School Stress Film Gets Encore in Montville

A documentary about the pressure the education system puts on students is getting an encore in Montville.

After township parents heard about the film, "Race to Nowhere," being screened in New York, they decided to bring it to the township last November. That screening made Montville the first district in Morris County and one of the first in the state to show the film.

Since then, the film has gained national media attention and wider exposure. Bringing it back a second and third time was less expensive, said Enid Davis, one of the parents who brought the film to Montville and organized the second viewing.

"Race to Nowhere" will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the Montville Township High School auditorium.

Tickets are free but registration is required: http://rtnmontville11812.eventbrite.com

In the documentary, director Vicki Abeles visits schools across America to speak with students, parents and educators about the negative impact the educational system has on the lives of students and their families.The film is dedicated to a 13-year-old girl who took her own life after receiving a low grade in math.

"Because of our screening, Mountain Lakes then organized a screening," Davis said. "The film resonates with people differently depending on the age of a parent's child. A high school parent has different concerns than a parent of an elementary school student as there are different issues that confront them."

Davis worked with Superintendent Dr. Paul Fried to organize a viewing for staff at the start of the school year.

The film has sparked a grassroots movement and is informing district's discussions about policies, such as homework, as is happening in Montville, Davis said.

Davis said the film is relevant for parents of children of all ages.

"At elementary school and middles school levels, I heard those parents speaking about homework, activities, family time," Davis said. "At the high school level, it is the stress to get into the 'best' school, taking rigorous classes, being all things to all people, and activities and family time. It is not just a school issue and what the schools do, but how we as parents also do and don't do that adds pressures to the children."