'Race to Nowhere' Screening at Masuk

"Race to Nowhere," an insightful documentary that details some of the adverse medical and psychological ramifications of American's educational policies on its young people, will be screened on Thursday, Sept. 22, in the Masuk High School auditorium at 7 p.m.

It had originally been planned for Sept. 7, before being rescheduled due to Tropical Storm Irene and the one week postponement of the start of school.

Sponsored by the Masuk Parent Teacher Club, the film was produced by Vicki H. Abeles, a mother of three and a former Wall Street executive, who was concerned about the stress caused by state testing, competition among peers, and parental and school officials' verbal and non-verbal pressures to excel. 

"This is a movie that's been shown globally," said Carrie Simoulis, who is co-chairwoman of the high school's Parent Teacher Club this year with Eleni Vautrin. "It's really a call for parents and families to recognize that a balance is very much needed."

Monroe parent Jonna Coughlin brought the film to the club's attention last year because she was concerned about the philosophical direction of our nation's schools. After viewing "Race to Nowhere" in Boston, Coughlin strongly felt that this is an issue that needs to be addressed in Monroe. She said that even parents who are "in tune" with their children's education run the risk of creating stress that could potentially cause illnesses and depression.

Coughlin was especially worried about the college selection process which, she noted, "takes on a life of its own."

"You can see its crescendo," Coughlin said.

Her goal is for the audience to engage in a meaningful discussion following the film on. "I hope the film will open the eyes of the community and that we could share, as parents, what we got out of it and then what could we share with our children," she added.

Although the "Race to Nowhere" screening is not endorsed by the Monroe school district, local administrators have been supportive, Simoulis said. They are, in fact, stuck between having to adhere to mandates made by national and state legislation such as No Child Left Behind and encouraging creativity and a love of learning in local classrooms.

A Monroe principal said the community has asked for an expanded selection of Honors and Advanced Placement classes so that students are more attractive to competitive colleges and universities, according to Coughlin.

She also said a local teacher recounted the difficulties of instilling a love for learning in children when they were busily preparing them for the state tests.

"There's not a magic bullet. There is a series of answers," Coughlin said. "This movie is definitely partial. Everyone is different and has a different perspective. The purpose, though, is to open up the dialogue."

At the conclusion of the film there will be a 30 minute discussion session. Coughlin added, "Since this is a fundraiser for the Masuk PTC, we hope that it will be sold out."

Tickets are $10 per person, if purchased online (Select the screening tab, find a screening, select Connecticut, and Masuk High School.) and $15 at the door. All proceeds from the Masuk PTC fundraiser will be used to support school programs and teacher grants. Simoulis said the PTC also sponsors two annual college scholarships to graduating seniors.

For more information, call Coughlin at (203) 459-8068 or Simoulis at (203) 261-4565.