Review of Race to Nowhere (2009) by Asia S — 01 Feb 2017

Education in America determines success. We are told from a young age that education will allow for us to live the "American Dream," which vividly paints the picture in our heads of big fancy houses and cars or successfulness after years of hard work and dedication. Education is the key to success, which is why parents and loved ones pressure students to work hard to be the best and compete against their peers. The educational system has the ability to shape the lives of individuals as it influences their day to day lives, their emotions, and determines their fate. In the 2010 documentary, Race to Nowhere, directed by Vicki Abeles the school system is portrayed through the interviews that consist of parents, students , admission officers, teachers, and adolescent professionals. This documentary did an excellent job at allowing its viewers to get a complete understanding of the flaws within the educational system and how it impacts those who are involved in it.

The interviews mainly take place in California, but because this is talking about the American educational system other interviews from other schools around the countries are represented. This documentary was made to recognize and pay respect to students who committed suicide because of the pressures they have faced from family and the educational system to do well and never fail. Students explain how as they transition into higher education it becomes harder for them to keep up and they admit to not actually learning anything besides copying,cheating,and testing to ensure that they pass on to the next level of education. Students mention other risks that they have taken in order to perform at a certain level.

The system treats teachers and students no different than the retail centers would treat their employers. Students have to perform a certain way and usually spend most of their childhood working as robots instead of exploring the world around them such as going outside to play. They have to test proficiently to get the grade they want, teachers have to ensure that they perform correctly to get bonus checks, and principals make sure teachers do their job to be kept from being shut down. The pressure comes from teachers too as they are unable to teach the way they envisioned and they are faced with pressure and from then the pressure is being passed down. The documentary blames the No Child Left Behind Act created by George W. Bush. The documentary intends to spread the awareness of the educational system as a plea for reform. The ultimate question proposed is how effective is the educational system in America if people like Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein reached the "American dream" without completing a post secondary education, but instead through creativity and innovation.

I believe that the documentary perfectly addresses the current problem with the educational system .Considering the fact that the documentary was filmed in 2010 and as a student involved in the system today in 2017 it was not hard to identify the resemblances within this undisturbed system. I believe that students face a lot of pressure from teachers, siblings, and parents to perform at a certain level to get to success and to get and education and that can be overwhelming especially if they encounter this situation on a day to day basis over a long period of time. It is also a competition with other students who are expected to meet the same expectations that you are while trying to separate themselves from the competition. I believe that the pressure can be overwhelming as I have had a friend commit suicide because of the pressures from school and academic performance. I also believe that this movie exemplified that the educational system be constructed so that the lives and health of children are not being sacrificed in exchange for a majority free education in the public educational system.

The documentary is worth watching. Although some may believe that it presents bias as it only describes the flaws of the educational system, it is eye opening to some real issues that affect the youth in school communities. It brings out the importance to the foundation of a great education and preparing for the future. I would highly recommend this to everyone in America as we have all had encounters with the educational system . It is important for everyone to be aware about the great things the educational system has done while also being aware of their flaws. As a community there would be opportunities to advocate for students as they are the future of America. Vicki Abeles could have explored a variety of other credible students or educational institutions to explore some of her main points about the educational system because there was a heavy focus on the issues inside of California.