Response to 'Waiting for Superman'

I recently went to see the movie "Waiting for Superman." I am very disappointed with the way the movie portrays public education. The movie does not provide a balanced or fair perspective. It promotes charter schools, when in reality, public schools outperform charter schools 83 percent of the time. It uses an emotional story to condemn public education, when in reality, public schools provide excellent learning opportunities.

The movie highlights the plight of several students who apparently do not have a good public school to attend. That is not the case in Cape Girardeau and indeed is not the case in many communities. School districts are different and have different needs. The issues facing the poorest performing schools should not be generalized to all schools. The real challenge for public education is how to help all children regardless of their needs and differences. There are great public schools across this country that help children from all backgrounds reach great academic heights. Unfortunately, this film did not talk about those schools or teachers. It missed an opportunity to show the good that is happening in our public schools.

The Cape Girardeau School District is not waiting for Superman, or any other hero, to save us. Our district is investing in its employees with the recently approved Comprehensive School Improvement Plan that establishes responsibility up and down the chain of command. District personnel have analyzed data, pursued professional development and made progress in the achievement of all students. While we have accomplished much, we are relentless in our drive toward excellence and conquering problems for our district, foremost of which is the high school graduation rate. We are not looking for a phone booth so we can change clothes; our district is looking to see how we can do a better job. No one is going to do it for us -- the solution lies within the dedicated pursuit of answers at the local level.

"Waiting for Superman" is an emotional production. However, we must remember that emotion and truth are not always the same thing. Solutions will be found in careful analysis of facts and not the emotion of the day. If the purpose of this film is to stir debate about solutions to educational issues that we face in Cape Girardeau, or even in most of this country, then it is worthless. If we want to have a true dialogue about issues facing our schools and our community, then that is what we should do. But if we are just using a movie to get emotional, then I believe that we have better things to do. We are not now, or ever have been, waiting for Superman.

Dr. Jim Welker is the superintendent of the Cape Girardeau School District.