A child's first day of school is often considered a rite of passage; the first step on the path to a happy and successful life. This is true for most children from wealthy families who live in top school districts or who can afford expensive private schools. What if a child's first day of school was nothing more than the first step on the path to poverty, or even illiteracy? The documentary Waiting for “Superman” addresses many issues surrounding a failing school system and the innocent children that system leaves behind. Although the documentary spends little time suggesting the role of parents in their children's education, it makes clear that we need to make changes to help children from low-income families and improve teachers' unions. . Although our school system needs change, the film does not consider the role that parental involvement plays in education, a drawback of the film. Education spending in our country has more than doubled in recent decades, but in most states, children have proficiency rates of only 20 or 30 percent in math and reading (Weber 6). We have to wonder if, with all this extra spending and persistently low test scores, the problem is extending beyond the school system and into American families. After all, even in small class sizes, the amount of individual attention is limited for each student. Isn't it up to parents to push their children to succeed? Amy Chua, author of the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, uses an almost militant form of parenting that – although highly controversial – demands nothing less than excellence from her children. While other children were allowed to ride bikes or play video games with their friends, Chua demanded that his seven-year-old daughter train for a life of poverty. and perhaps an early grave. It's time to make bold changes to our school system, changes that would encourage teachers to be their best and provide our children with the type of freedom that only comes with a quality education. Works Cited Canada, Geoffrey “He is the Angel of Harlem. Newsweek online. February 2009. Web.Paul, Annie Murphy. "Tiger Moms: Is difficult parenting really the answer?". » Online time. January 20, 2011. The web. March 16, 2011Waiting for “Superman”. Real. Davis Guggenheim. 2010. Paramount Pictures. 2010. DVD. Wallis, Claudia. “How to make excellent teachers.” Online time. February 13, 2008. Web. March 16, 2011. Webber, Karl. “A nation still in danger. » Waiting for Superman: How We Can Save America's Troubled Public Schools. Ed. Carl Weber. New York: Public Affairs. 2010. 3-10. Print.