Reflections on Race to Nowhere
Brian Middleton-Cox, M.M., M.Ed.
I recently watched the documentary film Race to Nowhere directed by Vicki H. Abeles. Within the film, the filmmakers illustrate the many demands that are placed upon our children in this century. For example, over the last 20 years, there have been many additional extracurricular activities, which in many cases, provide experiences for a well-rounded child. There are times, however, when we overtax and over schedule our children which causes stress for the children.
Students that were interviewed in the documentary shared that they feel so stressed out by participating in many activities. They feel pressure to please their parents and to keep up with their peers. I am personally in favor of exposing children to a wide range of extra-curricular activities, however, I believe that we need to take the lead from our children and teach them both time management skills and stress management skills. I also strongly believe in spending quality family time together, which sets a strong foundation for a child. Children thrive on routines and if there is a dinnertime routine in which everyone shares something about their day (good and challenging), students can use that as a stress reliever.
The other main idea within the film revolved around the topic of homework. Many students at the secondary level were interviewed and shared that they often spend up to 6 hours a night on homework. I think that homework should be directly related to reinforce and support the curriculum from that day’s lesson. I do not think that we should give students “busy work” for homework simply to teach them the value of responsibility.
Director Vicki Abeles shares, “Race to Nowhere is a call to mobilize families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.”
Within the film, there was a touching story about a young middle-school aged girl who committed suicide because she usually did very well in school and she worked very hard. She got a low mark on a test and then ended her life. This only understates the pressure that students are under to always perform well. The pressure to perform comes from within, parents, siblings, peers, teachers, and society. When we have young, intelligent, vital young people who think that committing suicide is an answer, we must take steps to ensure that does not happen. And it does “take a village.”
This thought-provoking movie made me start to question how I operate as a parent and how I operate as a Principal. This will start a conversation in our schools and households about the fast-paced life and stressors that come along with that. I highly encourage you to view the movie if you get the chance.
Brian Middleton-Cox, M.M., M.Ed. is the Principal of the Woodville School in Wakefield, MA.
