School Zone

"Race to Nowhere," one of the latest edu-mentaries, is headed this way.

This time, the issue is not charters vs. traditional public schools.

It's school-related pressure -- way too much of it -- vs. our kids. And the kids don't seem to be winning.

Vicki Abeles decided to make the film when she saw her own children suffering physical ailments because they were so stressed out over school-related pressure -- and after a young girl in her community killed herself, apparently for similar reasons.

Abeles interviews students, parents, teachers and education experts across the country to paint the picture of "the dark side of America's achievement culture."

"These kids are so over-scheduled and tired," one expert, a clinical psychologist, says in the film. "I'm afraid our children are going to sue us for stealing their childhoods."

The culprits are many, according to the film, from the intense focus on standardized test scores to society's obsession with success as defined by income -- resulting in a parallel obsession with a need to get into "good" schools. Many of the adults interviewed in "Race to Nowhere" acknowledge their own complicity in the situation.

"We're all caught up in it. We're all afraid that our kids aren't going to be able to be as successful as we are," one mom says.

With the exception of openings in a couple of major cities, the film is screening in small community settings, with each screening followed by a discussion. Abeles has said that's by design, to foster conversations that might help families and schools work toward solutions.

Locally, it's showing at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Park School, 4625 Harlem Road, Amherst. The screening is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Reservations are encouraged. Call Krista Gutzman at 839-1243, ext. 100, or contact her at kgutzman@theparkschool.org.

- Mary Pasciak