My 16 year has been in Denver Public Schools his entire life. I have watched with concern as the administration has increased district mandated standardized tests, decreased fun subjects like art and PE, and insisted that every child and every school should be compared to every other child and every other school through the lens of how they did on the latest computerized tests. Meanwhile , their parents spend all their time trying to decipher the District's constant reorganization of what were formerly neighborhood schools based on those flawed test results. The District's insistence that our children spend all day, every day in their seats, and its refusal to recognize that some of our more talented, creative citizens have skills that don't lend themselves to standardized computer tests, has not led to any improvements in education. Rather, I personally know a number of children who have not succeeded in that environment. It is no wonder that they are being treated by the psychiatric community or self medicating using easy to get marijuana provided by Colorado's thriving pot shops.
27
I can only speak about my own experience, and what I've seen that relates to the increasing stress in a kid's life is that parents are extremely stressed and too busy to delve into their kid's problems beyond medicating them.
15
I do not doubt that students have stress given the society they live in with its emphasis on status, money, extrinsic rewards, image, cosmetic beauty and promotion of narcissism. However, my college students seem to see college and the opportunity to learn as a refuge from the parts of their lives that induce the most stress. To hint that learning is a cause of their stress seems a mindless stretch. Students are very astute in recognizing the challenges that they face as governments abandon the citizens and bankrupt their nation in order to promote the welfare of the elite. The ability to afford education, support themselves, own a home, take care of their family, have nutritious food and good health are major concerns of students. The fact that schools are now more about testing and processing them them into cheap resources for corporations than educating them has not escaped most students either.
29
We cannot look at this issue without looking at the changes occurring in our society today.
(1) we still have the same 24 hours per day we had in past. Now there are many different non-academic distractions eg facebook, whats app, TV etc. Do they cut into home work time?
(2) There are more single parents, divorced parents, etc. Not all of them can competently manage their milieu and thus there will be stress transmitted downstream. Moving back and forth between parents also adds to the issue for many, but not all
(3) There is a dramatic increase in parent-teacher conflicts, more demands on teachers from administration, parents etc such that the teachers are under stress, they frequently change schools/jobs and thus lack of continuity
(4) There is a significant disagreement on a universal curriculum, etc that does not help kids when they move around due to parents increase mobility
(5) The focus has dramatically shifted from developing competent citizens to developing resumes for college entrance
(6) kids are either too structured or not structured at all.
(7) schools are now expected to do significantly more with significantly less resources in a constantly changing environment. This does cause leadership failure.
Having said this, stress is very helpful to develop coping skills and get ready for future. However, society has to figure out how to let kids and adolescents be adolescents and not try to fix each problem undermining their self-confidence.
(1) we still have the same 24 hours per day we had in past. Now there are many different non-academic distractions eg facebook, whats app, TV etc. Do they cut into home work time?
(2) There are more single parents, divorced parents, etc. Not all of them can competently manage their milieu and thus there will be stress transmitted downstream. Moving back and forth between parents also adds to the issue for many, but not all
(3) There is a dramatic increase in parent-teacher conflicts, more demands on teachers from administration, parents etc such that the teachers are under stress, they frequently change schools/jobs and thus lack of continuity
(4) There is a significant disagreement on a universal curriculum, etc that does not help kids when they move around due to parents increase mobility
(5) The focus has dramatically shifted from developing competent citizens to developing resumes for college entrance
(6) kids are either too structured or not structured at all.
(7) schools are now expected to do significantly more with significantly less resources in a constantly changing environment. This does cause leadership failure.
Having said this, stress is very helpful to develop coping skills and get ready for future. However, society has to figure out how to let kids and adolescents be adolescents and not try to fix each problem undermining their self-confidence.
