Waiting for Superman - A Teacher's Perspective a Decade Later

A teacher's review and opinion on the documentary Waiting for Superman, reflecting back 10 years later: 

Waiting for Superman - A Teacher's Perspective a Decade Later 

It's been over a decade since the controversial documentary Waiting for Superman was released in 2010. As a teacher, I have complex feelings looking back on the film and the debates it sparked about the state of public education in America.  

On the one hand, the film shed light on real problems in our education system - underperforming schools, bureaucratic hurdles, unequal access to quality education. It emotionally captured the frustration many families face when trying to get their kids into better schools. The lottery scenes broke my heart as teacher and still stick with me today.  

However, the film also had notable flaws and biases. It propagated the misleading idea that charter schools are the silver bullet solution to fixing education. But the real factors impacting student outcomes - like poverty, curriculum, home life - are much more complex. The film unfairly vilified teachers and their unions as obstacles, rather than partners, in reform.  

Moreover, the frenzy and stress around school choice and testing has arguably intensified in unhealthy ways over the last 10 years. The competition for slots at top charters has reached insane proportions in many cities. Rampant test prep has narrowed curriculums, with less time for arts, recess or project-based learning. Schools are still underfunded and inequality persists. 

So while Waiting for Superman spotlighted real challenges, it oversimplified causes and solutions. We still desperately need public education reform in America. But true, lasting change will require coming together as a community. It will require listening to the voices of teachers, families, and students. It will require investing in both traditional and charter schools. It will require tackling systemic inequities around race and poverty. There are no quick fixes, no Superman. Rather, we all must play a role in demanding and creating better schools. A decade later, the wait continues. But through partnership and persistence, I hope we can get there. 

Thesis: The American public education system is failing many students, especially in lower-income areas. 

Here are some bullet point arguments against the main proposals made in the documentary Waiting for Superman: 

- Charter schools and vouchers won't fix deeper societal issues that impact learning like poverty, lack of healthcare, and unstable homes.  

- Competition from charters may actually hurt traditional public schools by diverting funding and excluding high-needs students. 

- Charter schools often rely heavily on private donations, making their model unsustainable long-term. 

- Charter schools can "counsel out" low-performing students and do not serve severe special needs pupils, skewing their results. 

- High-testing charters narrow curriculum to focus on test prep at the expense of team sports, arts, music, critical thinking. 

- Removing teacher tenure can leave educators vulnerable to firing for personal or political reasons, disincentivizing the profession.  

- Vilifying teachers' unions ignores the protections and advocacy for resources they provide. 

- The film's "parent trigger" proposal risks turning struggling schools over to for-profit charters focused on profits not kids. 

- Success of some high-profile charters like KIPP is not replicable on a large scale across all communities.  

- Research shows student success hinges more on socioeconomic factors than any "superman" teacher or school. 

- Systemic issues like inequitable funding, segregation, and poverty concentration require collaborative policy solutions, not just competition.

Antithesis: The education system is not entirely to blame - broader societal issues like poverty also impact student outcomes.

- The film argues that public schools are not preparing students for success, citing statistics about poor test scores, high dropout rates, and low college completion rates, especially in lower-income school districts. However, poverty and lack of resources in communities impact student achievement too. Just blaming teachers and schools is overly simplistic.

- The film highlights excellent charter schools like the Harlem Success Academy as viable alternatives to failing public schools. But charter schools can cherry-pick students, counseling out difficult kids. Public schools must accept all students regardless of background or disability. Charter schools have more flexibility with curriculum, school days, and hiring, giving them advantages over public schools bound by regulations.

- The film criticizes policies like tenure that protect ineffective teachers. But tenure also protects teachers from arbitrary firing and encourages academic freedom. Teacher unions are depicted negatively but they also advocate for better teacher pay and school resources. Oversimplifying unions as the enemy is unproductive.

- The film's thesis is that increasing school choice and competition will improve all schools through market forces. However, choice alone will not fix deeper issues if the system remains inequitable. Competition can actually disadvantage schools in poorer districts. Broader reforms beyond just school choice and deregulation are likely needed.

In conclusion, the film shines light on real deficiencies in the education system that disadvantage some students. But it tends to oversimplify complex issues and advance reform proposals like expanded charters and vouchers as silver bullet solutions. Improving public education requires considering all contributing factors and collaborative solutions, not just competition and school choice. 

