Are kids today pushed too hard? Documentary explores ways to learn

A documentary focused on whether students are pushing themselves or being pushed into overachieving at the expense of true learning wants to change the way schools, parents and students look at themselves and their future.

"Race to Nowhere" promotes itself as an examination of "what happens when personal best changes into personal nightmare" and proclaims "we are graduating a generation of young people who have been trained as robo-students." It is meant to be a dialogue starter leading to a call to change, all coming from a former Wall Street lawyer by the name of Vicki Abeles who was concerned about how her own children were reacting to an aggressive school schedule.

The film actually has begun a social change in some areas of the country including schools lessening or eliminating homework and some families choosing to not have their children participate in standardized testing.

Local buzz

Which begs the question: Is Elmbrook ready for such a paradigm shift?

The answer is yes and no, considering early reaction to showings of the film at Elmbrook's two high schools.

"We were pretty close to full last week, and this week we are reaching capacity," said Kristin Westrick, president of Elmbrook's Parent Network, which decided to show the 85-minute film without endorsement.

"This is a film that has been seen in many districts all over the country." Westrick said. "The Parent Network is providing it as information without endorsing what it says.

"We held a discussion following the film, and we will have a follow-up for anyone who would like to discuss this further."

That follow-up will be held at 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Feb. 21 in a reserved room at Vino Cappuccino, 2858 N. Brookfield Road.

"The get-together is like others Parent Network has sponsored," said Westrick, who, as a parent of a fourth- and a sixth-grader, also took a personal interest.

"The issues are interesting," she said, "because they involve the amount of AP (Advanced Placement) courses students take, the amount of homework and the focus on only getting into the best schools. I think we are not that different than a lot of other communities that are focused on the highest possible quality in the schools, and many people want the best for their kids. It's natural."

A longer look

Sandra Schultz agreed. Her four children graduated from Elmbrook and all are either college graduates or in college.

"The film resonated with me because it's something that I have felt all along that we have fallen into a pattern of one-upmanship," Schultz said. "What we are finding is that some high-performing kids need to take remedial math and English because even though they tested well, they have too much information and are not absorbing it all, and they are not critical thinkers."

Schultz said people need to realize that the brain is not fully developed until the age of 25, and that the last part to mature is the part that controls decision making and critical thinking.

"I have seen parents ask educators what their kids have to do to get into a certain college, and even when they are told that many colleges consider the well-rounded students as much as the high-test-scoring individuals, they continue to ask, what exactly do they have to do. I think many parents are just so focused on high test scores," she said.

Schultz said she is not sure how much "Race To Nowhere" will influence school districts, but has heard that SAT and ACT tests may eventually be eliminated in favor of a focus on grades and other activities.

The same overload issues, she noted, can be applied to extracurricular activities.

An educator's view

Elmbrook Superintendent Matt Gibson attended the film's first showing and thought it brought up good points, though he did not see school systems changing because of what the film has to say.

"I suppose we could go in the opposite direction, but I'm not sure you would want to take all the stress off people," he said. "Life is hard driving. I don't think it's up to the schools to make those decisions. It's up to the individual student and their family. It's important to relax, get the right amount of sleep and eat well.

"It's hard to admit that you are not going to make every challenge or deadline," he said. "You need to find the balance that will help you achieve everything you can and find happiness in what you are doing."