Waiting for Superman

Waiting on Superman is a documentary that describes the education system in the United States. The documentary does not hesitate to criticize the system, which is why it has received so much criticism from teachers' unions and related groups. The documentary follows different children from across the country who are trying to get into the some of the experimental schools that are having great results. If they do not get into one of the schools, they will go to a public high school. The movie defines most public high schools in the inner city as "drop out factories" which is exactly what they are. Students go there and many are gone before their sophomore year. The children in the movie want to avoid this fate but they must be selected from a lottery system in order to go to one of the nicer schools. The documentary uses a series of interviews with leaders on both sides of the argument to provide the viewer with a clear picture of the current situation.
This documentary ties directly to Gladwell and Dweck. It is relevant to Gladwell's book, Outliers, because it proves that for some of these kids, their future depends on luck. If they do not get their name drawn or their number selected, they will probably not graduate high school or if they do they will not receive a quality education. This means that an extrinsic force has prevented them from achieving their full potential. The movie also relates to Dweck's book, Mindset, because the teachers of the teachers' union have a very fixed mindset. They are not doing their jobs properly and they take it personally when people call them out on it. Not all teachers are bad. Some are extremely motivated and talented. Others choose to do the absolute minimum to get by and that's the attitude they instill in their students. The movie shows how a leader in the Washington D.C. area tried to make changes that were proven to be productive but was blocked by the teachers' union. 
This documentary also relates to the gender divided classroom argument. Many of these successful schools try controversial tactics such as gender divided classrooms and have success. The movie proves that, to make a positive change, you have to step on some toes. In this case, the teachers need to swallow their pride and do their job correctly.
I completely agree with this documentary's points. I have not experienced one of the drop out factories. I went to a school known for high test scores and low drop out rates. Even there, some teachers were definitely not up to par. Some were lazy, not helpful, or even uncaring. This was a ta school that had a great tradition of excellence. I cannot imagine what it would be like in the really bad schools. I feel that big organizations like the teachers' union have way too much power and are prohibiting the system from making positive changes that will protect this country from becoming a bunch of uneducated dropouts.