Is Washington State Still Waiting for “Superman”?

The highly anticipated documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman’” was released in selected theaters across the country on September 24, and opened in Seattle on Friday, October 1, 2010. Featured on Oprah and on the cover of Time Magazine, this movie by director Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) takes a close look at public education through the lives of five children and their families across the country.

The movie is sparking conversation and debate about what it takes to educate all of America’s children. It features interviews with leading education thinkers, including Bill Gates (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), Geoffrey Canada (Harlem Children’s Zone), Michelle Rhee (Superintendent, Washington, DC), and Randi Weingarten (President, American Federation of Teachers Union).

The documentary cites national statistics and other states’ statistics, but it may leave Washington viewers wondering, “How does our state stack up?” This short guide presents important facts about the state of education in Washington, as well as ideas for what parents and communities can do to get involved.

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