16
All made much worse since the Obama administration's Race-to-the-Top initiative that introduced competition for federal dollars based on exams that supposedly measured a teacher's effectiveness. Teachers began teaching to the test and students began practicing on how to take exams. The stakes for teachers were high since their jobs may be lost if the numbers were not good. Even kindergarteners were required to take exams in some states. The value of these exams has been exposed as virtually meaningless. The damage to public education has been enormous. It will take many years to reverse the damage. Meanwhile a generation of students have gone through abusive educational practices.
9
I appreciate that Ms. Abeles focuses on the research of medical students and uses grad school pressure as a window into high school environments. Still, I would also like to hear from the teachers who have to coexist with students in such high-stress schools.
I teach in a high-achieving public high school and have the opportunity to work with some of the brightest students in our building. We offer many AP and concurrent enrollment courses that are quite popular with our upperclassmen. Nevertheless, because the political environment in our state is so focused on assessing teachers using student "improvement" data, the endless "homework" on nights and weekends frequently extends to me as well. I grade essays, plan meaningful lessons, and frequently communicate with parents and students. But I'm also responsible for having to assemble a package of information that justifies my employment, a several-month study of carefully rendered statistics that no one will look at. To be "held accountable" in this way, on top of the already challenging demands of working with students, is counterproductive and harmful. I see the stress, anxiety, and depression in my students when we start class every day, but I cannot share that I feel exactly the same way.
I teach in a high-achieving public high school and have the opportunity to work with some of the brightest students in our building. We offer many AP and concurrent enrollment courses that are quite popular with our upperclassmen. Nevertheless, because the political environment in our state is so focused on assessing teachers using student "improvement" data, the endless "homework" on nights and weekends frequently extends to me as well. I grade essays, plan meaningful lessons, and frequently communicate with parents and students. But I'm also responsible for having to assemble a package of information that justifies my employment, a several-month study of carefully rendered statistics that no one will look at. To be "held accountable" in this way, on top of the already challenging demands of working with students, is counterproductive and harmful. I see the stress, anxiety, and depression in my students when we start class every day, but I cannot share that I feel exactly the same way.
24
I may sound dissonant and kind of a lost voice but I will voice them. I empathize with these kids because nothing like this should mess up childhood. But this is a very solvable problem because the school districts which are afflicted are highly selected, affluent school systems overflowing in cash. It is just a matter of bringing in school authorities and parents to come together in the interest of the children. Education Funds would be more appropriately spent on school systems that - Fail!. The kids in these schools are underachievers because of exactly the same reasons - Stress, Anxiety and Fear! And these kids have no support system forget a home life and Parents!
7
Anxious, depressed kids are created by anxious, depressed or status-conscious parents. You either teach your children to be happy, or you instruct them in how to never be satisfied.
17
What drive for success? I guess it depends on what part of the country you're in. In my part of Tennessee, there are some good academic private schools, a handful of magnets, and an even smaller handful of demanding public schools. The rest of the schools bend over backwards to do anything possible so that all kids pass, and if for some reason that's not doable, it becomes the fault of the teachers. Stress for kids? Spare me. It's the stress for teachers that's a much greater concern. I admire them for putting up with what public education has become.
15
I wish I had a penny for every cut throat parent who is pushing their kids to be something whilst also having zero ambition themselves. I am thinking of the affluent non working Moms in my affluent suburb who haven't had a career, but whose children are being fast tracked and groomed for success. One thing that might help kids a lot today is if Mom and Dad worried more about their own career attainment and set an example of living a balanced life of work/recreation. Too many parents have their self esteem wrapped up in the status related achievements of their children, and the kids know it. Such hypocrisy.
111
And after you've hocked yourself to the gills for credentials, you'll be overqualified.
The US social contract is a farce.
The US social contract is a farce.
12
Work satisfaction is highest when employees feel like they have control over how their job is done. It's the same for kids. During the 37 years I taught high school English, I let my students choose most of the books they read. They also chose much of the writing they did. The result was they loved reading and did some wonderful writing.
