I rarely say Liberal Clap-trap but I might have to make an exception. I just finished watching tbhe much acclaimed ‘Waiting for ‘Superman.’ I have never endured such liberal clap-trap. That is not to say there was not some merit. I can pretty much find merit with almost anything.
What I did find is lots of bashing and no real solutions. The great teachers I saw were rapping out math problems. I am not so sure that is what makes a great teacher. There were lots of kids trying to get into magnet and public charter schools. These were kids who wanted to learn. Kids who want to learn are easy to teach. This fact is not exactly a news flash.
What the film failed to point out is that each of these kids had parents who valued education. The parents were not necessarily educated themselves but they prioritized education to be pretty much the most important thing in that kid’s life. That is the secret. That is what makes for outstanding schools. Chock them full of kids whose parents set high expectations and value education and the sky is the limit.
