Waiting for Jor-El

In the recent documentary Waiting for Superman David Guggenhiem attempts to explain why our nation's public school system is failing. He reserves most of the blame for bad teachers, immune from discipline thanks to tyrannical teacher's unions. Guggenheim fails to recognize that America's parents deserve a good portion of the blame for why their children are not learning. Quite the opposite, Guggenheim casts the parents as the heroes of his film. Of course there are many wonderful parents who work hard to create opportunity for their children and help their children succeed, but in my opinion one of the major contributing factors to the problems in our schools are the many parents in this country who pay little or no attention to what their children might or might not be learning in school. It is easier for them to let their kids watch TV or play video games all night than to help them with their homework. If children are not read to and do not see their parents reading they will not grow up to be readers. These parents break their children, then send them to the schools to be fixed. It is much easier to educate a nurtured child than to fix a broken one. Guggenheim also fails to address the fact that the public at large seem to value their own bank accounts more than the educational system. The problem is PRIORITIES: the priorities of the citizens, the priorities of the parents. Selfish people. And then there are the teachers, many of whom sacrifice a great deal in order to devote themselves to a noble cause. These are well-educated people who are woefully underpaid, despite what your politicians will have you believe. They work long hours and endure a great deal of stress, despite what your politicians will have you believe. Many, fuck it, MOST teachers are devoted people, and the opposite of selfish. Guggenheim's film does them a great disservice.