President Obama was asked recently about “Waiting for ‘Superman,'” the Davis Guggenheim documentary about public education which depicts a handful of qualified inner-city students competing for a limited number of spaces in charter schools.

“Oh, it’s heartbreaking,” the president replied. “And when you see these parents in the film you are reminded that … their stake in their kids, their wanting desperately to make sure their kids are able to succeed, is so powerful…. It’s obviously difficult to watch to see these kids who know that this school’s going to  give them a better chance–and that should depend on the bounce of a ball.”