This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Nov. 12, 2010 - Instead of looking up into the sky for a superhero or keeping their fingers crossed that they win a crowded lottery, families who want better schools need to start the process themselves.
That was the conclusion from a panel convened by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce to watch the documentary "Waiting for 'Superman.'" The panel members then discussed the best way to make sure that all students have the best opportunity to learn.
"We send our children into the classroom with an expectation that they will learn and succeed in core academic subjects and ultimately be prepared to enter college or a career when they graduate," Dan Mehan, president and chief executive of the Missouri Chamber, said in a statement issued before he moderated Thursday's discussion at Plaza Frontenac Cinema.
"For students lucky enough to attend strong schools and receive instruction from effective teachers, this is the case. But far too many are not so fortunate. Too many are trapped in failing schools with no way out. Meanwhile, true reforms to our education system presented on the state and federal level are too often trapped by special interests that would rather protect a broken system than implement change."
Liz Reilly, executive director of special initiatives for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, added:
"This movie paints a dismal picture of the state of our public education system and the children who endure its effects. The question is what do we do to make sure that people take the emotion from the film and turn it into action?"
The chamber cited figures from the Alliance for Excellent Education illustrating the economic impact of dropping out versus staying in school. An estimated 50 percent reduction of dropouts in one year would result in the additional high school graduates earning as much as $49 million in an average year. The additional spending could create 400 new jobs and increase the area's economy by as much as $63 million by the time the graduates reached the midpoint of their careers.
Members of the panel emphasized that much of what is portrayed in the film, by Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim, should come as no surprise to anyone who is interested in education.
The problems come, they said, when families' aspirations for their children run into roadblocks.
"There have been discussions about improving public education for as long as there has been public education," said Carter Ward, head of the Missouri School Boards' Association. "Education's never been perfect. That's not an excuse. That's a challenge to all of us to improve it wherever we can."
Added Audrey Spalding, a researcher for the Show-Me Institute:
"Parents know what they need to do for their children, and yet their options are limited. We know what works, but we're mired in bureaucracy."
Much of "Superman" concentrates on the virtues of charter schools, which are funded by tax money but typically are free of much of the red tape that can hamper classrooms part of school districts. A major villain in the film is teachers unions, which are seen as protecting instructors who should not be in charge of students but work in situations where it is difficult -- if not impossible -- to get rid of them.
Russell Grammer of Cape Girardeau was a classroom teacher who decided he did not like what he saw in his public school classroom, so he and his wife started a Christian private school to educate students their own way. "We just couldn't watch another child not make it," he told the audience, which included educators, lawmakers and students.
Noting his own experience, he said:
"I see people waiting for something, thinking that maybe school is their ticket out. They think it must happen in a building. But they don't have to wait for someone to roll the ball in their favor."
As far as charter schools go, Ward noted that schools should belong to the communities that they serve, and residents who cannot vote for the people who run charters do not have the kind of voice that they have over elected school boards.
"We in America have invested our energy, our beliefs and our thinking into democratic principles," he said. "We feel that local control is pretty important."
Ward said that if local school boards established charters that were within their control, instead of allowing outside groups to run charters, that would allow choice but not disenfranchise voters.
Tony Thompson of Kwame Building Group, who heads the Regional Business Council's K-12 Education Committee, said that for African Americans, a lot of what the movie portrayed is an old story. He said the formula for better schools may be simple -- strong leaders, competent teachers and high expectations -- but achieving the mix is another story.
He had high praise for the current leadership of the St. Louis Public Schools, including Superintendent Kelvin Adams and Rick Sullivan, who heads the three-member appointed board that is running the district, and predicted that within three to five years, it will be one of the best school systems in the region.
Kwame was recently selected as construction manager for projects funded by the $155 million bond issue approved by city voters in August.
When it comes to being able to choose between charters and traditional public schools, Thompson said that "it's good to have options, but we need to have quality public education, period."
All the panelists agreed that charters must be held to the same high standards that parents expect of traditional public schools.
"If a charter school is not being held accountable, if it is not performing, it should not exist," Thompson said. "It's that simple."
Asked whether it's a good idea for non-educators to be put in charge of public school districts, as New York did this week, Ward said he would keep an open mind, but he added that "there have been as many failures with that model as there have been successes."
Thompson added:
"We've had more educators do more damage to the St. Louis Public Schools than anyone else. It all comes down to the selection of the right people."
On the topic of vouchers, where students could use tax money to attend whatever private or parochial school they like, Ward came down strongly against the idea, saying it was an ill-conceived way to spend the public's money.
"We need to take ownership of public schools," he said. "That's why they're called public schools."