'Race To Nowhere' Screening Tonight Puts Focus on Educational System

In a joint effort between the Clarkstown Council of PTAs and the Clarkstown school district, the film “Race to Nowhere” is set to be screened tonight at Felix Festa Middle School in West Nyack.

This film shines a light on the price young people pay in an educational system in which high-stakes testing has replaced meaningful teaching and learning, cheating is com­monplace and stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant.

As a result, many young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.  

As school reform has become a national issue, Race to Nowhere shows the impacts of current policies and practices obsessed with testing and performance and competition. The film is designed to encourage involvement by the community in setting the future course of schools.

Dorothy Atzl, president of the Clarkstown Council of PTAs, said that after the screening there will be a facilitated discussion about the film focusing on:

- How can we best support the youth of America today and prepare them to become healthy, bright, contributing, and leading citizens?

- How do we define achievement?

- How can we end the race to nowhere?

Students may attend free of charge – only adults are required to purchase tickets, which are $15 at the door. The showing  is at 7 p.m. at Felix Festa, 30 Parrott Road, West Nyack.

Vicki Abeles, first-time filmmaker, was inspired to make Race to Nowhere out of concern for her children. A mother of three and former Wall Street attorney, Abeles saw this crisis as her 12-year-old daughter was being treated for stress-related illness.

“As a mother, I experienced the stress firsthand and realized that no one was talking about it,” says Abeles. “I saw kids who were anxious, depressed, physically ill, checking out, abusing drugs and, worst case, attempting suicide. I felt compelled to speak out about this crisis by making a film and giving voice to the students, teachers, and parents.  I wanted to expose a deeper truth about our education system.  We are graduating a generation of robo-students, unable to think and work independently, creatively and collaboratively.”

The film features stories of young people in a variety of communities 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 kids.

Race to Nowhere has been described as a call to action to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.

Atzl said she and Clarkstown schools Superintendent Margaret Keller-Cogan put this screening together after Keller-Cogan had the initial idea to do it and reached out to Council of PTAs.