Waiting for Superman

    Well I can say that this documentary certainly piqued my interest and gave me a different perspective on the public school system. I grew up a upper-middle class white kid in the suburbs of America. Raleigh, NC to be more specific. Wake County has one of the best school systems in the country. My educational experience was fantastic, largely in part from tremendous PTA support. From the days of separation anxiety until the grandeur of graduation, never did I once experience the struggle detailed within this powerful film. It seems that I came to expect the best and it was hard to imagine an alternative.
     At a young age, around six I believe, I was caught between the tracks and placed in a remedial reading group. I didn't understand why I was reading the Cat and the Hat when I had been reading the Harry Potter series since age five. I didn't complain though, I didn't speak up. I was a quiet kid, I suppose. I could have continued on that path forever, misunderstood and underestimated. Thankfully, between parental intervention and conference, I was eventually escalated up to the appropriate level. I take that for granted. I shouldn't though, my experience is clearly atypical in the sense that I am in the minority. I had a safety net. I had people who cared about me and my education. Not only my parents, but the school system as a whole. I succeeded because the system believed in me more so than I believed in myself. It pushed me to new heights, past the awkward years of middle school and the faux-confidence of high school. Contrary to previous beliefs, I am not typical.
     Before the beginning of high school, I applied for admission at a prestigious charter school nearby. It was not a matter of whether I would receive a fantastic education or not. Rather, it was simply the opportunity to experience a slightly different learning method with smaller classes. Throughout my UNC-A experience, I have been astounded at the diversity of the student body in terms of financial and social backgrounds. Having been surrounded by similar individuals from similar backgrounds all of my life, never did I fully understand the extent of the need for educational reform. I believe that this film reinforced what I have begun to realize on my four year journey; we are not all the same, we are not all as privileged, however, humble beginnings should not determine our future. A public school reform is needed.