good something to check out if you get the chance.

i sort of work in the field of education. i help kids with the college search, application and selection processes. so, i was interested to view the film "Race to Nowhere".

and i have to say that after watching (a rather slow-moving) 80 minute film about all the stress and pressure we as a society place upon our kids to perform at their best within the extremely antiquated education system that we put them through. the day before i saw the film, i was just explaining to one student how she'll never have to perform like THIS in her life again; sitting in her chair for 8 hours, switching topics every 50 minutes, expected to get a good grade in all of it!

however, i'm not sure what was more disturbing - the film or the Q&A session afterward.

i watched the film in Chapel Hill, NC - mostly sharing the seats in the independent theater with probably educated parents who have good intentions about the treatment and protection of their kids. i also want to say that the film did a good job of addressing socioeconomic status and the effects of this piece of the puzzle - we all know that wealth and poverty have issues of their own.

first things first - the film was, as i've already said, slow. i'm a constant multi-tasker, so feeling antsy is nothing new (all movies feel slow to me). it wasn't as though the topics in the film were shocking, it was just a bit sad at times. it was reality sadness though, so it was palatable.

the crowd questions afterward were stressing me out. i don't like tension in a crowd of well-meaning people. but i felt that we were exposed to a pretty "heavy"/huge topic and then asked to discuss amongst ourselves with a little set of intelligent and diverse panelists who, in and of themselves, had their own agendas.

i don't know where i'm going with this. i'd like to suggest that i think that my unborn children will be someday protected from the pressure-cooker that is today's education system. i was also about to jump out of my seat if one more student or parent in the film used the phrase "get into a good college". UGH. the myth that a "good college" is only one in the top 10% of impossible-to-get-into colleges in our country is silly. i hate it for our kids. and i want to say i'll do it differently, but i don't know because i'm not in those shoes yet.

i'd recommend anyone to see it if only just to be in touch on the topic. this was also a really cool TED film that i watched last week online - really interesting for those with short attention spans!! watch it if you'd like (it's like 11 minutes), you can find it here.

friends, i believe that change is needed. i'm also one who never knows how this type of major change begins....when i was walking out of the theater, i heard these mom's talking about group resistance of homework (an idea brought forth in the film) and the one said to the group "but if we all protest the homework...maybe??!! i mean, did you see that Math homework last night?!"

the thought of Math homework makes my 32 year-old self sweat a little bit.

and i think i'll leave you with that.