We need to stop putting students, and teachers, in straight-jackets, and expecting great results. Of course the kids are stressed-out now, and I'm sure their teachers are as well: a lousy situation for everyone.
We need to stop putting students, and teachers, in straight-jackets, and expecting great results. Of course the kids are stressed-out now, and I'm sure their teachers are as well: a lousy situation for everyone.
25
What this op-ed fails to address is the root of all of this stress - why are schools, parents, teachers putting so much pressure on kids? Americans need look no further than elected leaders, most of whom know nothing about education, but who felt perfectly comfortable telling schools, "If your students aren't succeeding, then you will lose your funding." Hyperbole-laced headlines about "failing schools" - even though most schools WEREN'T failing - struck fear in parents, and union-busting politicians on the left and the right turned their sites to teacher evaluation systems. So now both schools AND teachers would lose their funding if kids didn't excel on standardized tests. In the same breath, teachers were told "Vary instruction and play to the needs of a diverse population of students, but make sure that they are all ready to pass the exact same test in the spring!" When powerful folks tell schools "you will be closed down if..." and when the same powerful folks tell teachers, "You will lose your livelihood if you don't..." these institutions and people have a way of responding to ensure that these things DON'T happen. A teacher's working environment is your child's learning environment. This fact is inescapable. If the people teaching your children feel that they are under constant threat of being tossed onto the street, that kind of fear can't help but permeate a school. The politicization of education in America has hurt everyone - especially kids.
18
A good friend / coworker graduated from high school in 1969. He was graduated from Yale, despite never having had homework until 9th grade. How things have changed. And no, my current crop of younger coworkers are not any more skilled than he is.
16
Academic pressure is one factor adding to stress but the problem is complex. First of all, with constant distractions like social media, proven to reduce users ability to refocus on a task--children might be facing increased academic demands at a time when their focus is increasingly fragmented. Also anxiety may be caused by parental hovering, children's decreased ability to problem solve on their own, etc. There is also an atmosphere of anxiety in our culture with pervasive sense of terrorist threat and emphasis on material, not spiritual values. Increased pressure plus the infotainment culture create a world in which kids are no longer just "wasting" time by writing stories and playing house.
8
I am a high school student who currently takes AP courses. The aricle mentions stress-related health issues, and while I can attest to seeing such issues in my classmates, it neglects to mention sleep deprivation. The amount of homework AP/Honors courses offer, coupled with extracurricular activities, leads to a lack of sleep. It is not at all unusual for me or one of my peers to go to bed after midnight on a school day. I average about 5 hours of sleep a night on good days. This lack of sleep only exacerbates whatever stress we have. I enjoy the rigor offered by AP courses, but I wish the homework they offered was at least a little bit more reasonable.
19
The interesting follow-up article would be a look at the correlations between budget cuts for school counselors and nurses, as well as for courses that allow the numerical and memorization brain a respite, as it works on other tasks via music, art, and physicality. What I see in higher education is students admitted with mental, emotional, and learning issues, who come into a system where neither the counseling nor disabilities offices are well-funded, and where the faculty has been de-professionalized into part-timers who must teach by the course and by the semester. Put simply, the "net" to catch students and give them a bounce back, in K-12 and beyond, has been deliberately disassembled by Congress, legislatures, and the wealthy, who see the children of the 99% as line workers and cannon fodder. There is nothing below but hard concrete - unless one's parents are wealthy enough to provide a Park Avenue shrink.
6
Students take on stress-inducing workload either because they want to, their parents want them to or a combination of both. But for parents and children, there are goals, and those are preferred stations in life, seen only as realizable by putting in the time and effort. If students and parents are persuaded to believe that those preferred stations can be achieved by adding a little more relaxation, but as a result, the students achieved lower stations than had been planned, it seems this will also cause stress. The choice appears to be between survivable stress during a few years of school, or, regrets for a long, long time.
