race to nowhere documentary summary

The documentary offers a frank look at the heavy pressures high school students face to succeed at school -- and how that strain is increasing and trickling down to younger and younger kids. When students do become old enough for a correlation to exist, homework eventually loses its effectiveness after about an hour (24:23). © Common Sense Media. Furthermore, it is literally deadly, as evident in the disturbing examples of students who chose to escape all of the tumultuous pressures via suicide. Abeles actually dedicated the film to Devon Marvin, a friend of her daughter’s who tragically took her own life. Print. It doesn’t. What is this movie trying to say about the current state of education? WFS portrays our schools as undemanding; “Race to Nowhere” says the opposite — that we are killing our kids, figuratively and sometimes literally. The pressures that students face are real, but it seems that the sample that Abeles surveys for the film is smaller and not representative of the problems and successes of many communities of educators and students across the nation. Through the investigative work of Abeles, it is clear that the outrageous pressures of school, sports, and parents are piling up and invading the childhoods of today’s students, to the point where action is necessary. Ten year old Zachary and his mother were the most difficult for me to watch. Here I am offering my own first reactions to the film; in subsequent posts I intend to share some of our panelists’ responses and explore the suggestions from the film’s website, End the Race. Balance is what our generation is missing, and Abeles makes that clear by including that pressure also comes from things that are thought to relieve it, such as sports. She notes that parents should not add pressure to their children and focus more on their happiness by creating family time and reiterating the importance of play. The critique that the film presented was that of the ineffectiveness of said policies, which leads me to believe that Abeles may agree in some ways with Ravitch’s stance. and Choice Are Undermining Education. The film contains a powerful combination of “expert” interviews and emotional vignettes to convince viewers of the dangers of putting students under too much scholastic pressure. Parents today are expected to raise high-achieving children, who are good at everything: academics, sports, the arts, community-service. * Contributed by a San Francisco Bay Area parent following a screening of the film, “Race to Nowhere. I also find it odd that of all the families featured in the film, there was not one that was grateful for the extra time, effort, and attention teachers were putting into creating such challenging coursework. And, 
I would suggest, to the great harm of children. The film provides important insight into the changing role of the family but does not touch on the impact that the families have on schools. 3. The mother in Abeles took the foreground, and never looked back, as she spoke with students, teachers, and parents coast to coast to try and determine what is to blame for the increase in stress amongst students today, and how our education system could be reconstructed to eliminate such pressures. What are the solutions offered in this documentary? Have you heard about it? It is made to aim at awakening not only educators and parents but also the government and society. In RACE TO NOWHERE, filmmakers Vicki Abeles and Jessica Congdon speak to educators, parents, tweens, and teens about the pressures they face academically and emotionally, and the physical toll these expectations exact. One teacher, Darrick Smith, points out that the pressure for students to produce leaves out the processing of the information (Race to Nowhere, 41:10). While our school district has many innovative education practices that represent best practices in the field of education, the movie made quite obvious one way we fall short is in our homework policies. The film will certainly stir up loads of examination and debate, and rightfully so. Director Vicki Abeles seems to be urging parents to become involved before its too late. Hours upon hours of homework cause sleep deprivation, severe stress, and mental and emotional problems. Approximately 85 minutes. The summary of "Race to Nowhere" "Race to Nowhere" is composed of people's interviews which are talking about educational problems in America. In a similar type of scene in the film, when the parents of Devon, a bright young woman who took her own life because of the tremendous pressures she felt, viewers are forced to sympathize with the loss of the parents and to reflect on whether the models of education that are currently in place are actually worth the pressures that they inflict on children. Nevertheless, this is a worthwhile watch for both parents and older kids and could launch great family discussions about expectations and school pressure. documentary. Yesterday I talked about curiosity in science teaching, and included a brief movie of images that were designed to help us think about inquiry and creativity in Add your ratingSee all 13 parent reviews. "Race to Nowhere" Featuring the heartbreaking stories of students across the country who have been pushed to the brink by over—scheduling, over—testing and the relentless pressure to achieve, RACE TO NOWHERE points to a silent epidemic in our schools. Race to Nowhere. It is sickening