Visit with O is just 'super'

It's sofa, so good for Apple film kids

By S.A. MILLER and CHARLES HURT, Post Correspondents

Last Updated: 6:10 AM, October 12, 2010

Posted: 1:12 AM, October 12, 2010

Comments: 16

WASHINGTON -- OK, it wasn't exactly Superman, but judging by the looks on these kids' faces, it was still pretty awesome.

New York City kids Francisco and Bianca, pint-sized protagonists of the school-reform documentary "Waiting for 'Superman,' " accepted an invite to the White House yesterday and quickly made themselves right at home on President Obama's comfy Oval Office couch.

SEE ALL THE PHOTOS!

Walking behind the president is Anthony, of Washington, DC, another of the five schoolkids featured in the film.

AFP/Getty Images

LAID BACK: President Obama meets "Superman" kids (from left) Anthony, Francisco and Bianca in the Oval office yesterday.

Photos: 'Waiting For Superman' cast & crew visit President Obama

First through the door was Francisco, from The Bronx, followed by Bianca, of Harlem.

As "Superman" shows, neither won the lotteries that would have allowed them to escape their dismal neighborhood schools and get into charter schools. Anthony was one of the lucky ones who was chosen for a top-notch school.

Also meeting with Obama yesterday was "Superman" director Davis Guggenheim and his actress wife, Elisabeth Shue.

After talking with Obama, the kids went to the presidential residence and out onto a balcony to watch the Marine One helicopter whisk him off to Andrews Air Force Base for a fund-raising trip to Miami.

The White House kept reporters away from the youngsters -- whose full names haven't been made public -- and allowed only photographers in to snap pictures of the students walking in.

Obama saw "Waiting for 'Superman' " at the White House last month.

Although he has not spoken directly about the controversial documentary, he has made comments suggesting he supports the charter-school movement and wants teachers unions to do more to improve education.

"You can't defend a status quo in which a third of our kids are dropping out. You can't defend a status quo when you've got 2,000 schools across the country that are dropout factories -- and they really are -- where more than half of the kids are dropping out," he said in an interview last month with Matt Lauer.

"Ultimately, if some teachers aren't doing a good job, they've got to go," he said.

Additional reporting by Ron Sachs in Washington

churt@nypost.com

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Comments (14)

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jill p

10/12/2010 10:11 AM

Yes, the teachers are there to educate but @ the same time alot of parents nowadays believe it is for the teacher to also be the parent...I know here in Trenton, NJ that's definitely the issue sometimes...Folks send their children to school and expect the teacher(s) to go beyond the classroom and they arent paid for that...Parents also have to educate their children on proper behavior, etc...I think most teachers do all they can given the resources...Granted if some arent up to the task by all means they should be let go but the parents also have to do more overall with these children...
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NJ732

10/12/2010 9:57 AM

I guess white kids don't qualify for this "super" treatment.
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kblack30

10/12/2010 9:47 AM

It is NOT the teachers, it's NOT a lack of funding, its' NOT the cirruiculum, it's NOT the school boards or administrations that causes our sschools to fail to this degree. It is our poisonous culture that teaches these kids being "cool" is all that matters, and that being "cool" means being violent and hyper-sexual and to put yourself first. It is the lack of parenting or parents that cuase these kids to be ill-prepared to become A students. Math is still math, spelling is still spelling, and if you love to read the world is your oyster.

Until we focus on the REAL problem, none of these supposed solutions will ever come close to solving the problem. We have to address the culture in a MASSIVE way and parents have to be parents before we have any hope of real progress.
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moveandgroove

10/12/2010 9:27 AM

Why is this about black kids. There are a lot of bad white schools. Why was $3billion give to black and minority colleges by the way of the Congressional Black Caucus? This seems to be very racist to me. Lets start treating everyone equally ,isn't this what it is about. Doing something that applies to everyone.
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Hurry2012

10/12/2010 9:23 AM

How about they need parents who teach them manners. But I guess if Obama doesn't respect the office of the president then why should the kid who is sitting on the couch as if he were at home.
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Shy Dawn

10/12/2010 5:38 AM

All a child needs is a loving mother and father to make it in life.