Waiting for Superman

Waiting for superman; but not even his ice cold breath can not stop the melting scholastic system, nor can his super speed catch every falling child before they hit the bottom. If superman can’t save us…then who can?

A couple years ago when I heard of the city and state leaders closing schools I was appalled and confused as to why they would do such a thing, not knowing the intricacy behind it or understanding how they can place these children’s future in jeopardy. But after watching a documentary called “Waiting for Superman,” it became clear and more evident of the need for drastic change in our educational system. We have heard many pledges of education reform before, but none has taken hold, and why you ask…because of a myriad of bureaucracy and the two teachers’ unions around the country; a union that protects teachers even though NYC schools are at a 34% reading level, how absurd.

Although I am a union supporter I cannot stand by and just accept this especially from the people that are charged with molding the future leaders of America. In a world where the U.S. ranks 14^th in reading and 25^th in math, why is it that our teachers’ unions do not see that something is wrong with this? The movie also noted that 1 in 57 doctors lose their license; 1 in 95 lawyers are disbarred; but only 1 in every 2500 teachers loses their tenure. Now if my math serves me correctly our failing schools exponentially outweigh that statistic.

Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of the Washington DC school system, which has the lowest reading scores at 14%, offered a radical idea for change. She would almost double the teacher’s salary from around 73k to 123k if the teachers give up their tenure.  And as often as teachers say they don’t get paid enough many thought that would fix two problems; the unions’ stranglehold on disciplinary action for underperforming teachers; and the increase in teacher’s salary. To our dismay, the union convinced the teachers not to vote on the bill saying it would divide the teachers. As our most valuable people on the planet, it is the teachers responsibility to make sacrifices for the betterment of our nation.

Unlike many other unions the teachers’ union is the most difficult to fire unsuccessful teachers. There’s a 24-step process filled with paperwork, observations and meetings that has to be completed before any disciplinary action can take place. Nevertheless, there is a sliver of hope to creating innovative public schools that are accountable for students and results…it’s called Charter Schools. Exempt from union control, the teachers in charter schools perform at a far higher level partially because they have to work to keep their jobs. The outcome being a higher percentage of students who are academically equiped to transition into higher education. Within these charter schools the reading average has increased to 60% while the math has also increased to 80%.

Alas, the downside to these charter schools are that there aren’t enough, so children are placed on waiting lists or entered in a lottery to be accepted. With the staggering statistics and the long wait what’s going to happen to the students who don’t get in? Where’s their superman? We  normally see statistics that highlight the disparities in suburbs and the urban schools, but the stats of charter schools have surpassed those of the suburban schools. So the stigma that bad communities produce bad schools are not true because the charter schools are located in some of the worst urban neighborhoods in the nation and have proven to be effective in providing children with quality education that prepares them for the 21^st Century.

Parents, we are our children’s ‘Superman.’ We are their voices and advocates. We have the responsibility to spearhead action in support of education reform for our children. Do your part, get involved, put the pressure and hold the system (local school boards, city officials, school administration, and union reps) accountable for the success of our children.