Waiting For Superman

There are children in the United States who have to enter a lottery system to determine whether if they'll get into a school which will provide them with a good education.  I learned this from watching Oprah's show on the new documentary "Waiting For Superman."  I realize that problems within the educational system in our country is not something new, but I had no idea how bad it is.  According to Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, we used to lead the world in college graduates and now we are ranked 9th.  The rest of the world is surpassing the United Sates when it comes to education.  I live in a county which is known for its good school system.  My son just started a new high school with state of the art equipment and facilities.  My children appear to be getting the education they need to go to college.  However, Oprah brought up the fact that when the rest of the children in America aren't getting the education they need it ultimately affects our whole country and our future.   A good education should be available to every U.S. citizen.

We often hear of the inner city kids who are involved with gangs and drugs and their parents are on crack. There a lot of kids though who yearn for a good education and are stuck in the cycle of having bad teachers who don't believe in them and make learning tedious.  Most people have had at least one bad teacher during their education.  These teachers are protected by the apathy of their school district and the union that supports their poor efforts. If they worked anywhere else they would have been fired within a few months. There are also a lot of good teachers who are making a difference and being grossly underpaid.

Superman is a fictional character, but what he represents is real: justice, compassion, strength and courage. You don't have to wear a cape and tights and be able to fly to make a difference in the world.  There are real life supermen and women doing good things in our country.  Geoffrey Canada, Founder Harlem Children's Zone is dedicated to improving education in America.  Geoffrey says, it needs to be a group effort from the unions, teachers and parents to make a change.  I know I'm guilty of not giving 100%.  I have volunteered at my children's schools and make sure they do their homework, but I know I could be doing more. Oprah.com gives some tips on how to make a difference in education.  What have you done or what can you do to make a change?