The following column was written by  Bill Shore and Casey Steinbacher and appeared in the Durham Herald-Sun. We thought it worth sharing with you.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is coming to Durham today to screen the groundbreaking new film “Waiting for Superman,” and to spark a desperately needed conversation on the state of public education in America.

Waiting for “Superman” tells the story of five children as they try to make their way out of the low-performing public schools to which they are assigned and into charter schools of their choosing. Along the way, viewers are exposed to the low expectations and dismal student achievement results that exist in too many schools — and what they mean for children, their families and communities.

The facts are alarming. Among developed countries, the United States ranks 21st out of 30 in science literacy and 25th out of 30 in mathematics literacy. The achievement gap between low-income and minority students and their peers is gaping. And an astonishing 1.2 million students — about six times the population of the city of Durham —fail to graduate from high school each year.

But the movie is at its most powerful when it goes beyond facts and figures to show the impact of a failing education system on real children, their families and communities. Take, for example, Anthony, a fifth-grader living in Washington, D.C., who wants a different life than the one that caused his father to die from drug addiction. Anthony’s path to a brighter future — acceptance into a high-performing public charter school — will be determined by a lottery. The school to which he is applying has only 24 slots for 61 applicants. This is tragic — and maddening. The obvious question for us and the same question asked in the Leandro case is “Why does Anthony need a lottery to attend a good school”?

North Carolina has long been a leader on education reform. The state was one of the first to embrace academic standards and accountability for schools, and has since placed a particular focus on college and career readiness.

North Carolina aligned its high school standards and graduation requirements with college- and career-ready expectations, and the state is also home to over 70 early college high schools known as “Learn and Earn” schools. These schools are run in partnership with the local high school and the local community college or university, helping students — including those at risk of dropping out — to earn both a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit.

In addition, North Carolina was only one of 12 states to win funding this year under the federal Race to the Top competition, which rewards states with aggressive education reform strategies.

But like all other states, North Carolina has significant work to do to better prepare all of its students for success in college and the workplace. The National Council on Teacher Quality gave North Carolina a “D+” for its state teacher policies, noting that policies for delivering well-prepared teachers and removing ineffective teachers were especially bad.

And, while leaders in North Carolina have been committed to improving student performance in reading and math, achievement is still too low. The National Assessment of Educational Progress found that only 43 percent of fourth grade students and 36 percent of eighth grade students were proficient in math. There is also a wide achievement gap, with minority students underperforming white students by nearly 30 points on fourth and eighth grade reading and math tests. Like every other state, North Carolina has too many students dropping out of high school, a disturbing reality that we must all work to combat.

We send our children into the classroom with an expectation that they will learn and succeed in core academic subjects and ultimately be prepared to enter college or a career upon graduation. For students who are lucky enough to attend strong schools and receive instruction from effective teachers, this is the case. But far too many young Americans are not so fortunate. These students — not all of them low-income — are trapped in low-performing or mediocre schools, often with no way out. While school reform has been debated for years, there’s been too little serious action.

Because a superhero isn’t coming to save our schools, it’s up to every American to expect more from the educational establishment and to do everything possible to support teachers and administrators in order to drastically improve our schools. A good K–12 education isn’t just for the privileged few; it’s the birthright of every American child.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been at the forefront of efforts to reform K-12 education so that every child is prepared for higher education or productive careers. We continue to advocate for commonsense reforms including greater accountability and innovation in schools, recognizing and rewarding effective teachers and principals who improve student achievement and expanding educational options for students. Regardless of where students attend school, they should expect a top-notch education in order to ensure a brighter future for themselves, their families and their communities.

The Chamber is proud to promote “Waiting for ‘Superman.’” For more information about the film and campaign, visit www.waitingforsuperman.com/action. For more about the Chamber’s education activities, visit www.uschamber.com/icw.

Bill Shore is chairman of the Chamber’s Institute for a Competitive Workforce and director of U.S. community partnerships for GlaxoSmithKline

Casey Steinbacher is president and CEO of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce.

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