School Information System: I'm Not "Waiting for Superman." Why is MMSD?

November 20, 2012

I'm Not "Waiting for Superman." Why is MMSD?

In 2010, an anti-public education documentary made its debut. Waiting for Superman features Geoffrey Canada, a controversial education "reformer" who promotes anti-union sentiment and charter schools as a solution to the struggles that face our public education system. The documentary largely appeals to the heart, as it uses weak data and a faulty premise. For this reason, another documentary made its debut in 2011. The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman features the New York City teachers and counters the position taken in Waiting for Superman. With this documentary shedding light on the true nature of charter schools and faux reformers like Geoffrey Canada, I would hope this matter is settled, at least for those of us who rely on real data and results to drive decisions.

Why then is the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) listed as both a sponsor and partner of an upcoming event featuring the "legendary" Geoffrey Canada? Geoffrey Canada is the creator of the Harlem Children's Zone. The two Charter Schools included in this zone are called "Promise Academy I" and "Promise Academy II." Students win a spot in the schools based on a lottery. Canada believes that money is the answer for these children. The Harlem Children's Zone invests $16,000 per student per year for expenses in the classroom, and thousands more per student for expenses outside the classroom. These expenses include student incentives, such as a trip to Disney World or the Galapagos Islands.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at November 20, 2012 2:10 AM
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Comments

Why shouldn't MMSD sponsor and partner to bring Canada in for a discussion? Discussion is good. He has certainly had experiences that most of us have not experienced. Ideas to consider.

I don't necessarily think Canada's views on matters align with Waiting for Superman, nor with the view of Michelle Rhee. I might be wrong, but it would be interesting to find out.

Waiting for Superman can stand on its own, I think, and should be viewed somewhat independently. It's junk, of course, but that is transparently obvious, as are the views of Rhee, who I think must be one of the most incompetent people to ever be given a public platform. Waiting for Superman shows how snake oil salesman work their magic.

Because the meeting is being organized by Urban League and Kaleem Caire, it will be interesting to evaluate their views on what they think will work, and what the problems are.

Posted by: Larry Winkler at November 21, 2012 6:59 PM