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Alyssa Bell

Professor Lamons-Raiford

English 001

15 July 2016

Myths of Education: Compare/Contrast Essay

Sometimes we wish for things that are not going to happen. School is a place where you

acquire new skills, are taught the basic requirements, and gain a sense of knowledge to which

you can apply to real life situations. There are many factors when it comes to teaching and

maintaining control and discipline in a classroom. Although the American educational system is

not the highest rank, at least we still get the opportunity to attend school and have the possibility

to become productive members of society. The American educational system is perceived to be

poor and U.S. students do not perform high in comparison to other countries. Many want to

facilitate change in our schooling system here in the United States. There are many

documentaries, books, articles, etc. that exemplify the idea of our school system. The

documentary ​Waiting for Superman ​and the essay ​Idiot Nation​ are great representations of the

everyday struggles that our school system faces in our nation. The film ​Waiting for Superman

directs its attention towards five different students and follows them through their struggles of

getting accepted into either charter or private schools. The movie criticizes the American public

school system by uncovering the truth behind these students’ journey (Wikipedia 1). In the essay

Idiot Nation​, Michael Moore, the author challenges the concept of education and its

development, but also expresses his frustration towards the educational system in America. Both
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pieces reveal and uncover the real truth behind our educational system through their descriptive

detail, their exhibition of the topic, and their impactful messages to the audience.

There were particular parts and specific features in both the film and the essay that were

very important and stood out from the rest. My attention was drawn to a story that Moore

mentioned of his former principal he had known in the past. Moore commented on his

relationship with the principal and his generosity towards his friend and him. Entering into high

school, Michael wanted to be appointed on the school board with the propaganda of firing the

principal and vice-principal of his school. When Moore took his seat on the board, the principal

later resigned and suffered from a massive heart attack, later taking his life. I kept asking myself,

if Moore knew of the principal’s kindness and consideration, then why did Michael want to fire

him? The author later explained that he “Offered this to remind himself that all people are

actually good to their core, and to remember that someone with whom I grew to have serious

disputes was also someone with a free cup of hot chocolate for us shivering little brats from the

neighborhood” (Moore 128). Many or perhaps even all students think that all teachers are

deliberately out to get them and sabotage their lives. Teachers deserve a lot more than what they

are recognized for. Not all teachers should be perceived “evil” because in reality they do what is

best for their students, even with the lack of help and support from others. When watching the

movie ​Waiting for Superman​ my attention steered towards the low acceptance rates into charter

or private schools. This fact culminated in the conclusion of the movie by showing several

families waiting anxiously for acceptance into the school of their choice and then illustrating

how very few were accepted into either private or charter schools. Going to a charter school

myself, I have been in similar situations as these families and have had the same gut-wrenching
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feeling when it comes to decision day. This factor in the movie stood out to me the most because

I myself chose to attend a charter school due to its scholastic environment and college prep

courses. The acceptance rate was minimal and I wouldn’t have known what to do if rejected. It is

very competitive to gain entrance into these alternative schools and the spaces are limited. Many

parents resort to private or charter schools because they feel that their kids would highly benefit

academically. Sometimes it is easier to attend school down the street from your house, but

maybe if you take that extra academic challenge, then perhaps something better could await you.

Both the essay and film show a strong understanding of the topic and have shown many

seeking alternative academic schools outside of the public school system. Throughout the movie,

the director provides statistics, facts, quotes, and more that summarize and support the

importance of his ideas. There were many key people that played big roles in the film. A man by

the name of Geoffrey Canada states, “I was like what do you mean he's not real. And she thought

I was crying because it's like Santa Claus is not real and I was crying because there was no one

coming with enough power to save us” (Canada 1). This quote summarizes the main idea

presented in the movie. I always idolized superheroes and believed that they would make

everything better. Similar to superman not being real, the public school system and its ability to

solve all problems is not possible. This quote hit me hard because it reminded me that no one can

fix my problems, and can save me from my own fears. When reading Michael Moore’s essay, I

stumbled across many shocking and appalling things. When talking of U.S. political leaders,

Moore exclaims, “They would rather hold hearings about the depravity of a television show

called ​Jackass​ than about their own depravity in neglecting our schools and children and

maintaining our title as Dumbest Country on Earth” (Moore 124). People say that they want
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change and are going to do whatever it takes to fulfill that promise to the people. How is it that

that is not the outcome? A main factor in this situation is cost. Our political leaders feel like they

do not want to spend additional money for our education. They view it as a waste of funds. All

people in the U.S. need to sacrifice and give ups things in order to fund what the core of this

country needs the most, which is better education.

