Comments on: Waiting for Superman Starts the Conversation

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:52:40 +0000

Melissa, I found your blog from visiting Barb at Elementary Spirits.

I haven’t seen the movie yet, but really enjoyed reading your review and getting a parent’s perspective. I agree that one thing Colorado does and does well is offer parents public school options. Our children are not one size fits all and we as parents need options and we need to be informed about those options so we can decide what will work best for our child.

By: Norma Clausen

Norma Clausen — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 22:22:34 +0000

I do not typically give comments, however genuinely do like your website – so thanks for posting and also have a good morning

By: Melissa Taylor

Melissa Taylor — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:23:55 +0000

In reply to Hallie Doyle.

Thank you, Hallie, I’m a big fan of yours, too. 🙂

And, the strike issue is why I quit the DPS union – it just isn’t the way to go. It harms kids, no doubt.

By: Hallie Doyle

Hallie Doyle — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:29:01 +0000

Great review, Melissa. My husband and I saw the movie yesterday, and I think he cried harder than I did. He had read the “Rubber Room” article you mentioned. Seeing it in the movie was even more sobering. I’ve done my own poll, and not a single person I’ve asked has been aware of the many teachers who are paid full salary (one teacher profiled was paid over $100k for a couple of yrs) while they are waiting for the red tape of being fired. There’s a maddening YouTube of a teacher in California who has been paid his full salary for 7 years while remaining at home. In the video, he has an appalling “Gotcha” attitude. When I was in education, I quit the union after I saw how our dues were spent–WAY too political for me and too focused on rescuing bad teachers. The one scenario I’d like to highlight from the movie is the shocking reality of what a bad education costs. It is presented that many poorly educated children enter the prison system as adults. The cost to house a prisoner is $33k a year. A typical stay of 4 years cost us tax payers $132k, and the offender is basically just taking. Here’s the sobering reality…that $132k could be used to give a child a prestigious private school education for kindergarten through 12th grade! I crossed the picket line when teachers struck in a district where I worked. We had not received a raise in 3 years. The things said to me were so telling of “It’s all about the adults.” I was working with students with significant needs in the special education program. What right did I have to abandon them just because I didn’t have a pay raise? The strike was harmful to the kids and expensive to the district. I’m glad I chose to be a scab. Like the Stanford University researcher said, getting rid of the worst 5% of teachers would allow us to catch up with Finland (highest achieving students) in skills attained by students. My numbers may be wrong, but this does seem to show that the tightly grasping union is suffocating our school systems. I always tell people when I recommend your blog–“she’s one of the best teachers I ever worked with.” Your insights carry weight with me! Thanks for sharing them!

By: Deborah McNelis

Deborah McNelis — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:07:55 +0000

Melissa,

Your review is valuable. This issue is enormous and critical to all of us. We all benefit when ALL children develop to their full potential. As you state, this movie is a beginning point to get important conversations started across the country.
It is truly amazing to me that we now have the benefit of scientific research to show us how brains learn best, and it still is not being implemented into classrooms in most schools. In my experience I have found most educators have not been trained to understand the brain so they can provide optimal ways to encourage real learning.
We can easily do so much more for our children, and I am hopeful this movie will continue to initiate valuable articles and discussion like yours.
Thank you for all you do!
Deborah
braininsights

By: Melissa Taylor

Melissa Taylor — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 03:35:48 +0000

She became a principal? Of course she did. Why is that not even surprising and yet, so infuriating!? But thankfully, there are many amazing teachers — glad you got a good one for 3rd grade. (I just wish we could always get one every year, don’t you?)

Melissa

By: Wendy Young, LMSW, BCD

Wendy Young, LMSW, BCD — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 21:16:38 +0000

Melissa,

I can so relate to your experiences as a mom whose child “LOST” much due to a horrible year…only ours was in second grade…not first. Truth being stranger than fiction sometimes, that particular teacher WAS removed from the classrom…because she was given the position of principal. We changed schools, needless to say.

Thanks goodness that my son had the good fortune of getting an UBER-great 3rd grade teacher who had to work more than double-time…which she did, anyways, for all children. I know there are TONS of great teachers out there…just like her, that make us still have hope in the future of education.

I concur…there is no one SUPERHERO…he or she is ALL of us!

Wendy @Kidlutions