Waiting for ‘Superman’

Waiting for ‘Superman’ uncovers the failures of the US public education system by following students and documenting their struggles and triumphs within academic settings. It seeks to promote more stringent accountability for both teachers and charter schools as an effective solution to America’s educational crisis.

The film’s premise is simple and straightforward. It follows five young students who are part of the public school system and also interviews a group of prominent and experienced educational reformers on how to improve the American education system. Waiting for ‘Superman’ exposes an array of complex, persistent, and multi-layered historical and societal problems. It argues that two major problems in education are ineffective teachers and the unions that protect them. The ease with which tenure can be secured, and the bureaucracy involved in reprimanding poorly performing tenured teachers, are presented as reasons why many American children do not receive a high-quality education. The film methodically dissects the system and explores its seemingly intractable problems.