Hill Harper on ‘Waiting for Superman’: “It vilifies teachers”

Despite his growing resume as a stage and television actor, Hill Harper has always been an outspoken voice when it comes to education reform. In his book, Letters to a Young Brother, the Harvard Law School alum discusses single parenthood, school, and work, and shares his personal journey from a child to a young man. BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Harper who talked about America’s hot button issue: education–more specifically, he weighed in on the recent release of Davis Guggenheim’s documentary, Waiting for Superman.

The film takes a provocative

look at the nation’s failing education system. The film follows five young students–first through eighth graders–who are  going through a stressful lottery process in the hopes of getting into their grade school or high school of choice. Many critics decry Guggenheim blaming the poor education system on teachers and a tenure policy that puts the education of many students in jeopardy.

“To a large extent, the film misses the point by oversimplifying complex issues,” says an official statement from the National Education Association (NEA). “Ultimately, it’s just a film. And as such, it lacks the depth and factual, research-based policy analysis required to have a meaningful discussion about what’s best for every public school student in America.”

See what Harper had to say in the video below:

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