Absent Heroes

I finally made it to the theater yesterday to see Waiting for Superman, a film that both depressed and inspired me. I don't necessarily agree with all the reasons for the failure of the US education system that the film purports. The problem is bigger than crappy teachers. It's dangerous to assign blame in one area when there are so many factors. The film also seems to advocate the banking model of education, which is, in my opinion, part of the problem with US public education. But the overall message of hope is valid. So is the panorama of a drowning system in desperate need of heroes.

US citizens on average cannot compete in a global job market. US students rank 25th in math and 21st in science out of 30 developed nations. In 1993, the average American could read somewhere between a 7th and 8th grade level, and US literacy rates are on the decline not the other way around. President Obama is criticized for being too "professorial" even though speech analysts have ranked his public addresses at a 10th grade level. Should our president be forced to dummy down his speeches, or should statistics like this be a wake up call?

The US education system is failing, and our country will fail as well. Despite the staggering statistics forecasting the downfall of the US's intellectual stature, US citizens have no lack of self-confidence. Our nation is dumber yet more confident than ever before. When will we wake up and realize the nightmare? After 2/3 of US jobs have been filled by more intelligent, more skilled, more competitive applicants from around the world?

Watching this film brought tears to my eyes, but even an ocean of tears will not fix the problem. All I could do was question who I am and all I do. What am I doing to change the world? Everyday, I go to work at Lincoln Land Community College. Everyday, I do all I can to reach a student, to inspire just one of them to fight for their dreams, to fight for success, to fight for their futures. Even though most days feel like failures. After work on Mondays, I leave my students behind, and my daughter and I volunteer for MERCY Communities, hoping that in some small way this meager effort will help these moms turn their lives around for themselves, for their children. But in no way am I doing even close to enough.

I have been told countless times by my colleagues that I am "too invested in my students" and that what we do is "just a job." Is it possible to have too much passion? I don't think so. Teaching is not "just a job," and I will go so far as to say that anyone who feels that way has no business teaching. Teaching is a labor of love. Anything less than that is unacceptable. I teach because I am passionate about learning. Because I am passionate about teaching. Because I am passionate about writing. Because I am passionate about the power that words can give a person. Because I am passionate about the academic and personal success of each and every one of my students. This is the standard I set for myself. It is the standard I expect of anyone who calls him or herself a teacher or any of its synonyms.

Our kids need heroes. We all need heroes. Somewhere, someone is waiting for YOU to be a hero. What the hell are you waiting for? Or will you just be one to point fingers when this nation crumbles because we were all too stupid or selfish to save it?