WAITING FOR SUPERMANBy: Chris Garland, Kim Tooley and Todd Benben

Background “Waiting For Superman” is a deeply

personal exploration of the current state of public education in the U.S. and how it is affecting our children, brought to life on the big screen.

Davis Guggenheim sets off on a probing journey into the lives of five unforgettable kids whose dreams, hopes and untapped potential reveal all that it is a stake at this critical moment in their lives.

FACTS

STUDENTS TEACHERS

7,000 students drop out of high school every school day, for a total of about 1.3 million a year

50% of incoming ninth graders in urban, high-poverty schools read three or more years below grade level

23% of new American teachers come from the top third of their graduating class

14% of new American teachers in high-poverty schools come from the top of their college class

100% of teachers in Singapore, South Korea and Finland come from the top third of their college classes

Stars of the filmDaisy is an LA fifth grader that, no matter

what, never gives up on her future.Francisco, a Bronx first grader whose mom

will do anything to give him a shot at a better life.

Anthony, a Washington D.C. fifth-grader in search of a different life from that of his father whom he lost to drug addiction.

Emily, an eighth-grader in Silicon Valley who fears being permanently stamped as unfit for college.

Biana, a Harlem kindergartner already aiming, with the help of her single mother, to make it against the odds.

CHARTER SCHOOLS Charter schools are schools that operate with freedom from

many regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The “charter” establishing each school is a performance

contract which outlines the school’s mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment and ways to measure success.

The average length of time that a charter is granted is 3-5 years.

Charter schools are accountable for academic results and fiscal practices to the sponsor that grants them, the parents who choose them and the public that funds them.

Parents and teachers choose charter schools primarily for:◦ -high academic standards

◦ -small class sizes

◦ -innovative approaches

◦ -educational philosophies that agree with their own

◦ -safety (usually serve about 250 children per school)

The EducatorsGeoffrey Canada

• Began in his education career as an English and Social Studies teacher

• Discouraged by the lack of student progress and the bureaucracy

• President and CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone in Central Harlem, New York

• HCZ provides a pipeline for student from birth to college

• HCZ provides low income families with in-school, after school, social service, health and community building programs

• Children can follow one of two tracks: Promise Charter Schools or support within the public system

Bill Strickland • Worked to form partnerships that

provide services in many of the Unites States’ poorest cities

• President and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation

• Provides dozens of free after-school programs and services to low performing schools

• Programs bring in creative arts such as jazz, ceramics, and digital imaging

• Also offer associate degree programs in culinary arts, health field, chemical laboratory careers, horticulture and office technology

The EducatorsMichelle Rhee

• Chancellor of the DC Public School from 2007 – Oct. 2010

• 7th Supt. In 10 year of DC system

• During her tenure she closed 23 ineffective schools, raised test scores, reduced bureaucratic control, took on teacher unions

• Worked to end teacher tenure and move to a merit-based compensation plan based on student achievement…teachers could earn between $20,000 - $30,000 bonuses in exchange for tenure if students performed at high levels

• Fired over 250 teachers due to ineffective teaching and classroom instruction

• Founded New Teacher Project - non-profit program that trains and hires high-quality teachers across America

David Levin & Mike Feinberg

• Both began as Teach for America teachers

• Began KIPP (Knowledge Is Personal Power) in 1994

• Opened a school that practiced unconventional teaching techniques – highly successful raising test scores

• Due to success of 1st school, opened and replicated another in NYC

• KIPP has opened 82 schools nationwide recognized for high performance

• Schools and systems have served as models for other successful programs such as Harlem Children’s Zone

SummaryGuggenheim address educational

concerns and questions through dynamic storytelling and sparks a national conversation.

He introduces us to a group of educators who are currently defying the odds. But when the credits to the movie role, it is not the end but really just the beginning.

Video Linkhttp://link.brightcove.com/service

s/player/bcpid96360173001?bclid=95768442001&bctid=631903728001

Final ThoughtsThe story hasn’t ended but

has just begun. What Guggenheim reveals is that the educational superheroes

we have been waiting for are really all around us. In

fact, he declares, it just might be you.