bring down educational standards and the myth that unions are protecting this army of worthless teaching flotsam is silly hyperbole. I personally focus on exactly WHAT we are teaching our youth. We are almost single-minded in teaching "facts" while eliminating "Wisdom" from our curriculum. This is why about 85% of our US high school students see their experience as worthless and having nothing to do with "real life". At my school (one of the top public high schools in the nation according to "test scores") I conducted a survey among 500 students (out of 1,800 total students) and found that 90% of them were cheating "some of the time" or "all of the time". We need to make the curriculum more relevant and we also need to stop using fear by telling kids constantly..."If you don't get into UC-whatever, you're life will be limited, never get a job, etc." All of these antiquated modes of education are beginning to bite us now. You can't use the tools of 20 years ago on the youth of today. Their experience and perspective on culture and high school is massively different from yours and mine (I'm 41). The curriculum needs a major overhaul. Check out http://challengesuccess.org/ to pull the curtain back from what's going on out there.
markmogul: As a public high school teacher beginning my 9th year,
I know the agenda is the privatization of public schools whipped up by propagandist rhetoric and "documentaries". How about you read from a few experts and stop personal attacks for which you are wholly out of line:
Parents. Matter. Most.
Culture. Matters. Second. Most.
How to fix THOSE THINGS FIRST? You tell me. After 8 years teaching in public schools, I had to leave. MONEY is NOT the problem; the system wastes money on the salaries of USELESS bureaucrats, the union enables and protects the jobs of incompetent and lazy teachers, and stupid federalization of education through statist solutions such as No Child Left Behind, tie the hands of innovative teachers. Put apathetic parents ON TOP of that and cultures that DO NOT VALUE education and/or feel that schools and teachers somehow represent the MAN, so teachers are left with trying to maintain a learning environment with kids who express cultural pride in being defiant. Yeah, so let's just throw more money at the problem!
Voltairine: Parents. Matter. Most. Culture. Matters. Second. Most. How to fix
That parents matter most is beyond dispute - but given that parents are failing in their roles by the millions - should the educational apparatus simply throw up their hands and surrender?
It is too late to re-parent parents who are unwilling or unable to provide structure, discipline, and values that would enable their unfortunate children to embrace and benefit from quality educations. If one accepts that to be true - and deem it a poor long-term strategy to abandon those children or stuff them down a well - what is to be done?
THAT reality is what we must grapple with - not what we wish were true.
No one can rationally dispute that there are not abuses or excesses in large-scale unionized environments, but scapegoating them when you yourself acknowledge the aren't the greatest part of the problem isn't going to help.
Being that conservatism itself - in whose grip America presently shudders - devalues education and despises the educated - I submit that nothing will change until influential leaders vocally promote education as among our highest values and priorities.
Ask any kid what they want most of all - the vast majority will answer "to be rich and famous" - almost none will say "to get a good education."
Until that changes - we're hosed...
3dtrix: That parents matter most is beyond dispute - but given
As a teacher I got called on the carpet by parents more often for challenging students and following through on their lax habits than for any other reason. Meanwhile, the union-protected veteran earning double what I earned slapped in videos week in and week out, and could boast of the most declined test scores in our grade, was never held accountable by parents or adminstrators. This is happening all over the country. It's not partisan politics. It's culture. I don't have kids, but if I did, I would homeschool.
Voltairine: As a teacher I got called on the carpet by
There are some surprisingly simple and surprisingly inexpensive solutions. One of the first things to do is stop letting industrial food giants poison our kids for profit. A high school in Appleton Wisconsin has shown how simply getting good foods into the school changed the entire behavioral landscape. http://organicconnectmag.com/wp/2010/07/can-we-cut-crime-by-changing-cafeteria-menus/
organicconnect: There are some surprisingly simple and surprisingly inexpensive solutions. One
Investing in PUBLIC education in this country is not just for our future, it is for our SURVIVAL as a Country able to compete in the Global economy. Private schools for the privileged, or homeschooling for the fearful, just won't cut it.
singermuse: Investing in PUBLIC education in this country is not just
Our education system has always been second rate, we just did not know that in Europe and Japan they took education seriously ...and really think about it, all the jobs added under Bush did not require even a High School education..... The situation is that we need jobs to motivate the students, they are seeing their parents loosing benefits and pay, jobs and homes so why should they be motivated....After all, even if you have an education, Billy Gates and Warren are going to either insourse the people from China and India or outsource the jobs to sweatshops.....THIS IS THE REALITY, not the FANTASY. How many PHDs have no jobs or are being paid less than minimum wage to teach as a contractor???
schatsie: Our education system has always been second rate, we just
I don't know about Europe, but Japanese families spend a HUGE amount of money on education for their children and anyone who can spend extra for a better (private, usually) school, plus Juku (cram school), plus English lessons, makes that investment. They also have much longer school days and a school year of about 210 days, compared to our paltry 180 days. In the budget of the typical Japanese family, education for their children typically is somewhere between RENT and FOOD. That is how much education is VALUED by their culture.
Voltairine: I don't know about Europe, but Japanese families spend a
One would think that the "product of two high-school teachers" would know better than to use the word "ascertain" when they intend to convey "obtain."
RobHunt: One would think that the "product of two high-school teachers"
What a fantastic contribution to the conversation. I hope you continue to feel as proud as you did when you typed such an eloquent post. You really put her in her place, you did.
getoffthecross: What a fantastic contribution to the conversation. I hope you
The teachers unions and the politicians who do their bidding are a total disgrace. It seems to be them against us, and I choose us! No more money. No more tenure. No more union nonsense.
RobHunt: The teachers unions and the politicians who do their bidding
***As a product of two high school teachers, education was always valued and of utmost importance in my home***
This is the key sentence in your entire post.
There IS no problem with education, there is a problem with its being valued and supported by parents. Schools can do little in the face of apathetic parents and unmotivated students.
SF_TKF: ***As a product of two high school teachers, education was
Exactly. I don't care how much money you throw at schools, the bottom line is involved parenting and the acknowledgment that education requires as much hard work outside of school as in it.
inmyhumbleopinion: Exactly. I don't care how much money you throw at
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Culture. Matters. Second. Most.
How to fix THOSE THINGS FIRST? You tell me. After 8 years teaching in public schools, I had to leave. MONEY is NOT the problem; the system wastes money on the salaries of USELESS bureaucrat
It is too late to re-parent parents who are unwilling or unable to provide structure, discipline
THAT reality is what we must grapple with - not what we wish were true.
No one can rationally dispute that there are not abuses or excesses in large-scal
Being that conservati
Ask any kid what they want most of all - the vast majority will answer "to be rich and famous" - almost none will say "to get a good education.
Until that changes - we're hosed...
This is the key sentence in your entire post.
There IS no problem with education, there is a problem with its being valued and supported by parents. Schools can do little in the face of apathetic parents and unmotivate