Film on education doesn't reflect area's experience, say teacher, organizer

While it may be compelling, "Waiting for Superman," the documentary detailing the failures of American education, bears little resemblance to the daily life at schools in Southeast Missouri, according to a Cape Girardeau educator and a community organizer.

The film by Davis Guggenheim, who also directed "An Inconvenient Truth," tracks the ambitions and struggles of five children -- four in public schools, another in private school. "Waiting for Superman," which played at Cape West 14 Cine in Cape Girardeau, follows the families as they wager on the future of their children, in lotteries for coveted spots in successful charter schools.

Russell Grammer, director of Prodigy Leadership Academy, a private school in Cape Girardeau, attended a special screening of the documentary earlier this month at the Frontenac Plaza Cinema in St. Louis. More than 100 business leaders, policymakers, educators and parents attended the panel discussion.

Grammer said he was struck by the emotional effect of the film, alternately evoking anger, sadness and a touch of humor. But he found it narrow in scope, focusing on the lives of urban families, leaving out the myriad stories of smaller communities. Grammer, who served as a teacher in the Cape Girardeau School District for several years, said "Waiting for Superman" is trained on "bad" teachers, suggesting union-represented teachers are a big part of the failures in public education.

"I do have to say that there are some teachers who maybe shouldn't teach, just like you can look at some parents and say, 'Should they be parents?'" he said.

Grammer said one of the biggest issues facing the American educational system is a lack of student motivation and personal responsibility, which he said the film doesn't necessarily tackle.

"I've been in lot of meetings where teachers are crying because they are desperate to make a difference in the life of a child and they are not seeing results, and I have had parents at conferences crying, saying, 'I don't know what to do with my child,'" he said. "It's a societal issue."

Nancy Jernigan, executive director of United Way of Southeast Missouri, said the documentary does well in its examination of urban education issues but misses the mark in measuring experiences in schools like those in Cape Girardeau. Still, she said she's hopeful "Waiting for Superman" will encourage people to get involved in solving some of the biggest educational issues confronting communities.

"In the big cities they have 40 percent, 50 percent graduation rates. Cape Girardeau [School District] has a 73 percent graduation rate. That's still one out of four students not graduating," Jernigan said. "And these children are still in the community, they still live here and bring the community down and themselves down."

United Way supports after-school education programs, a pilot reading initiative and is leading a communitywide campaign to raise graduation rates. That committee expects to release suggestions for success in February.

"Connecting students is a big part of battle," Jernigan said. "You have got to give them something to come to school for."

mkittle@semissourian.com

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