Waiting For Superman isn't about superman. Sorry everybody. It is actually about the public school system in America. Which if you haven't figured out by now isn't too great. Especially in urban areas. Waiting For Superman follows the stories of (I think) 5 kids as their parents try to get them out of their public school system and into a charter school. It has been a while since I actually saw the film but I remember it explained very well why the public schools are failing the kids and it had a lot to do with teachers unions and the affect of tenure and even more jazz I forget about. I just remember that it made me angry that the kids had to suffer.
Despite my failing memory, I do know that Waiting For Superman is a very good film. It was well-paced, kept me riveted with the story and the eventual fates of the kids. I also learned a lot (even if I forgot all of it now). The thing about documentaries of this nature is that they need to offer a solution to the problem they present. And I know the solution isn't "send your kids to a charter school" because not everyone can do that and charter schools would just become the new public school system. Just saying we need to reform the public school system isn't much of a fix.
Now I'm rambling. Wonderful documentary that provides a great look into what should be the best school system in the world, but ranks very low on almost every scale compared to other developed countries.
3 1/2 out of 4 stars
-Christopher O'Connell
P.S. for those who have seen the movies. Really? The rich white girl is the only one (initially) who gets into the charter school? I know it was completely random but god what are the odds?
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