to hear of the students who associate the feelings of rejection or failure with death. For some, athletics have helped obtain an education. The filmmakers highlighted that increase in homework in schools began in 1983 and shot up again in 2002. Web. Vicki Abeles. Race To Nowhere is a film that focuses on the student of today, and how he/she is pressured for success inside the classroom, as well as outside of it. The film took shape when the director Vicki Abeles had learned of her daughters stomach pains being caused by stress. Common Sense and other associated names and logos are trademarks of Common Sense Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN: 41-2024986). The selected interviews and imagery in the film were incredibly emotional. English. Furthermore, the emphasis on play and “kids not being allowed to find what they love to do” seems to be exaggerated. After seeing the film, I looked at some of the research available about the value of homework. The documentary examines the roles/expectations of the parents and teachers, but focuses mostly on the children and their attempts to fulfill impractical expectations of academic achievement. It shows a lack of faith in the district and suggests that parents know more about what works in education policy than those running the school district, which sets a dangerous precedent for parents who watch this film – the filmmakers are suggesting for parents to go against the grain and  challenge the schools rather than cooperate with them to find a solution to the problems they are faced with. The Race to Nowhere and The Role of the Family in Schools. The schools are thus put on the backburner and disregarded as sites of reform. Elementary school children simply do not benefit from homework. Earlier this year, I attended a PTSA meeting at _______________________________________ where students spoke about the academic climate in response to a speaker. Education reformers are constantly discussing a lack of challenging curriculum for students. Do you agree with them? Abele interviews Devon’s mother, who chokes up as she blames the suicide on “a stupid math test” that Devon had recently failed. The case against homework that the film presented was that homework was often ineffectual as a gauge of students’ understanding. All rights reserved. It has captivated many Americans, and Abeles continues show the film off as well as host discussions afterwards for those interested (I found this pretty cool, that she comes to most of the screenings for discussion). The documentary addresses the concerns that the heavy load of homework and too much structure during the day have on today’s children; suggesting that in fact they do little to raise achievement and… This documentary only presents information that will garner support for the filmmakers’ mission to change the way student success in education is evaluated. Abeles, who was formerly a Wall Street Lawyer, became a filmmaker after she noticed that her own children “began complaining of homework-induced headaches and test anxiety…” [The scenes I felt were the most critical to the film will be discussed in no particular order, but will include time stamps and screenshots.]. If parents see that a child is having a problem with homework for example and would rather blame the school or teachers (and advocate for less homework) than work in collaboration with the school to find a solution (such as supplementary or enrichment activities or special help), then the model of families as integral to the school community is null. Children spend a long time in school every day and they need their time outside of school to benefit from the opportunities that unstructured time allows their development. Harris Cooper, the researcher who suggested the 10 min. You never knew if they were a good kid. Race to Nowhere is a film containing stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their children. He describes how pressure can come from competition between the sport and the school. 24 Feb. 2013. 2. Does this documentary approach its subject matter objectively, or does it have an opinion? 1. After reading Diane Ravitch and analyzing her critique on the 1983 Nation at Risk report and NCLB legislation, I was fascinated when the film mentioned these important policies. The young woman, throughout her school career had to try to appease her teachers, parents and others who would constantly reinforce to her that they were placing such pressures on her in her best interest, when in fact, it was not. Is this really what we want? One of the film’s main themes is homework, and its effects, or lack thereof. Why can’t we look at what is actually beneficial for students? Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. 