Waiting for “Superman” Making a Movement

As discussed on the GroundFloor Media blog on Sept. 29, the nationwide debate on education reform is once again poised to reach a fever pitch. Last week, the documentary movie, “Waiting for Superman,” was released nationwide, and today, controversial school superintendent, Michelle Rhee, announced her resignation in Washington, D.C.

However, the fervor has been brewing for weeks, if not months and years. Last month, The New York Times Magazine focused entirely on issues related to education and technology, challenging conventional beliefs about the way students learn. And in its November issue, Vanity Fair recognizes Wendy Kopp, founder and chief executive officer of Teach for America for 20 years of classroom innovation and leadership – education reform is making it big.

But wasn’t that the case in 1989 when the movie “Lean On Me” captured Morgan Freeman as hard-driving, New Jersey school principal, Joe Clark, introducing him and the plight of our public schools to millions of Americans? The question I keep asking is, “What makes a movement and when will we finally listen enough to take lasting action?”

At last night’s screening of “Waiting for Superman,” acclaimed director and producer, Davis Guggenheim of “The Inconvenient Truth,” opened the movie with brief remarks, encouraging Coloradans to take action because “Colorado Kids Can’t Wait.” The Colorado Children’s Campaign is a driving force behind the “Colorado Kids Can’t Wait” campaign, and it had the vision and foresight to schedule Guggenheim as the keynote speaker for its 25^th anniversary luncheon today.

Guggenheim’s visit to Colorado, combined with statewide screenings of the movie, are likely to do more to increase public awareness about the state of Colorado schools than all the publicly-funded initiatives of the past several years. I should know, I worked for Colorado Commission on Higher Education five years ago and since then, the statistics have not changed – nearly 25 percent of Colorado kids fail to graduate from high school, and an even greater percentage never go on to college.

So, how do we move the needle? For all of Kopp’s efforts and achievements, why is she just now making it in the “Hall of Fame” column of Vanity Fair, when Lindsay Lohan only had to skip bail to make the cover?

Creating news is tricky and encouraging action is even more difficult.

Whether promoting new products, or issues near and dear to our hearts, we need to convey passion and inspire commitment – and the Colorado Children’s Campaign is doing just that this week. The campaign has undertaken a multi-pronged approach that includes media relations, event planning, social media and community outreach in a personally engaging way. They have joined forces with like-minded partners, because the collective is louder than one person or group. They have backed up an alarming message with inspirational speakers and statistics – both local and national – putting a face on the campaign and scheduling their efforts at a time when the state and the nation can’t help but notice.

Executing a campaign of this scale and reach takes time and the team over at the Colorado Children’s Campaign has been working for nearly a year to make the momentum of the past week possible. This approach is instructive as we work with our clients to create news campaigns and make a lasting impression.

Without imploring anyone to agree or disagree with the content – go see the movie! We’re eager to hear how it inspires you. Comment below and share your thoughts with us.

~ Kimmie Greene

Could that Superman be you?

Over the past few weeks the buzz surrounding the opening of Davis Guggenheim’s “Waiting for Superman” has been great. Whether it be the New York Times’ movie review or “NBC News” dedicating a week of coverage to education reform with its Education Nation series, the focus has not only been on the politics of education reform and the role of government in fixing the issue, but more importantly the need for everyday people and the business community to respond to challenges facing our communities. It serves as a reminder that you could be the Superman or Superwoman that your community needs.

This past weekend I participated in Slow Food USA’s Dig Day of national service. The Slow Food Denver chapter recruited volunteers to build garden sinks and garden signs that would then be distributed to some of the schools participating in Denver Public School’s school gardens program. The beauty of this day was the diversity of the volunteers. The group consisted of a few families from the local school, members of the Slow Food Denver chapter and about 25 members of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation’s 2010 Impact Denver and Leadership Denver classes. Both classes selected two schools to support that are currently participating in the school garden program. Although some of us have school-aged children that may or may not attend schools within the district, more than not, we chose the projects because of the importance of supporting public schools and the recognition of a school’s impact on its surrounding community.

Our day was such a success not only because of the hardworking volunteers, but also because of companies like CH2M HILL that donated materials and Whole Foods and Noodles & Company that provided lunch and dessert to make it all happen. The end result of this day didn’t come from a vote or debate, but instead from the strong desire of everyday people to make a difference in their community.

On Sunday, I took a few minutes to watch “Meet the Press.” I will admit that I am caught up in the buzz and can’t wait for “Waiting for Superman” to open in Denver. David Gregory was reporting from New York as part of the NBC coverage dedicated to education reform. As expected, Gregory asked his questions of administration leaders, school reformers and union heads, but Gregory said it best as he closed out the show, “… if you drive by a public school, even if your kids don't go there, walk in and ask how you can help, whether you can tutor or provide resources to a teacher.”

Whether it be public schools or other issues impacting your community – Are you ready to take Gregory’s advice and walk through the doors to be that Superman or Superwoman?

~ Kristina