Waiting For Superman Film Analysis

Districting the New Segregation? Education has been a major influence on government policy and social standards concerning American youth. With hard work and education, one can better themselves and open up more opportunities for financial and social success. Waiting for Superman directed by Oscar winner, Davis Guggenheim, counters that the current education system is failing students by limiting their upward mobility, particularly among minority and low income groups. The documentary advocates for a radical change in the modern education system, modeled after charter school curriculums. Even though these successful schools produce great students many children, majority African American and Hispanic, are being left behind. In Maya Angelou’s

Waiting on Superman follows the struggles of Anthony, Francisco, Bianca, Daisy, and Emily, where Emily is the only white student from a well funded suburban neighborhood (Guggenheim). The others come from communities where “failure factories” are common. Because of financial burdens, most of them cannot attend a private school so they rely on charter schools to get good educations (Guggenheim). Their cases exhibit the disproportionate rate at which good schools are available for their differing neighborhoods. The film only shows only two are accepted to their perspective charter schools; Emily who is white and Anthony a black student who got accepted on a waitlist. These cases show the unfairness within a system that is presumably impartial. The fact that charter schools accept students on a lottery, leave many disproportionately black and Latino students without the opportunity of being selected or drawn. White students usually do not need to leave their suburban public school so there are less people vying to attend a charter school in their area. There is a larger population of black and latino students seeking to leave “failure factories,” as many minority groups live in a neighborhood with inadequate schools. So the chances of a white student getting accepted into charter school is much greater than a black or Latino