The movie and essay each share many likes and differences throughout the plot. When

discussing the themes which is “​A subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition;

topic” many things come into mind. In the essay ​Idiot Nation​, Michael Moore comes across as

very sarcastic and bitter towards the educational system in America. The main theme that he

hints at depicts that actions speak louder than words. By this meaning, Moore indirectly states

that what American people are saying about the change of our education is not going to happen

unless we do something about it. In the movie ​Waiting for Superman​ the director is very factual

and direct. The main theme depicts that people are unsatisfied with the general education that

they are receiving. These two themes show similarities. They both lack concern and support from

the government, so families are having to look elsewhere. Each is petitioning to their audience to

take control and make a change for the better of their country and its education. People do not

believe that they are benefiting from public school due to lack of supplies, teachers, space, plus

more. Many facts support both themes. A lot of things that lead to the themes attempt to

influence and transform the thoughts of people who were unaware of what was going on around

them. Despite the similarities, many differences can be recognized in both the essay and movie.

The essay is more of a critique in which Michael Moore fully examines and performs a detailed

analysis of the school system in America. Moore recognizes the deformities in the school system
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and does not hesitate to bash on our academic procedures and methods. Aside from the essay, the

director of the film seems to be more understanding of the situation and wants to expose the full

truth to its maximum extent. The director is sympathetic and shows more delicacy towards the

subject. When reading the essay, you couldn’t help but to agree with some of the things that you

didn’t want to believe was true. The essay was very informative and factual, but I felt like I could

relate more to the film because it was very realistic, compared to the essay. The themes were

different because they both had unique messages spoken in different tones. One was bitter while

the other was more sympathetic.

Both the documentary and the essay, question and challenge the American public school

system. Every story, movie, book, etc. has the author’s/director’s own point of view. A point of

view is ​a particular attitude or way of considering a matter. Each author and director’s point of

views differ in their own way. Michael Moore, the author of ​Idiot Nation​, has mixed emotions

upon the topic of education and it could be difficult to interpret his expressions. This

well-educated man is equipped and very literate on the subject, which I envy. This author is a bit

more bias of the myths of education because, like myself, I see that America is not being held to

its highest potential. I think that Moore is angry at society for its ignorance to the situation and

wants people to come to a realization of the harsh world that we live in today. He is a realist. On

the other hand, Davis Guggenheim, director of ​Waiting for Superman​,​ ​is the complete opposite,

being more tolerant. This bittersweet film says many things about the director and his work.

Guggenheim is a little more lenient and understanding of the condition but he stills sees failure

among this country. He possibly thinks that the U.S. could do a more decent job at what they

have been doing in order to not be known as the “dumbest country in the world”. Although the
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point of view from both the author/director may vary, they both have beliefs that there is hope

for America in the future. When analyzing both the essay and movie, one thing that I did not

know was the 10 year teacher plan. A policy was created called the Teacher Tenure which,

“Sometimes referred to as career status, provides job security for teachers who have successfully

completed a probationary period” (Meador 1). Is this policy just saying that after the teacher’s

required time is up, then they can just do nothing and still get paid for it? My concern is that after

teachers reach tenure, are they willing to put in the same effort as a beginning teacher? It is

shocking to hear about this fact because tenure teachers who put in little or no effort to teaching,

are protected by law to still get paid. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Teachers are not there for free and do not get paid as much as they deserve. It is hard to

find teachers willing to play the role of this important job because of bad benefits and low pay.

Teachers are one of the most important people to have around in this society as they are

preparing and shaping their students into future leaders of America. I am the way I am today and

am succeeding in my own personal education due to my instructors along the way. Teachers

deserve more credit for what they do, even if they aren’t perceived the greatest at their job. Even

though a lot of people do not like attending school, like myself, I know that everything will pay

off in the end. America should live up to greater expectations and needs to promote the

awareness and importance of education all across the nation. I have learned many life lessons

from this experience and will continue to gain more knowledge, since in the end knowledge is

power.