4
It's surely not just the schools and schoolwork. The stress on parents and entire families caused by the state of the economy -- stagnant wages, loss of retirement savings, foreclosures, difficulties finding work if you're over 40 or 50, and so on -- is also at play here. Add to that the constant fear-mongering news about terrorism (driving on the freeway is more dangerous), the terrifying Republicans running for office, frighteningly rapid changes in the earth's climate, the digital information firehose, and there's a lot to be stressed out about.
26
The overscheduled childhood is a travesty.....freedom and liberty take a beating....what kind of a world are we asking them to grow up into.....?.....fifteen hour days should have been a thing of the past by now....instead we are recreating this drudgery for our children whom we purport to love.....
14
One wonders how our ancestors survived. Many faced the stress of being in school during the depression when they had to drop out or work and go to school to help their families survive. Or those in school during World War II, when pretty much every young man in decent health went into the service and faced possible death, or the Vietnam war when those of the lower classes faced the same possibility.
As to those modern kids not getting enough sleep, I'll bet few of them are using the extra wake time to work on homework.
As to those modern kids not getting enough sleep, I'll bet few of them are using the extra wake time to work on homework.
11
But what did our schools and our teachers do years ago when the US was top in math and science and other fields as compared to now when America has gone down. My thought is that the other countries got better and caught up. It comes with economic development and success. What have we got to do now? Asian and some European countries school their children harder than we are. Both in length of time and intensity. Do we have to continue importing better brains from India, China and other countries to keep America competitive, or should we build those brains here?
6
As a professor at a SLAC, I know that most students were not challenged academically during high school. But they were (and are) overscheduled with 'activities' of dubious value. They don't learn to think or cope independently because their activities are all organized for them. And a lot of stress originates from the lack of trust at the education establishment.
Advice to ambitious parents of college-bound children in the STEM fields: An undergraduate degree is not a big deal. Get a decent one and try to get into an excellent graduate school. Graduate schools in the US are still meritocracies.
Advice to ambitious parents of college-bound children in the STEM fields: An undergraduate degree is not a big deal. Get a decent one and try to get into an excellent graduate school. Graduate schools in the US are still meritocracies.
9
I'm sure if we concentrated more on the thrill of broad learning, and less on the need win prizes and accolades, or to make a lot of money, these kinds of problems would disappear. Growing up needs to be less of a competition. We're making our children miserable. Miserable children usually become miserable adults.
11
Yes it is!! I'm a high school teacher. Most of my students are from the Philippines. They are a delight to teach largely because their parents do not consider children as status symbols to be polished and buffed like new Ferraris. I feel sorry for the "rich white kids" I see on the bus who get off at the nearby private schools. So many more of them seem way too stressed way too early.
If 'success' is defined as more stuff coming from more work in careers that are more about parents ambitions than kids abilities, then the answer is YES! Rampant materialism kills.. and is a communicable disease. Save the children!
If 'success' is defined as more stuff coming from more work in careers that are more about parents ambitions than kids abilities, then the answer is YES! Rampant materialism kills.. and is a communicable disease. Save the children!
9
One day I read that American kids don't know anything; they're lazy and just want to tap on their ipads. The next day I read that American kids are stressed from trying to achieve too much, academically and athletically. Which is it?
10
The children who succeed are those who consistently 'obey'.
Sit and be quiet, do your work and obey always.
We're teaching our kids to be obedient and not to think outside the classroom.
Humans are not circus animals.
Sit and be quiet, do your work and obey always.
We're teaching our kids to be obedient and not to think outside the classroom.
Humans are not circus animals.
16
Good point. I have seen too many students at the university level who have already become robotic. There is room for drive and hard work--nothing comes easy--but the generic Tiger Moms and Dads of all backgrounds can pressure their children into behaving like neurotic automotons who lack a full. well rounded mind. There are other values and attainments in this nation beyond money.
