'Race to Nowhere' Hits Home for Parents, Students

A lively group of parents and students filled the Redondo Union high school theater Wednesday evening to of the documentary Race To Nowhere.

In its 85 minutes, filmmaker Vicki Abeles portrays the struggles of today's educational system through various student and professional subjects who speak out against the immense—and exponentially growing—pressures  society sets on kids today.  Students' dramatic accounts of being over-scheduled, under-slept and homework-ridden reveal a breakdown of middle and high schoolers across the United States. 

The traumatic repercussions of the stressful lifestyle divulged here include ill-preparedness for college, depression, dropping out of high school and medical conditions. In one case in the film, the stress even led to suicide.

Race To Nowhere insists there must be a change in the way we as Americans view education, or else future generations will turn out as drones instead of thinkers and problem solvers.  It constantly asks the question, "What is the best way to educate our kids?"

Because the event was set up by Birney Elementary's Parent-Teacher Association, many elementary school parents, and even those with kids not yet in school, were in attendance to see what the future looked like for their children.

"I had to go dry my eyes in the bathroom," Lisa Goodfriend, the mother of two 6-year-old boys said. "It hit home."

"I have a 2 1/2-year-old. I learned that life is about no pressure … for kids to go in the direction of their passions," said attendee Susana Sheil.

"I think a big part of it is figuring out what success means," said Danny Bowker, the father of a toddler. "How do you define success? Getting all A's or not killing yourself at 13?"

The mother of seventh- and fifth-grade students, Vicky Gallion expressed her concern, saying, "As a parent, you need to pull back and protect them more."

After viewing the film, she found herself questioning whether her own tactic of asking her kids about how school went that day and about homework was causing too much stress for them, instead of the way she intended it—out of compassion.

Following the screening, a fraction of the audience stayed for the discussion portion of the evening emceed by Jackie O'Sullivan, the principal of Birney; Annette Alpern, assistant superintendent; and Danielle Allphin, the principal of Tulita Elementary.

During the talk, various concerns were raised and personal accounts given on behalf of community members. 

A response from a freshman in high school was quite telling of the times.  She told the audience that as a "gifted" student, early on she was put in gifted classes, and then enrolled in honors classes when the time came. But the pressure, even for someone of her bright nature, became too much.

She said she began to ask herself the question, "Why am I trying to reach someone else's standards? Who are you to impose these standards on these kids?"

The girl, 14, compared herself to the film's Devon Marvin, the girl who committed suicide at age 13, presumably over a bad math grade. She said that she, too, had thought about suicide, and she had to drop out of an honors class because the pressure was "unbearable."

When asked about the film, the girl responded, "I loved it. I thought everything in the film rang true for me ... I couldn't cope with all the standards that were impressed upon me."

"Concern" was the word of the evening.  And though a dialogue was started Wednesday night, O'Sullivan said she's excited about the future.

"I'm wondering what our next step will be," she said.

For more information on the film, please visit: www.RaceToNowhere.com or www.Facebook.com/RaceToNowhere.