(ThyBlackMan.com) I watch the documentary, Waiting for Superman earlier this week and was quite disturbed after watching the film. The documentary depicted the plight of the educational system in America. The title is taken from a comment made by Geoffrey Canada where he shares about his life growing up in the Bronx. His point was that Superman would come and remove him and his friends from poverty and bad education. The producer Davis Guggenheim uses the prolific statement as a metaphoric comparison in the realm of educational reform.
Guggenheim make Superman appear as this great reformer of education masked in real time as public schools. With the faux repertoire of being impartial and productive many of the public schools are failing the community. Unlike Superman they have many weaknesses that are easily exposed. Some of the school conditions were deplorable and made the environment for learning downright impossible. But the kids displayed 
exceptional resilience to complete the task before them. They found that Superman (public school system) really didn’t their best interest in mind. But these young folks stood their ground and persevered onward.
Superman actually appeared preoccupied with getting a check rather than teaching the children. I admit that teaching in a revolutionary act, second only to parenting and pastoring. But if you are going to do a job of that caliber you should understand the impact that you can have upon the minds of children. The Superman complex presents you as a larger than life character with only one flaw. For Superman that was kryptonite but for the students it is poverty-which can include a myriad of things. When Superman lets down the very people that he was developed to protect and serve then what hope do they have to rely upon.
Herein lies the reason why I prefer Batman. Unlike Superman, Batman was not a person with superpowers. He was a regular dude, though extremely wealthy, that saw that there was a need to fight injustice. He was smart enough to know that he must always be on his game because at any time these guys with superpowers could take over the world. So he studied everyone that he was connected to through the Justice League (Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Aquaman, etc.) and found their weaknesses. With that he always had the defense if and when they would try something underhanded toward the regular folk. Batman displayed a mental stamina that was unparallel to those around him. He was always looking to improve the very thing that was not working properly.
So as we look at the school system, it is going to take someone with a common tie, to the common man, to come to a common solution. Superman will not provide the answer because he is disconnected from the struggle. He has always been greater than the people and he has powers that far exceed those of the people. Batman comes from the people but he has taken the time to research the problem from top to bottom. He has no special powers but he has a sharp mind that will engage even the Supermen of the world.
What we need in education reform are common people with a will to serve the people. They will have a dedication to the children first and pour out of themselves, daily. Not to seem glib about teachers because I know that there are many dedicated teachers who give their souls in the classroom. I am a product of that type of teaching. I have on the flipside seen the dark side of unprepared and carefree teachers. They are more consumed with leaving then educating. Carter G Woodson states in his seminal book, “That mere impartation of information is not education.” When the community turns the deaf ear to the public school system, we cannot be upset when the system develops our children to be criminals.
Staff Writer; Brian Foulks
More articles can be found over at Mr. Folks personal website; Brian Foulks.
