The Race to Nowhere

Consider Natalie. From a young age, Natalie attended private school and was expected to do well in all of her pursuits: school, sports, and Hebrew lessons. In high school, she had so much homework and so many tests that the only way she could keep up with everything was to work all night. She discovered a trick to staying awake: not eating gave her insomnia. During her sophomore year she was diagnosed as anorexic.

Consider Jamey. Jamey used to love school, but in 6th grade she found it difficult to keep with all the work. She began getting up in the middle of the night to finish her homework. As the workload increased in 7th grade, Jamey fell further behind. She felt she wasnʼt smart and that she was disappointing everyone. Her mom noticed signs of depression, but all of Jameyʼs teachers declared, “she looked fine”.

Consider Isaiah. In middle school, Isaiah was the guy all the other students turned to for help with their homework. He was a 4.0 student. He felt successful. In his urban high school, he took AP classes so he could apply to top colleges and a wide range of scholarships. He needed the scholarships because his mom couldnʼt afford to send him to a four-year school. As he progressed through high school he became overwhelmed by his workload and fell behind. His grades dropped and he considered dropping out.

Consider Jarreau. Jarreau had top grades in high school—partially because he figured out how to work the system. It was all just a matter of memorizing information and spitting it back out. He would cram the night before a test so the material was fresh in his mind. For Jarreau, that strategy worked. He was accepted into Stanford University, yet struggled as a freshman.

Consider this - Natalie. Jamey. Isaiah. Jarreau. They could be your Hamilton-Wenham students.

Hundreds of thousands of educators, parents, and students are embracing “Race to
Nowhere”, a new documentary that exposes the silent epidemic in our education system. Our high-­pressure, high-­stakes culture has invaded our schools and children’s lives, creating unhealthy, disengaged, unprepared and stressed-­out youth. Created by first-­time filmmaker Vicki Abeles, the film tells the stories of young people pushed to the brink, burned-­out teachers and deeply frustrated parents.

The intense pressures that many adolescents face today with mountains of homework, a test-centered school culture, a full slate of extracurricular activities, and desperate expectations about getting into the "best" schools rather than the ones that are the best fit is prevalent in schools across America - including here in our town.

What happens when personal best is not good enough? What happens when personal best
changes into personal nightmare? The unintended consequences of an achievement-obsessed culture can be catastrophic for families and children alike. The mental health of young people may suffer, leading to depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders – not to mention binge drinking, self-medication and drug abuse. We are graduating a generation of young people who have been trained as robo-students, unable to think and work independently, creatively, and collaboratively and who are returning home after college in increasing numbers. Industry is spending billions retraining these graduates.

This remarkable new film shines a light on the price our kids pay for this “race to nowhere.” Cheating is commonplace, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and ironically, young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.

“Race to Nowhere” is a call to families, educators, experts and policy makers to examine current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become the healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens in the 21st century.

For more information on this film, visit www.racetonowhere.com.