Hastings School Community to Discuss Film on Student Rat Race

Hastings teachers have an extra day of school this week; but, as often happens right before vacation, they'll spend time watching a movie.

The movie is serious business, however. Their professional development day Dec. 23 will start with a viewing of the controversial documentary Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of America's Achievement Culture. Here is a description from the movie website

A concerned mother turned filmmaker aims her camera at the culture of hollow achievement and pressure to perform that has invaded Americaʼs schools. It is destroying our childrenʼs love of learning and feeding an epidemic of unprepared, disengaged, and unhealthy students.

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.

Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people who have been pushed to the brink and educators who are burned out and worried that students arenʼt developing the skills needed for the global economy, Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic running rampant in our schools.

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.

The rest of the professional development day will focus on the implications of the movie. Faculty members will participate in small group discussions and the day will culminate with a report on what the Hastings schools should start to consider, said Interim Superintendent Tim Connors.

The Hastings PTSA is will sponsor a screening of the documentary at 7 p.m. Jan. in the Hastings High School auditorium. A panel with representatives of recent alumni, current students, teachers and community members will lead an audience-wide discussion afterward, Connors said.

Race to Nowhere has been shown and discussed in many local districts since its release in 2009.