Stop Waiting for Superman!

Last weekend I watched Waiting for Superman, the popular education documentary from Davis Guggenheim.  If any of you saw the Chicago mayoral debates, you heard the documentary mentioned during questioning of the candidates.   That's actually why I rented it from Netflix.  If it was important enough to mention while considering the qualifications of Chicago's next mayor, I figured watching it would be worth my time.  However, the documentary didn't reveal anything that I didn't already know.  Yes, I know our education system is drastically broken.  Yes, I know decades of  inadequate education have undermined and destroyed communities populated by black and brown families. Yes, I know throwing money at the issue doesn't solve the problem.   Yes, I know teacher quality plays an integral role in quality education.  And Yes, I know Superman will never arrive to save thousands of  children dying of hopelessness  in America's class rooms.

All systems are made of several interrelated components.  When one of the components fails the entire system is in jeopardy.  The education system is no different.  It has several components - students, teachers, families, and neighborhoods to name a few.  For the system to work, all the components must be in working order.  Effective education exists beyond the school's brick and mortar walls.  Education must be applied and enriched beyond the school day.  However, for many children this is impossible due to a lack of engaging and supportive after school hour activities.  Working parents find it difficult to provide their children with safe, affordable, and productive activities from the hours of 3:00 - 6:00 pm.  State and federal funding for regular school day programs have been drastically cut leaving virtually no funds for after school programming.

While teaching my fourth grade students at Woodlawn Community School, I presented a project allowing them to apply language arts, social studies, and visual arts which resulted in the Stop the Violence Quilts Traveling Exhibit.   Through this project the students' art work engaged nearly 400 youth and their families in discussions about bringing peace to Chicago's neighborhoods. My students combined art, poetry, and traditional quilting techniques as a safe venue to share their visions for their communities.  This project shows young people's desire to be active participants in solutions to the problems facing our communities. 

It is my desire to bring similar experiences to other Chicago Area young people. I have launched a fundraising campaign to offer the Visions of Us Project in partnership with at least two established Chicago area after school programs beginning in the 2011-2012 school year.  Visions of Us will provide up to 10 students with 18 hours of instruction using fabric, paper, and paint to create one individual and one collaborative piece of art showing their visions for their futures.   

The conclusion of  Waiting for Superman, clearly establishes that Superman isn't coming to rescue our children.  Instead it will take the concerted efforts of each of us to make a difference in education.   I challenge you to visit www.indiegogo.com/Visions-of-Us-Project to learn more  and to make a donation.  Your tax deductible donation is a small step towards hope for a young person.