Waiting for Us: Let's work together to save our schools
by
Amy Malick
October 20, 2010
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The superheroes we’ve been waiting for to save our schools are all around us. In fact, they might just be me and you. – Waiting for Superman
The new movie Waiting for Superman highlights the desperate plight of children failed by our public schools. We may disagree about solutions. But one fact is clear – the children we are failing the most are poor children of color.
This is a crisis. Our country, and our democracy, will not be strong until every child has equal opportunity to learn and to contribute.
To rise to the challenge, we must learn to work together across differences or it will be impossible to build strong schools and communities, make sound public decisions, and solve the toughest of public problems.
We need to answer some fundamental questions: What do we want children to know and be able to do? How will our communities support that learning? How will we address gaps of opportunity and outcome, and especially high barriers facing people of color?
All of us must be involved: parents, students, teachers and adults from all walks of life. If we listen to each other and work together, we will have a better chance of finding and supporting solutions that help our young people learn.
We have a long way to go. But in our work, we have seen that many people from all backgrounds want to work together to make schools work for all children. We have seen that, if there are opportunities to take part, many people will do so.
We all must act, now. We must do our part to create honest expression, respectful listening, and collaboration. We must be the superheroes our children need.
Moved by the challenge, we have pulled together a few of our resources to help you bring together people from different backgrounds, to work together on education reform. Please let us know what you are doing, and how we can help you at this critical time for young people.
-Amy Malick, communication director for Everyday Democracy
Watch the official trailer:
Featured discussion guides on education:
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This guide, written for the Montgomery County Public Schools Study Circle Program, is designed to:
• Build lasting relationships among diverse stakeholders
• Engage participants to discuss racial issues
• Work with parents, teachers and students to develop action plans that will address racial and ethnic barriers to student achievement and parent involvement
Click here to download this guide on the Issue Guide Exchange.
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Across America, people from all walks of life want to live in a place where they have the chance to thrive and where their children can learn and grow into adulthood happy, healthy and well prepared for life. Learning Beyond the School Day will help you take a new look at when, where and what young people learn. You will talk about how to create the kind of community where all young people will have a chance to learn – in and beyond the school day.
Click here to download this guide from the Issue Guide Exchange.
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When we look at the graduation rates and test scores, we see who is succeeding and who is not. But understanding why some students succeed more than others is far more difficult. This four-session discussion guide is designed to help schools and communities improve academic achievement for all students.
Click here to download this guide from the Issue Guide Exchange.
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Education
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