The Man Blog: just like Brett Favre and Michael Jordan...

...that's right--you think it's gone and then it's back, and then it leaves again (no seriously, for reals this time guys) and then it's back. And with a new jersey (layout).

Well, because I know there are tens of people out there who are wondering just what happened to the Man Blogger, I've decided to come out of my retirement (imposed upon me by the birth of a son who eats, poops, and giggles, and still manages to take up my whole life) and re-enter the wide world of blogging.

This post's topic? Waiting for Superman. Watched it. Loved it. Why? Because unlike other "documentaries" I've seen, this one seemed, though the opportunities are most certainly there, to avoid negative finger-pointing and rabble-rousing. I felt a genuine representation of some of the current issues related to our national education system. And, working for that system and now working alongside that system, I agree with most, if not all, of the theses proposed in the movie:

• American schools aren't what they once were or should now be (given the resources available).
• The current problems are not resultant primarily from bad teachers nor bad parents. On the whole, parents care and teachers try.
• The educational "system" has devolved into a behemoth bureaucratic body that stamps out many good teachers' and good parents' attempts to rescue students.
• A possible solution may lie in a grassroots effort from teachers willing to break away from "traditional" education (and maybe even from unions), band together, and try something new.

All too often rants about America's educational inferiority degrade into debasing teachers and attacking schools. My wife is a teacher. I am a teacher. And I know more teachers that care than I do teachers that don't. Though there are certainly teachers that should not be in the system, this is not the primary problem. I think the film's commentary on the weight and antiquity of the current system (which hasn't changed since the 60's) lends a truer perspective to the real problems: bureaucracy, lax expectations (for parents, teachers, and students), and failed attempts at forced accountability.

The solution? I quote the credits sequence of the move, "We know what works: quality teachers, more classroom time, world class standards, high expectations, real accountability."

If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. If you have seen it, comment! I welcome thoughts, opinions (especially those that differ from mine), and ideas.

I love being a teacher. I consider it an honor to work with the students I do. I respect them for facing bravely each day a world that tells them they can't because (dot dot dot). They can. We can help.