There’s been a tremendous wave of hype leading to the opening of the new film “Waiting for Superman,” a documentary that focuses on the plight of urban families who see charter schools as their only opportunity for quality education.
The film portrays public education in general as failing, teachers unions as the villains and charter school leaders as the heroes. Progressive as well as conservative commentators (such as Frederick Hess) have written that the film takes the complicated issue of how to improve education for poor families and oversimplifies it beyond belief.
One thing is undeniable: The film’s release and its attendant hype have put the problems of urban schools front and center and created opportunities to make the case for supporting and improving public education. Now is the time for supporters of public schools to push back against simplistic arguments, remind people about many successful public schools and public school teachers and demand policies that support instead of attack our public schools. → Read More
