The state of our schools is not something that can be fully explored in a two-hour movie, but Waiting For “Superman” serves as an excellent starting point. It pulls no punches, rightly assigning blame to change-resistant, accountability-shy teacher unions and their political surrogates who believe the solution to everything is “more money!” For that, it was savaged. Interestingly enough, Guggenheim is not a free marketer, but a political progressive. He is perhaps best known for the paean to climate change advocacy that was An Inconvenient Truth.
Of course, Waiting For “Superman” still could have been a failure even if it hit all the right philosophical notes. Either a dry-as-dust presentation or a mega-dose of bombast would have alienated the viewer. Thankfully, the even-voiced Guggenheim picked his spots carefully. Standouts include the charismatic Geoffrey Canada, founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone, and Michelle Rhee, the no-nonsense former Washington D.C. schools chief whose courageous push for merit pay for teachers sparked a firestorm of controversy. There is also a look at New York City’s infamous “rubber rooms” (where bad teachers are sent in lieu of being fired) and an emotional closing montage of lotteries that determine placement in successful charter schools. The pacing is inconsistent at times, but the slow moments are never long or numerous enough to make you want to give up.
Because of the weight given to the charters, some have criticized the film as offering them up as an idealized solution. It’s a fair point, but, in the scheme of things, also a minor one. Waiting For “Superman” does not – and should not – attempt to provide all the answers when it comes to education, but it at least asks the right questions. That alone makes it worth watching.
8/10
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