I attended the Doc and Talk for Waiting for Superman last Wednesday, the 26th. I had been wanting to see this documentary for a very long time now, but had always put it off....until now. This movie explores the public school system, and followed the lives of five families as they try to get their children into a better school. It really exposed how public schools have become a "system" and the reasons why they are failing. There were many things I didn't know, like the "Dance of the Lemons." This is when a school, instead of firing their worst teachers, transfer them to other schools, and in turn, other schools transfer their bad teachers to them; resulting in a "dance" of sorts.
This movie really struck a chord in me. I plan on teaching with my degree, and instead of being discouraged, this movie actually inspires me to keep pursuing it. It definitely pulled on my heartstrings (I admit, I teared up a few times). I feel this movie is really informative, and it was really good choice to watch it.
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This movie really shows the struggles that families must go through to get their children a worthwhile, fulfilling education. Despite not aspiring to become a teacher, I felt moved to teach the children that weren't able to get a good education and to somehow change the system that currently exists.
ReplyDeleteI also attended this Doc and Talk. I felt that the documentary was biased, however I agreed with a lot of what was presented. The education system in this country is completely out of whack. I am from Cleveland and have experienced first hand what it's like to be enrolled in a failing school system. With that said, I also feel extremely lucky to have a supportive family that has installed the importance of education in my mind, and has pushed me towards success and to where I am now.
ReplyDeleteIt was really quite interesting seeing Waiting for Superman a second time. It has been about a year I'd say and this time I knew even more about education reform and charter schools than before. Because of that, I was about to disagree with certain parts of the film that are just bias toward charters. Overall it was a fun event and I enjoyed hearing what other people got out of the documentary as well. You really have to be careful watching documentaries because sometimes they aren't 100% truthful like some people believe.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of Waiting for Superman before I saw it on the calendar. I thought it looked interesting and decided to go. I've always known that the education system in the US wasn't the best but it was never real to me before I saw this documentary. It never occurred to me that someone's high school could be the make or breaking point in their lives. That if they didn't receive a good education there that they would be set up for failure the rest of their lives. It made me sad that all the parents wanted better for there children but it was up to chance to make that happen. I definitely think the education system needs to be revamped but getting that accomplished will be a long and hard process.
ReplyDeleteI could not go to the Humanities showing of this film, but I did watch it over the summer and I thought the movie was really interesting. The lives of children completely depend on a lottery. This system is completely unfair, and I got really sad watching all of these kids get turned away by these charter schools. I think the film as a whole is criticizing the current education systems and how they function. It also smartly points out the flaws in having these charter schools verses the public school system. I watched this movie simply because Ohio's governor, John Kasich, mentioned the film in his speech last year. He used it as a tool to point out the flaws in our state's educational system.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly to some of the people that have commented on this I came from a public school that wasn't well off. I would't say that it was exactly failing but it often pushed kids through the system just as the movie suggested. Even though I didn't come from the best high school i'm thankful for the experience it provided me and this movie reminded me of many people i've grown up with. So although Adam is right you can't believe everything documentaries say this one definitely got the point it was trying to make across to me.
ReplyDeleteI found Waiting For Superman to be a very informative and inspiring film. Although I took a special interest in it as someone who plans to be a teacher, I think it would be a great film for anyone to watch. Education reform is a hot topic in today's political world and watching this film will show you why.
ReplyDeleteOf the topics discussed in the documentary, I found the process of firing, or rather attempting to fire, teachers to be the most outrageous. The director was obviously biased against the teachers' union, but if you look at his facts without the commentary, you will still see that there is a great need for change in the education system.
Aside from being educational, the film was also engaging. I became emotionally attached to each of the students and was thoroughly saddened by the end of the film.
To be honest, Waiting for Superman made me angry. There were moments during the movie that I couldn't help but shake my head in digust. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that in a country as advanced and privledged as ours, receiving a good education is dictated, in some cases literally, by chance. I find it insulting. Everyone deserves a stellar education no matter their tax bracket or where they live. Waiting for Superman really showed me how much we've got to change our education system and to appreciate the educaiton that I've been lucky enough to receive.
ReplyDeleteWhen most people consider lower class citizens, they see people who just didn't try hard enough. The movie "Waiting For Superman" proved to the nation that there are families struggling all across the country, desperately trying to make better for their kids. It's not that people aren't trying hard enough, it's that the educational system doesn't allow kids to prosper in their school environments. Kids have to have their future placed in a lottery in order to see if they will get the education to make for a better future. The movie paints the disappointment of families everywhere, because, like most lotteries, the majority does not win. The movie opens up a lot of areas to discuss about what it means to get a good education and how to be successful. In particular, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to be a teacher.
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