20 Feb. 2013. Achievement takes tenacity and sometimes sacrifice but in the case of our elementary school’s and our middle school’s homework policies, we are asking for the sacrifice of children’s, teacher’s, and families’ time for no benefit. Still, there are some quibbles: Though East Coasters and Floridians are included in the mix of sources, the film is peopled heavily by Californians. Piecing Together the Mystery: A look at the portrayal of autism in the 1940s, 1970s, and today. Ravitch writes in The Death and Life of the Great American School System, “Where did education reform go wrong? From an administrative perspective, it would be of greater concern to me that parents are trying to influence policy instead of working with the district to achieve the set of goals of the school that they have decided to enroll their children in. Compelling docu looks at academic pressures faced by teens. You never found out if they were a good solid kid. If feeling queasy because of what you’ve watched is a measure of how good a documentary is, then Race to Nowhere definitely succeeds. Abele fills the screen with pictures of this vibrant, young girl while a mournful piano is playing the background. When students are constantly being pushed to not only do well in school, but to get straight A’s, look good for college and meet the high expectations set by their families, they are becoming what was described in the film as “little professionals,” that is, children who are performing to meet the high standards of the school but are taking on more than they can necessarily handle. One thing that troubled me was the omission of the driving force behind the culture of competition and achievement. Named by TakePart.com as one of “10 Education Documentaries You Don’t Want to Miss”, “Race to Nowhere” brings communities together to spark dialogue and … If you have children you will want to watch this movie. In this documentary, we did not hear any thoughts from those responsible for creating school curriculum. This can be seen in its mission, as described by President George W. Bush, “The principle behind the No Child Left Behind act is to set high standards, believe every child could learn, and measure to see if were getting results” (Race to Nowhere 28:10). DVD, Connecticut and Hartford education policy resources, Creating a Dual-Language Magnet School for Hartford Region, Sources on Trinity student protests since 2007, Jack Dougherty and Trinity College Educ 300 students, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, An Uncommon Critique: How A Charter Networks Success Safeguards Student Experiences, The Evolution of Gender Inequality At Trinity College: A Study Through Different Publications, Higher Education for Dreamers After the Failed DREAM Act, 50 Years of ‘Sunny Days’: A Look at the Goals and Effects of “Sesame Street”, For-profit Institutions in Higher Education, Controversy: The True Effectiveness of School Uniforms, The Evolution of Connecticut Special Education- An Updated Study After Fifteen Years. Educ 300: Education Reform, Past and Present, an undergraduate course with Professor Jack Dougherty at Trinity College, Hartford CT. For most driven students, achieving straight As on their report cards is simply not good enough. She articulates the idea that students are faced with having to do homework AND do well on that homework AND attend sports practice before doing homework AND volunteer in their community AND pay attention in school AND get good grades. Stunning documentary addresses race and class issues. In schools that only value the grades on tests, students merely spit out memorized information and forget it all the second the test is over. The pressure from parents to achieve perfection leads kids to resort to cheating and cramming for tests. What results is a picture of a fractured educational system that pushes kids to become successful -- but at a cost. How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives, Celebrate the history and culture of the African diaspora and the achievements of people with African roots on Wide Open School, Online Playdates, Game Nights, and Other Ways to Socialize at a Distance, Keeping Kids Motivated for Online Learning, Must see for parents, educators and mature teens, 5 Tips to Make Family Movie Night a Success. The filmmakers seem to stress the “I know what’s best for my child” model of education reform which does not take into account the continuous research that districts undertake as they try to make their schools better for students; rather, it places an emphasis on schools as the problem and encourages parents to go above the heads of the schools administration and teachers by advocating for policy changes – which seems to be a grandiose solution to a local problem. [1] “About the Film.” Race to Nowhere:Leveraging the Power of Community to Transform Education. According to the film’s website, “[Race to Nowhere] reveals an education system in which cheating has become commonplace; students have become disengaged; stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant; and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired”[1]. She also does not mention any specific policy actions for viewers to participate in, besides simply attending school board or policy meetings. We won't share this comment without your permission. N.p., 10 June 2010. Danielle, a twelfth grader at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, California describes her experience, “Cheating has become another course. What results is a picture of a fractured educational system that pushes kids to become successful -- but at a cost. [Race to Nowhere]00:42:00The film’s focus on the pressures experienced by high performing students and the problems they face provides an inherent critique of the traditional school model. We meet a high school girl who starves herself to stay up and do homework, ultimately resulting in her admittance to a psychiatric hospital for anorexia. I recently came across an article about the fascinating documentary “Race to Nowhere” about burned out students caught in a pressure cooker educational