I recently saw the movie a "Race to Nowhere".  A friend mentioned that this Indie flick was playing at a local theater for a limited audience and tickets were going fast.  Always intrigued by a "hot" topic, I decided to attend.

I went to the film with an open mind.  I was beyond troubled by what I saw.  The film gives a sobering assessment of today's educational system.  The film is filled with interviews conducted with overstressed, homework ridden students from elementary school through college.  The prevailing theme for every age group is that each struggles to keep up with societal expectations as well as the mandatory educational requirements of today's public school system.

At the heart of it, the film focuses on the many flaws of the education act "No Child Left Behind". It appears evident that while the act was filled with good intentions and excellent in theory, it falls short in practice.  The mandates of "No Child Left Behind" have left our educators with little choice but to pile on the homework and not veer from a rigid curriculum all in the hopes of passing standardized tests that are tied to "No Child Left Behind".  Test scores equal critical school rankings that help secure federal education dollars.   Test scores equal dollars and schools are using any means possible to achieve a questionable goal.  In the end, our children are paying the price!

The film showed that we are creating a generation of kids that have to resort to cheating order to stay ahead.  One AP student noted that 5 Advanced Placement (or AP) classes equaled 5 hours of homework a day.  With 6 to 7 hours of school and 2 hours of after school activities there is no time for leisure or for that matter sleep!  Cheating is one method kids are using to keep their scores high for the ultimate goal, college admission.

In addition, the information comes on so heavy and so quickly that kids are often memorizing for the moment and not truly learning.  Recognizing the insanity of the system, teachers will often tell pupils what look for on a test.  Memorization is key but it leaves little for the student with respect to long-term material retention.  Without the parachute of a teacher feeding him the test questions, one Stanford University student noted that had a rude awakening in college and had to relearn his approach to classroom learning.

Children as young as 9 were shown with ulcer like systems and were prone to fits of depression at the thought of school.  One teenager commented that her childhood had been taken away from her.  She wasn't able to play and just be a kid since she was very young.  Sadly, one the inspirations for the film was the suicide of a young, talented 13 year old girl.  She crumbled under the pressure of a failing grade in one class.  Alas...this is not an exaggeration.  You have to see the film, but this suicide was not tied to some deviant home life.  It truly was brought on by her school life and one failure that she could not live with.  It is tragic to see her home movies, beautiful pictures and seemingly charmed life.

The positive side is the hope that the movie, and audiences that see it, will serve as an agent for change.   The website link now lists a number of new shows being released in our area.  As a parent, I would highly recommend seeing the film.  As mentioned, it is being shown in limited release throughout the DC Metro area.  Preorders for the film are also advertised on the site. For more information about show times and movie content, visit http://www.racetonowhere.com/home