9
The stock character of "the stage mother," or the "sports father" are not only old and ingrained in our culture but apply to every endeavor - entertainment, music and the arts, sports, STEM Programs, all fields of academia and professional schools, etc. PARENTS, I am sorry that your life did not turn out as perhaps you intended but that does not give you a free pass to live vicariously through your children by pushing them to achieve ridiculous levels in EVERYTHING.
9
This helps explain the rapid growth of mindfulness in the classroom. In Silicon Valley, the manic tech companies are in fact bringing mindfulness to their employees, without tech solutions -- which aren't "there" yet, but with well understood personal attention methods. Google and the others need to fund Mindful Schools.
1
When parents want their kids to be 5 sport athletes, ready for major leagues, we know we are in trouble. The culture of sports starts from kindergarten itself, with parents hyperventilating in the sidelines when their child misses that goal. Over scheduled children, over exhausted parents. Being a student is an occupation, education being the primary goal. No wonder kids in Asia dedicate their lives to studies, learning how to study and then make their way into American universities for higher studies. My kids in grad schools were surprised to find international students or ethnically non white, Asian American and South Asian students filling up the classes and labs.
8
The line that jumps from the page is this: Each activity is seen as a step on the ladder to a top college, an enviable job and a successful life.
Having taught English at a competitive independent school for twenty years, the cultural idea that the Process of learning need be inextricably tied to Product was anathema to not only the development of critical thinking and other essential life skills but also to the pure pleasure of wonder and discovery. When students were able to find growth potential and even joy in the act of learning, they were most successful...and the learning stuck. Learning to identify the trees of the forest, and to call all the birds by name, should naturally translate into the ability to identify personal gifts and understand what might best (and most rewardingly) be done with them. How do we sell this joy of learning across the board, while enhancing the capacity to make meaning that is not only useful but also a source of lifelong personal and communal value? It's a sales job requiring a full-staff of parent, teacher, school, culture...as well as the emerging human being as scholar for life...not Final Product coming off some dispassionate assembly line.
Having taught English at a competitive independent school for twenty years, the cultural idea that the Process of learning need be inextricably tied to Product was anathema to not only the development of critical thinking and other essential life skills but also to the pure pleasure of wonder and discovery. When students were able to find growth potential and even joy in the act of learning, they were most successful...and the learning stuck. Learning to identify the trees of the forest, and to call all the birds by name, should naturally translate into the ability to identify personal gifts and understand what might best (and most rewardingly) be done with them. How do we sell this joy of learning across the board, while enhancing the capacity to make meaning that is not only useful but also a source of lifelong personal and communal value? It's a sales job requiring a full-staff of parent, teacher, school, culture...as well as the emerging human being as scholar for life...not Final Product coming off some dispassionate assembly line.
22
I would like to recommend this more than once.....
1
As often is the case, there are assumptions made here for simplicity. Schools may have their part in this imbalance, but children have 5 solid years at home before stepping into school. Has the author examined whether the home environment is conducive to success at school? Is the norm in these upper-middle-class suburbs that from birth, children have too much screen time, too much mall time, too little time reading or playing in the woods? These children are then expected to have the temperament to sit and absorb what the teacher is presenting, only to return to a frenetic household which supports only achievement, not learning. The pressure is on the kids, parents hold high expectations since they bought their way into a competitive school district.
9
We could avoid so much pressure in high school and college if we were more attentive to the needs of young children--parents (or some responsible adults) who will talk and read to them with regularity. A recent essay in "The Atlantic" raises serious questions about aggressive and formal curricula pushed as early as preschool. The implication is that we create the scaffolding for many of these later anxieties at a very early age.
One is left with a question as to whether the mounting stress for high school and college students is partly a result of thinking we can pressure students into fixing learning disadvantages that took root much earlier in life. Do these stresses mirror the rising levels of income inequality? Likely yes.