Here's a brief overview of how those three charter schools featured in Waiting for Superman are doing over a decade later: 

- KIPP LA Schools: This network of 15 charter schools in Los Angeles continues to post strong academic results, with students scoring well above LA district averages on standardized tests. In 2021, 90% of KIPP LA students met or exceeded California's English standards, compared to only 45% district-wide. However, the network faces ongoing questions about student attrition rates and "counseling out" struggling students. 

- Harlem Success Academy: This controversial charter network in New York has expanded to 20 schools. Students post high test scores and graduation rates. In 2019, 90% of Harlem Success students met state English standards versus 46% district-wide. But like KIPP, Harlem Success is accused of having high student suspension rates and dis-enrolling challenging kids. Its founder and CEO is a polarizing figure. 

- Summit Preparatory Charter High School: The Redwood City charter school featured in the film continues to thrive. In 2021, Summit Prep reported a 99% graduation rate with 94% of graduates accepted to a 4-year college. However, in 2020, Summit struggled with declining enrollment and budget shortfalls. The broader Summit charter network has faced criticism of its personalized online learning model and student data privacy issues. 

In summary, over a decade later, these high-profile charter schools are still producing above-average test scores and college acceptance rates. But concerns persist around student bodies not fully representing their communities, as well as questions around their enrollment and disciplinary practices. Their long-term sustainability also remains uncertain.

 Here are some details on current enrollment at the charter schools featured in Waiting for Superman: 

KIPP LA Schools:

- Currently has around 6,100 students enrolled across its 15 schools in Los Angeles.

- Enrollment dropped in 2020 due to the pandemic but is recovering. 

- Demographics: 89% Hispanic, 10% Black, 1% Other. 83% meet federal poverty guidelines. 

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD):

 - Currently has 782 schools and 460,633 students. The district's minority enrollment is 90%, and 59.9% of students are economically disadvantaged.
In the 2022-2023 school year, LAUSD served 565,479 students, including 11,795 early childhood education students and 27,740 adult students.
For the 2023-2024 school year, nearly 500,000 students are expected to return to LAUSD. 

Harlem Success Academy: 

- Has around 20,000 students enrolled across its 47 schools in New York City. 

- Enrollment has steadily grown over the years. Their waiting lists have over 20,000 students trying to get seats.

- Demographics: 77% Black, 19% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% Asian. Over 80% are from low-income families. 

New York City Public Schools: 

- Currently has over 1.1 million students in more than 1,800 schools. This makes it the largest public school system in the United States and the world.

The New York City Department of Education (DOE) manages the system, which has an annual budget of more than $27 billion. The system includes approximately 700 elementary schools and 75,000 teachers. The average class size is 24.4 students.

The New York City public school system has a minority enrollment of 90% and 54.1% of students are economically disadvantaged. 

Summit Preparatory Charter High School:

- Currently has around 380 students enrolled in grades 9-12. 

- Enrollment declined from a peak of 522 students in 2015, but has stabilized.

- Demographics: 30% White, 30% Hispanic, 24% Asian, 7% Black. 37% qualify for free/reduced lunch. 

In general, these high-performing charter schools remain in high demand, with strong enrollment interest. But enrollment caps, long waitlists, and questions around student retention have persisted even as they've expanded over the years. Their demographics are mostly Black and Hispanic students from low-income households in their respective communities. 

Here is a comparison of the enrollment demographics at those charter schools versus nearby traditional public schools: 

KIPP LA Schools:

- 89% Hispanic, 10% Black, 1% Other

- Compared to LA Unified Schools: 74% Hispanic, 8% Black, 11% White, 4% Asian 

So KIPP LA serves a higher percentage of Hispanic students than the broader LA district. 

Harlem Success Academy:

- 77% Black, 19% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% Asian

- Compared to NYC district schools: 26% Black, 40% Hispanic, 15% White, 16% Asian 

Harlem Success has a much higher concentration of Black students compared to all of NYC public schools. 

Summit Preparatory High School: 

- 30% White, 30% Hispanic, 24% Asian, 7% Black. 

- Compared to Sequoia Union High School District: 55% White, 25% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 2% Black 

Summit Prep is more diverse than the broader public school district, with higher percentages of Hispanic, Asian, and Black students and lower percentage of White students.

In summary, these charter schools generally serve higher populations of minority and low-income students compared to the traditional public schools in their districts. However, there are still questions around comparing the demographics given disparities in enrollment caps and retention rates.