On our bookshelf

February 12, 2010 | Print

Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of America’s Achievement Culture

Highlights: Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of America’s Achievement Culture is a documentary examining the unhealthy aspects of our educational system. Director Vicki Abeles started making the film after seeing unsettling changes in her own children as their school pressures increased. She talks with teachers, parents, psychologists and students about what is happening in schools and homes across the country–exhausted kids losing their love of learning to their fear of not getting good grades.

Experts discuss the impact of homework on learning–for elementary school it has no benefit, in middle school the results are mixed, and in high school up to two hours of homework improves learning, but no more than two hours. Students describe coming home from sports and other activities at seven at night, only to face three or four hours of homework. Kids are over-tired and stressed. Teachers struggle to foster children’s love of learning when federal and social expectations demand that children prove themselves by good test scores and AP classes. Schools are too often forced to teach for the test. A psychologist explains how kids lose a sense of themselves, and the role our culture of achievement plays in making kids feel unsuccessful unless they’re A students.

Lowlights: None.

Why we like it: The film features families who have found other approaches for their kids’ education, which we know exist, but listening to their decisions make these possibilities more real. We also left the theater inspired to think concretely about our family values, as well as what expectations we may unknowingly communicate to our kids.

Child’s age: Most of the children interviewed are in middle and high school. The insights of teachers and educators are relevant for all parents.

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