I'm looking forward to the new documentary from the director of "An Inconvenient Truth," highlighting the ineffectiveness of our education system. I expect there will be some scary and sad stories in this film, but these are stories America needs to hear badly.
"Waiting for 'Superman'" (not sure where that name comes from) promises to focus on the positive impact of good teachers. It suggests that we should put a greater emphasis on these teachers and show them our appreciation for the job they do.
Another big focus of the documentary, and a big point in the trailer, is the charter school concept. The movie follows a group of students who attempt to get into charter schools as a way to avoid traditional public schools with high dropout rates. However, the effect that this process has on the students who fail to escape the failing schools will likely have the biggest impact.
Unfortunately, I missed a chance to see "Waiting for 'Superman'" at the AFI Silver Docs festival last night, but I will definitely not miss another chance to see the documentary that apparently made DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee cry.
The website for the movement associated with the film featured this short that highlights some of the scary statistics and reasons for hope:
