Are you waiting for Superman in Santa Ana?

Have you seen the documentary “Waiting for Superman?”  It chronicles the heartbreak that five children and their families face as they try to get into the best schools available to them.

I remember my wife and I camping out in front of Muir Fundamental Elementary School so we could get our daughter into the school.  We have sent all of our children there.  My seven year old is there now, in the second grade.

My daughter was rejected by the Orange County High School for the Arts, because she didn’t have a fancy portfolio, but she persevered.  She graduated from Santa Ana High School and recently completed a fashion design degree at the prestigious FIDM (Fashion Institute for Design and Merchandising).

My 17 year old son is now in his last year at Godinez Fundamental High School.  He is an AP student.  He pitched for three years for his High School baseball team and he plays the guitar in the Godinez jazz band.  He is being recruited, seemingly, by every college in this country.  His 14 year old brother is now a freshman at Godinez, and a new cadet at the Navy ROTC program at Saddleback.

My children have been fortunate to find good educations within the Santa Ana Unified School District, but not all children are as lucky.  We still have a major dropout problem.  And every year hundreds of our high school seniors graduate but fail to earn a diploma.

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