The Myth of Charter Schools by Diane Ravitch

Waiting for “Superman” a film directed by Davis Guggenheim Ordinarily, documentaries about education attract little attention, and seldom, if ever, reach neighborhood movie theaters. Two other films expounding the same arguments—The Lottery and The Cartel—were released in the late spring, but they received far less attention than Guggenheim’s film. The message of these films has become alarmingly familiar: American public education is a failed enterprise. The Cartel maintains that we must not only create more charter schools, but provide vouchers so that children can flee incompetent public schools and attend private schools. For many people, these arguments require a willing suspension of disbelief. Waiting for “Superman” and the other films appeal to a broad apprehension that the nation is falling behind in global competition. Waiting for “Superman” tells the story of five children who enter a lottery to win a coveted place in a charter school.

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