Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim reminds us, in the soon-to-be-released film Waiting for Superman, that education “statistics” have names: Anthony, Francisco, Bianca, Daisy, and Emily, whose stories make up the engrossing foundation of WAITING FOR SUPERMAN. As he follows a handful of promising kids through a system that inhibits, rather than encourages, academic growth, Guggenheim undertakes an exhaustive review of public education, surveying “drop-out factories” and “academic sinkholes,” methodically dissecting the system and its seemingly intractable problems.
However, embracing the belief that good teachers make good schools, and ultimately questioning the role of unions in maintaining the status quo, Guggenheim offers hope by exploring innovative approaches taken by education reformers, inspiring teachers and charter schools that have—in reshaping the culture—refused to leave their students behind. The movie promises to receive high marks and has already been recognized at the Sundance Film Festival.
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