system. In a scene where experts were analyzing the effects of homework, and how countries that outperform the U.S. in education give less homework, it was interesting to see where Nation at Risk and NCLB fit in. Ethos, Pathos, and Logos Works Cited Abele claims that “this isn’t just a film; it’s a grassroots phenomenon” (Merrow). There is no reason a child should ever have to live under such stress, yet it seems to becoming more common. Can the damage be undone? Are our high schoolers overstressed and overtaxed? Within the film is a clip from a forum on stress in a high school in Concord, CA. Not surprisingly, the solutions proposed by "Race to Nowhere" are: 1. An eye-opening call to action, the film challenges our deepest-held assumptions about how we can best prepare young people for the future No available research has found this. Details; Genre; Language. It examines how the education policy of meeting proficiencies has actually had a negative affect, how students feel pressured to cheat just in order to pass, and how teachers fix scores in order to secure their job. Dir. 85 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film. The film tackles the tragic side of our often achievement-obsessed culture, with interviews that … An AP science teacher says that when he cut student’s homework load in half they scored better on the AP test. The Race to Nowhere Trailer “The film explores the effects of the achievement obsession and how children begin to hate learning, fear B's and end up unprepared for college and burned out" Many American parents pressure their kids to get A's in school, play sports, become president of their class and "be all they can be." Do I want a doctor who can pass the test…or a doctor that can think critically when faced with a new disease? In the closing frames, viewers learn that the film is dedicated to young Devon Martin who took her own life, because of a poor math grade. Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? A film worth watching, it attempts to bring attention to the issue of stress among students in a numbers driven society, what the filmmakers believe to be primarily responsible for said stress, and how to combat the stress for many reasons, most importantly the health and futures of today’s students. And it’s not clear whether the problems described in the movie are endemic in both public and private schools, and whether that makes a difference. Throughout the film, the audience is shown one tragic case after another to expose the harmful side effects of America’s obsession with achievement and performance. If ending homework is the way to improve student’s experiences in education, it would have been nice to hear from the principal in Wyoming that chose to do away with homework altogether. Is it really a “race to nowhere"? Assistive Technology for Students with Special Needs, Sexual Violence at Trinity: Policy Changes That Make No Change, Food, Glorious Food: The Evolution of School Lunches from 1946 to 1970, Public Schools in the Twentieth Century: The “Melting Pot” for Immigrants, Trinity Enrollments: Rate of Acceptance for Students of Color, The Rise and Fall of Sex Education in the Progressive Era, Christian Schools are a Scam according to “Backpack Full of Cash”. This movie is showing a new path for our children. Students may constantly feel that they aren’t meeting someone’s standards, whether it is a parent, a coach, or a teacher, etc., because they are so preoccupied. Vicki Abeles addresses all these problems in her documentary by following the experiences of her own children as well as interviewing students, teachers, parents, employers, and psychologists. Identify three issues related to school system discussed in this documentary. Similar to Bennett, author Diane Ravitch seems to trace the derailment of educational reformation to the same instance. This "documentary" is in fact poorly disguised (and somewhat crass) propaganda for those who control, and benefit from, working in the education system, the main problem with which is that it has been hijacked (along with billions of taxpayer dollars) to support the benefit of those who control it. The speaker’s message was not popular among the students present at the meeting and one student stated that she didn’t want or need any free time. The film paints a clear picture of victims and villains. Some of the most crucial scenes in the film really emphasize this emotional damage. Good question! To go a step farther in the fight against homework, Race to Nowhere had several experts whom stated that homework is detrimental to the long term mental, social, and intellectual success of students. