Waiting for "Superman" [Blu-ray]

Davis Guggenheim

Overview

Documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim explores the tragic ways in which the American public education system is failing our nation's children, and explores the roles that charter schools and education reformers could play in offering hope for the future. We see the statistics every day -- students dropping out, science and math scores falling, and schools closing due to lack of funding. What we don't see are the names and faces of the children whose entire futures are at stake due to our own inability to enact change. There was a time when the American public education system was a model admired by the entire world. Today other countries are surpassing us in every respect, and the slogan "No Child Left Behind" has become a cynical punch line. Bianca, Emily, Anthony, Daisy, and Francisco are five students who deserve better. By investigating how the current system is actually obstructing their education instead of bolstering it, Guggenheim opens the door to considering possible options for transformation and improvement.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/24/2017
UPC:	0032429287618
Original Release:	2010
Rating:	PG
Source:	PARAMOUNT
Language:	English
Time:	1:51:00
Sales rank:	34,541

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

John Legend	Composer
Christophe Beck	Composer

Technical Credits

Davis Guggenheim

Billy Kimball

Davis Guggenheim	Director,Screenwriter
Billy Kimball	Screenwriter
Lesley Chilcott	Producer
Jeff Skoll	Executive Producer
Diane Weyermann	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, 2006) takes on the American education system as he follows a handful of children and their parents from poor neighborhoods in various cities to discover what chance they have of getting a good education. He explains that failing elementary schools feed into failing middle and high schools, making it almost impossible for even a promising child to achieve the educational foundation required for college. Guggenheim says that despite the United States doubling the spending on education, adjusted for inflation, in the last 40 years, it has realized little improvement. He cites charter school successes by educational innovators but states that attempts to change the mainstream public school system hit roadblocks erected by the vested interests of the educational establishment controlled by all-powerful teacher unions and a multiheaded national, state, and local bureaucracy. Guggenheim skillfully combines file footage and interview excerpts from experts with scenes of the students and families negotiating the educational maze. Incredibly timely with the ongoing public debate on teacher performance and education funding, Guggenheim's heart-wrenching and critical film might enrage those defending the status quo but is highly recommended for educators, parents, students, and anyone understanding the importance of education for the nation's future.—Lawrence Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

Library Journal