We drone on about our poorly performing high-schoolers,: that is not the fault of many of the teachers. It starts much earlier. Although US 15 year-olds may measure as mediocre on international comparisons, there are many subgroups. Those from more affluent families--with parents who make it possible for their children to better develop language facilities at an early age--rate quite high on those international comparisons.
There is no one size fits all to fix these problems. But more and more evidence points to problems related to socioeconomic skews in early childhood. This is not to minimize the need to help older students fix the problems related to earlier mistakes and misplaced social expectations--and endless ranking systems.
One is left with a question as to whether the mounting stress for high school and college students is partly a result of thinking we can pressure students into fixing learning disadvantages that took root much earlier in life. Do these stresses mirror the rising levels of income inequality? Likely yes.
We drone on about our poorly performing high-schoolers,: that is not the fault of many of the teachers. It starts much earlier. Although US 15 year-olds may measure as mediocre on international comparisons, there are many subgroups. Those from more affluent families--with parents who make it possible for their children to better develop language facilities at an early age--rate quite high on those international comparisons.
There is no one size fits all to fix these problems. But more and more evidence points to problems related to socioeconomic skews in early childhood. This is not to minimize the need to help older students fix the problems related to earlier mistakes and misplaced social expectations--and endless ranking systems.
6
The big unmentioned variable in our childrens lives is the internet and social media. Kids raised in the digital error experience social and academic challenges very differently from us old folks. i would bet their ability to navigate real-world problems and deal with the usual stresses of adolescence is compromised by their lack of in your face, real time problem solving experience. The pressures at school are out of control, no doubt about that, but they are compounded by the presence of young people exposed to chronic digital distractions that undermine their ability to concentrate and be themselves.
12
Finally, an article not about racing to the top, but the cost of the race. Learning is not about racing, it is about experiencing ---what John Dewey wrote about decades ago. Few schools in this country are designed to provide young people with an educational experience. Most schools pursue institutional goals (e.g. credits, grades, and diplomas) with little or no interest in what it means to become educated. Tragically, young people grave educational experiences ---environments where they are permitted to pursue an interest without the interference of the formalities of institutions (grades, tests, courses, subjects, facts). The same could be said about what the after school activities children are placed in. I loved playing hour after hour of sandlot baseball with a group of friends that just showed up every afternoon down the block from our house. Should add, that my love for baseball was quickly extinguished when my Dad signed me up for Little League.
11
Too many cling perilously to the success cliff because too many feel unable to live successfully outside the protected comforts of the top tier. Sadly, some of their fears are real because we have allowed too many holes in the safety net and we treat slippage like it's collapse.
There is a reason fear dictates the actions of so many.... the media and the market communicate phobia (too fat, too dumb, too poor, too weak, too ugly, too gay, too unpopular...) every minute of every day.
Why can't we find satisfaction in plodding, day to day? In accepting some form of Divine Love to sooth and motivate us ?
When we make money our God, then we must accept the Janus-faced nature of this treacherous ally...
There is a reason fear dictates the actions of so many.... the media and the market communicate phobia (too fat, too dumb, too poor, too weak, too ugly, too gay, too unpopular...) every minute of every day.
Why can't we find satisfaction in plodding, day to day? In accepting some form of Divine Love to sooth and motivate us ?
When we make money our God, then we must accept the Janus-faced nature of this treacherous ally...
3
Some observations based on personal experience.
1) My kids, (completed public ed & college), wore backpacks to school weighted down with books & homework daily, but most of it was busy work.
2) My wife teaches an extracurricular activity -- and she finds that many of her students participate in multiple after school activities and either arrive for her instruction fresh from some other activity, or hasten to leave to go to another. It's fine for kids to sample (sports, music, etc.) to see what and if they are good at, but the likelihood is -- few kids are going to be good at more than one, so the after school rush seems a little over the top.
3) When I was going to school,teachers were primarily interested in the orderly progression of students through a highly structured curriculum. On more than one occasion I proposed an idea to a teacher only to be told --we don't teach that until next year, or the next. My opinion, public ed would rather pile on busy work than stimulate thought. Most of what I learned was outside the classroom.
