Let’s not ‘wait for superman’
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Dropout factory. This is the label given to schools across the nation that graduate 60 percent or fewer of a given class. It means that for every 100 freshmen who enter the school, 40 or more will not graduate. The term was coined by Bob Balfanz of Johns Hopkins University during a project that analyzed United States Department of Education data from 2004, '05 and '06.
The first time I heard the term was this weekend during a community showing of the documentary “Waiting for Superman.” The showing was courtesy of CSKT Early Childhood Services. ECS director Jeanne Christopher was so moved by the film that she wants everyone to see it.
After watching the film, it’s easy to see why Jeanne was so moved. The documentary explores the state of our nation’s public education system and tells the compelling stories of five children and their struggles to enroll in a charter school – a publicly funded, privately run school.
The sheer number of American families seeking alternatives to our traditional system of public education was eye-opening. These families are so disenfranchised with traditional public schools that they are willing to be put on extensive waiting lists for the chance for their child to attend a charter school. Since charter schools are publicly funded, they are required to hold public lotteries when there are more students than spaces available. The lotteries ensure that every eligible (in-district) student is given an equal opportunity to attend. Emotions run deep as each family waits to hear whether their number will be called.
The documentary cites outdated bureaucracy and special interests (namely teachers unions) as the primary culprits for our failing public education system. And while in some cases charter schools have proven a helpful alternative, the answer is to improve our traditional public system.
There are some enlightening, albeit disturbing, statistics provided in the film. One of those statistics: among 30 developed nations worldwide, the United States ranks 25th in math, 21st in science and 23rd overall.
In the film, Bill Gates makes the point that without an educated workforce, America will be ill-equipped to compete in a global economy. His point is clear. Improving the quality of public education is a wise investment in our future.
The film highlights the existence of some 2,000 dropout factories nationwide. I watched in interest as little flags marking various locations of these schools popped up on a map of the United States. Would there be one in Montana?
There were a few. Though specific towns weren’t named, a couple of those flags appeared in Northwest Montana. My curiosity piqued, I looked up Montana’s dropout factories after I watched the film. My heart sank when I saw Ronan High School on the list.
I immediately felt defensive. Perhaps they didn’t take into account the alternative school we have … certainly some students who’ve left Ronan High School have gone on to graduate from Two Eagle River School. Again, maybe they’ve discounted the opportunities available to young people through Kicking Horse Job Corps and Salish Kootenai College. Worst yet, on its surface, the label seemed to discount the contributions of great teachers. And we do have great teachers. According to the film, great schools come from great teachers.
As a journalist, I know there aren’t just two, but often multiple sides to every story. That said, there seem to be some important and undeniable truths in the documentary.
Once I began to digest this hard-to-swallow pill, my thoughts turned more positive. The Ronan community has repeatedly shown in many different ways that the needs of their students are a high priority. Within the last six years they’ve built a new middle school, (complete with an event and performing arts center), as well as a modern astro-turf football field. The Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation has served (and continues to serve) several hundred after-school children. In addition, Ronan’s young 4-H community couldn’t be more active. If any community and school system can rise above the drop-out problem, Ronan can.
I started wondering what I personally could do to help and found a variety of tips online ranging from supporting great teachers, to volunteering/mentoring and staying informed. (These tips can be found at: www.waitingforsuperman.com)
One of the charter schools in the film touts the message that “knowledge is power.” At the end of the film the audience is reminded of this basic tenet and called to action. Now that we know, what will we do?
The first thing I’m doing is encouraging everyone to take advantage of the free opportunity to see this film.
ECS will pick up the bill for two community showings of the film at the Entertainer Theater in Ronan. The first showing was Nov. 22. The next will be Saturday, Dec. 4 at 1 p.m.
I am thankful to CSKT and Early Childhood Services for their generosity in paying for the showings and to Jeanne Christopher for her advocacy of our children.