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. Instead of piling on hours of homework each night, Abele suggests that teachers should assign less homework to leave room for students’ family time and play, which would significantly improve children’s emotional wellbeing. The 2009 documentary, A Race to Nowhere, was the brainchild of movie director/protective parent/concerned citizen, Vicki Abeles. Some say that the numbers Ableles chose to use were too low (8 minutes a night in 1981 as compared to 22 in 2003, though the number is tripled, 16 minutes is not as provoking as the term tripled), therefore deeming the fact insignificant. Far too many children are not having a childhood an... Thought-provoking docu uncovers educational challenges. Combined with The No Child Left Behind Act, never before have two documents placed such importance on “proficiency”. Race to Nowhere is an award-winning documentary that highlights the unintended consequences of our pressure-cooker culture and education system. He simply states this policy in his conclusion as an opinion and adds that it might help children’s independent study habits. In this scene, and many others, the filmmakers educe a deeply emotional response from the viewers because of the deeply personal and emotional display that the teachers, parents and others display throughout the film. In the beginning of the film, the director discusses her own children’s struggle with anxiety induced illness. Race to Nowhere (Book) : Abeles, Vicki : Race to Nowhere is an award-winning documentary that highlights the unintended consequences of our pressure-cooker culture and education system. It is meant to be shocking when Denise Pope of Stanford University gives evidence that suggests there is no correlation between homework and academic success at the elementary school level. Tragically, this is the one thing children do not get to do because the homework takes up too much of their time. I was particularly disheartened to see how the middle school is assessing its homework load by asking parents’ opinions. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. The film portrayed students as victims of the system and framed parents as helpless bystanders. Stanford Libraries' official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. Why? Children who claim they are not feeling the stress but when asked about their friends, described depression, anxiety, stimulant use and coming to school sick having gotten no sleep? This is becoming common throughout the country, with athletics and academics fighting for the top spot in teenagers’ lives. “Race to Nowhere” shows the negative consequences of the flaws in schooling and pressure from parents. See something that needs to be addressed? The film vilifies teachers and school administrators as not being able to relate to the families that they service. Another student described her own cheating as a result of having “no room to make mistakes” in the classroom. Reel Link Films, n.d. A variety of teacher interviews would have made the arguments presented in the film more credible. The sad truth is that their time and attention are wasted. Beyond that, the benefit falls off rapidly and we run the risk of sleep deprivation, burnout and lack of engagement for our students. [Race to Nowhere]00:71:00Devon’s parents described her as a bright young girl who was facing great internal pressure from an algebra class that she was enrolled in. She believed in the idea of meritocracy and that by teaching her students to work hard she could use education as a method to move students out of the socio-economic strata which they occupy. The film, Race to Nowhere, directed by Vicki Abeles, presented a take on education and the role of the family in schools that I had never been exposed to. Summary. “Race to Nowhere” is a full-length documentary dedicated to education today. Tests are constructed long before lessons are taught, and lessons are therefore often overstuffed with content. The idea of students spending more time on homework is not held in high regard, albeit levels of homework increase, should they move along in their educational careers. There aren't any reviews yet. Ms. Batten-Bowman describes her desire to inspire her students in the classroom. Vicki Abeles, a mother with children in elementary and middle school, saw the negative effects that this country’s flawed education system has had on her children and decided to do something about it. A group of friends and I recently attended a screening of Race to Nowhere, a documentary intended to raise awareness on the way our children are educated. Vicki Abeles is a filmmaker and a mother who explores the strenuous world of today's adolescent in the documentary Race to Nowhere. In RACE TO NOWHERE, filmmakers Vicki Abeles and Jessica Congdon speak to educators, parents, tweens, and teens about the pressures they face academically and emotionally, and the physical toll these expectations exact. [00:71:00]. My friend told me about a screening of the much talked-about documentary, Race To Nowhere, in my community. Understanding the pressures that students face are important in shaping the pedagogical processes that schools undertake to create good students. Her documentary, “Race to Nowhere”, shows the unbearable stress that takes over the lives of the youth as a result of unrealistic expectations coming from every direction. A similar scene occurs when a psychologist gives a testimony about a girl who came into her office wearing a long sleeved shirt and pulls up one of the sleeves to show that she had carved the word “empty” in her arm with a razor (16:10). Families can talk about what high school and college have become in this country. It is unlikely that children in public schools and elsewhere have absolutely no downtime and are constantly engaged in some sort of academic endeavor; school districts in the country are constantly trying to implement new and non-traditional methods in schools that create an experience that children find exciting, new and interesting. It also can be dangerous however, as in Sam’s case, where the pressures eventually grew too large and caused him to drop out.

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