The Solution Is Simple?

After seeing “Waiting for Superman,” I walked away with hopes, but also with new concerns for Baltimore City Schools. As the credits rolled and my eyes cleared, I read the final comments that scrolled across the screen. While I believe these words were meant to inspire, I was mostly concerned. One comment that caused my head to tilt in confusion and forced me to reread was “The solution is simple.” After almost 2 hours of watching and just over 1 year in the classroom, one of the last conclusions that I have come to is that “the solution is simple.” While there are a number of undeniable take-aways that I feel most of the audience would agree on, I do not think the simplicity of this injustice is one of them. In fact, one of the strengths of the film for me was that it addressed the complexity of the issue, as well as its urgency and importance.

I walked out of the theater thinking about one of the most touched upon topics of the film, charter schools. There is no question in my mind that charter schools have made a significant and undeniable contribution to Baltimore City and are critical to solving the education crisis in our city. However, I am deeply troubled that charter schools will become the solution to this complex problem. It is my fear that the public and those who work in education will latch onto charter schools as their “superman.”

As the film highlights, there are charter schools that are changing the lives of students. It also makes it heartbreakingly clear that there is not enough space for each student who deserves such an education. It also points out the fact that not all charter schools are fulfilling their promise of a great education. We cannot ignore these facts in search of a simple solution.

This injustice is huge. It affects millions of students, their families and our city and nation. One of the challenges to solving the problem is that we must solve this problem to scale. I believe charter schools will be a major contributor to the solution and should continue to grow to reach more and more students. However, we cannot rely solely on one approach. There is no one quick fix. Not every school will be, should be, or can be a charter school. It is necessary, as we work to provide every student with a quality education, that we do not forgot the other schools. As a teacher in a neighborhood school that is not succeeding as it should, I feel there is a lot to be learned from many charter schools and their successes. However, my students should not be pushed to the side because there were not the “lucky ones” or because they have not had the opportunity to attend a charter school. Many neighborhood schools are not succeeding, but rather than divert our focus, we must change these schools for the students that attend them. I firmly believe neighborhood schools can have success and I see it happening in our city. My students deserve the best and they can succeed. Our solution needs to reach all students, including those who will attend neighborhood schools. They deserve a “superman” too and we cannot forget them.