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Why American Education Fails“Different factors that can affect students' performance”
The documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman’ ” portrays teachers as both the solution and the problem in American education. The film notes the historic abuse and low pay that led to teacher unions and tenure, but argues that the nearly impenetrable job protections and uniform salary scales have hardened into detriments, assuring bad teachers earn too much and good teachers too little. Guggenheim, demonstrates throughout his documentary on the importance of good teachers, good schools, and how they have a tremendous impact on students and their education. Guggenheim also states, that we can make our children's futures brighter, if schools get more involved in the education of their students, rather than making decisions that are not in the best interest for our children's education.
Schools need to focus on providing better education for children than any others, but unions are disastrous to a child's education. For example, in "Waiting for Superman" Davis Guggenheim, demonstrates how Unions continue to care more about what will happen to teachers instead of paying attention to the most important thing, which is good education and good teachers for the children.
Unions should be helping our children and guiding them through their school years, but in fact, unions are only ensuring teachers careers no matter if they are good or bad teachers. Tenure ensures a teachers job for life, after being a teacher for three years, regardless of the fact if the teacher is good or bad, that would make teaching a much less attractive profession than it is, and as a consequence necessitate the hiring of more underqualified teachers. I largely agree with the documentary on the issue of teacher unions. Teacher unions represent a huge impediment to reform, and the unions protect the weakest teachers again and again. Any real effort to improve public education will have to include some shifting of power from the unions back to the school boards.
The film “Waiting for Superman” really focused on who was to blame, but gave no real solutions. It also gave the idea that most American public schools were failing. The film failed to show that there are public schools that work. Even if I do not agree with all the films views on education, I have to respect that it is making education a hot topic. The central “bad guys” in “Waiting for Superman” are the teacher’s unions. It is true that unions have often protected outdated tenure practices at the expense of children. However, to target unions as the root cause ofeducational inequality is completely misguided. Kids, parents, and teachers need to be held accountable. The system isn't messed up just because of teachers. Not all of the kids are dying to be educated and some parents should not be parents. The future of kids such as Anthony, Bianca, Daisy, Emily and Francisco lies not only in the luck of the draw but in the hands of adults; the parents, teachers, administrators, union leaders and policy makers who oversee the nation’s public school systems. There is no hope without these people. These five kids as they basically struggle to get a decent education, fighting against the very system that proclaims to want to leave none of them behind.
Anthony, a Washington, D.C. fifth-grader who lost his father to drugs and is being raised by grandparents; explains why he wants to go to college: “Because if I have kids, I don’t want kids to be in this environment. Like around here. Like, I mean, I want my kids to have better than I had.” Nakia, whose makes great sacrifices to send her daughter Bianca to a private school in Harlem. Later in the film, “Young Bianca in tears, because she is barred from her graduation ceremony at a parochial school because her mother can’t pay her past due tuition”. As far as I am concerned, making the film doesn’t expiate filmmaker Davis Guggenheim’s guilt for sending his kids to private schools. That’s where the rubber meets the road on one’s dedication to our public school system. That sense of social and community responsibility for the education of all our children is a much more difficult argument to make. Here’s a venerable quote from Susan B. Anthony: “If all the rich and all of the church people should send their children to the public schools they would feel bound to concentrate their money on improving these schools until they met the highest ideals.” Davis Guggenheim's political-cause documentary “Waiting for Superman” It's a powerful indictment of the broken state of America's education system that offers a scathing swipe at all sides. It even offers possible solutions, ones that I agree with in principle, but disagree with in practice. Here are some missing links in education system to improve students’ performances; “student disposition” – I always believed it's not only the role of a teacher to instruct, but also to light a fire in students, so that their own curiosity motivates them to pursue knowledge. school needs more students, like Anthony, Bianca, Daisy, Emily and Francisco who dedicate, hard work and commitment can make the impossible possible. “Poverty” – financial situationcan deeply infect parenting style and student performance.
Family needs to have proper income, and so parents like Nakia can actively involve in her daughter’s education and Bianca has no tear on her graduation day. “Safe environment” – in order to success in education, safe environment for every kids a must have, and then kids like Anthony studies in peace with his father. “Culture and Socio-economic status” – in American society that have led to this crisis: the widening gap between rich and poor, the loosening of the social contract, the coarsening of the culture and the despair of the underclass. By showing how fiercely dedicated idealists are making a difference, it is a call to arms. Rich send their kids to top preparatory school, and happen in local community would be considered negligent. I believe that the Government, the teachers Union, school boards, parents, and students as well, all need be a part of the solution. American schools do not need a hero, they need unity. |
