Role Of Education In Waiting For Superman

Expert Options: “I get paid whether you learn or not.” One might ask who formed this insensible vocalization; the answer encompasses, or lies within the various teachers who have given up or do not care about their students anymore. These are the inadequate educators, the student body as a whole seemingly dreads receiving. Furthermore, they are among the several determining factors, according to the film, Waiting for Superman, as to the complexity of education issues and why schools are performing poorly. Davis Guggenheim, an Oscar winning filmmaker, “undertakes an exhaustive review of public education, surveying “drop-out factories’ and ‘academic sinkholes’” in this production in order to not only learn the issues, but to also offer suggestions

“...the trend from the mid-1970s to 2001 appears relatively clear—statistical models indicate that the income achievement gap has grown by roughly 40 to 50 percent within twentyfive years, a very sizable increase”(Sean F. Reardon, Stanford University). This concept is not only evident in Waiting for ‘Superman’, but also in other films, such as, HBO’s Class Divide, and various additional texts. There is a reason for this. Students of low-income, who are generally composed of minorities, do not have the same access to proper educators and school materials simply because they do not have the money. The real estate, or gentrifications, plays a large role in creating this classism. Steve Barr, an expert in the film Waiting for ‘Superman’, introduced the topic of the schools failing the neighborhoods, rather than the neighborhoods failing the kids. For if students are not given the tools to succeed or they are given low expectations in school, they will not better themselves and they will stay in the same economic status or

“Our belief in the American principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, for example, come into conflict with our growing awareness of the unfair treatment afforded Blacks and other people of color... racial minorities are often treated negatively and unfairly merely because of their group membership” (Howard, pg. 94) In other words, there continue to be inequalities between Whites and individuals of color to this day. Moreover, there are individuals, or privileged persons, who are still ignorant to the inequalities. This often leads to microaggressions. “The researchers reported that experience with microaggressions resulted in a negative racial climate and emotions of self-doubt, frustration, and isolation on the part of victims”(Sue, pg. 279). If students are led to feel this way after constant microaggressions, the reaction to perform poorly is understandable. A student’s environment is crucial to success, and if they are not in a safe or comfortable place where they can express themselves, this will reflect in their grades. Geoffrey Canada understood this issue, and that is why in his charter school he demands success and does not give the students excuses to not perform to the best of his or her