Waiting For Superman Analysis

Waiting For Superman, written and directed by Davis Guggenheim, is a documentary that showcases the journeys of five children and their families’ toward potential acceptance into charter schools. Throughout the film, the establishment of several charter schools is shown, including Harlem Success Academy, founded by educator Geoffrey Canada. Another of the charter schools shown was Kipp Academy, developed by Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin. In 1994, Feinberg and Levin began redefining what was possible for a classroom of public school students in Houston, Texas. Kipp Academy’s founders believed that the establishment of Kipp would “help underprivileged children develop the knowledge, skills, character and habits necessary to succeed in college.”

Graduating kindergarten would have likely been one of the proudest moments of both Bianca and Nakia’s lives. Had Nakia been able to receive services through the Even Start program during that time, she might have been able to qualify for a higher paying job, and thus, she would have been able to pay her daughter’s tuition. Additionally, through receiving these services, Nakia would have had the opportunity to develop a stronger knowledge base, and be able to help Bianca with her school assignments. As discussed in Title I of No Child Left Behind, “parents play a critical role in the language and intellectual development of their children” (NCLB, 2002). Children with parent(s) who consistently communicate, play and read with them are more likely to be able to help their children in

It was interesting to see in the film that many of the children, including Daisy, had aspirations for their future after college, knowing they might not even get a chance to attend a 4 year university. She explained, “I want to go to a medical college or a veterinarian college because I really want to become a surgeon” (Esparza, Waiting for “Superman,” 2010). It was also inspiring to see how dedicated Bianca’s mother was, and how hard she worked so that her daughter could attend a quality school. As she said, "I don 't care what I have to do, I don 't care how many jobs I have to obtain, but [Bianca] will go to college" (Hill, Waiting for “Superman,” 2010). As someone who has had the privilege to attend quality public educational institutions, it was eye opening to see the struggle some of these families went through in order to provide the same for their children. However, with the push for quality public education through the creation of charter schools, many of these students now have the opportunity to live out their dreams thanks to the “superheroes” who made it possible for them. The bottom line is that the future of our country depends on our dedication toward providing all children with access to a quality