Review of Waiting for "Superman" (2010) by Jon B — 27 Feb 2011

Movie says it best at the end when it states "A great education comes from....you." Depending on who YOU are, that statement somewhat contradicts the whole one-sided documentary though. As an educator and father of two boys in a suburban public school system, I felt this movie only looked at one side of the bigger picture here.

Of course great schools have great teachers, but kids need that support from their parents. It is a shame to see the clips of tenured teachers sitting behind their desks, ignoring their students, and reading the newspaper.

But this movie should also show more clips of tenured teachers busting their a** each and everyday, who are passionate about the subjects they teach, and who genuinely care about each and every student.

To see these students full of hope as they wait for their number to be called, so that they can enroll in a charter public school is sad. Who's to say that even if they're enrolled, they will be successful? Student achievement in school starts with their social-emotional state.

The movie follows students who seem strong emotionally, who are motivated to learn - but realistically, how many students from 'broken' homes have that strength? Who is accountable? Movie ignores this fact.

How can a teacher do his/her job if the student isn't even motivated? The movie informs us that the system is broken and that this is not a result of one factor (the 'blob') - so how do we fix this? If you are 'Waiting for Superman' at school, you really should start looking at home first.