4) Across several decades and in various environments including teaching in college and working in business -- I have found the lack of basic knowledge -- such as which side did Grant fight on in the civil war -- or how to write a decent sentence -- or make change -- is severely lacking in the college educated. I surmise whatever we're doing in ed seems not to be working well.
5) Ed should focus on mastery of the basics.
1) My kids, (completed public ed & college), wore backpacks to school weighted down with books & homework daily, but most of it was busy work.
2) My wife teaches an extracurricular activity -- and she finds that many of her students participate in multiple after school activities and either arrive for her instruction fresh from some other activity, or hasten to leave to go to another. It's fine for kids to sample (sports, music, etc.) to see what and if they are good at, but the likelihood is -- few kids are going to be good at more than one, so the after school rush seems a little over the top.
3) When I was going to school,teachers were primarily interested in the orderly progression of students through a highly structured curriculum. On more than one occasion I proposed an idea to a teacher only to be told --we don't teach that until next year, or the next. My opinion, public ed would rather pile on busy work than stimulate thought. Most of what I learned was outside the classroom.
4) Across several decades and in various environments including teaching in college and working in business -- I have found the lack of basic knowledge -- such as which side did Grant fight on in the civil war -- or how to write a decent sentence -- or make change -- is severely lacking in the college educated. I surmise whatever we're doing in ed seems not to be working well.
5) Ed should focus on mastery of the basics.
8
Taught college psy. courses for many years.When students had trouble with their grades, we talked; I listened to why they believed they were doing poorly in the class
By far the biggest problem was Time management-Procrastination: Their lives were filled with too much--part time work to pay for school, rent or a car; socializing with friends [Un. of Michigan surveys of adolescents show a trend toward teens socializing week nights and spending less time on homework]; worries about relationships, friends, families, & themselves. So they are frazzled & cannot concentrate. Waiting until the last minute to study or do a project, then detesting themselves for falling behind. Few could change to get out of this spiral.
They didn't study in high school, maybe hated school, and several said they could buffalo their teachers into lightening the load or raising their grades. Sloppy work was accepted by teachers/parents as better than nothing. College was different, & frankly it is very hard to break old habits.
Some observations:
Parents either didn't respect or like education/learning, and kids didn't grow up seeing their parents reading, enjoying learning, or even talking and listening to their children, incld. some wealthy parents.
Many parents & kids want a degree suitable for framing (especially from a prestigious school), but don't like the work that goes with it or grasp the effort it takes to work for excellence each step of the way.
Values: it's $$ & security, not learning
By far the biggest problem was Time management-Procrastination: Their lives were filled with too much--part time work to pay for school, rent or a car; socializing with friends [Un. of Michigan surveys of adolescents show a trend toward teens socializing week nights and spending less time on homework]; worries about relationships, friends, families, & themselves. So they are frazzled & cannot concentrate. Waiting until the last minute to study or do a project, then detesting themselves for falling behind. Few could change to get out of this spiral.
They didn't study in high school, maybe hated school, and several said they could buffalo their teachers into lightening the load or raising their grades. Sloppy work was accepted by teachers/parents as better than nothing. College was different, & frankly it is very hard to break old habits.
Some observations:
Parents either didn't respect or like education/learning, and kids didn't grow up seeing their parents reading, enjoying learning, or even talking and listening to their children, incld. some wealthy parents.
Many parents & kids want a degree suitable for framing (especially from a prestigious school), but don't like the work that goes with it or grasp the effort it takes to work for excellence each step of the way.
Values: it's $$ & security, not learning
7
Read your Emerson, Twain and Whitman. If you want to produce mental robots, go on with the present approach. If you want to produce Fords, Edisons, Westinghouses, cut way back. Sneakin off to go fishin is almost a requirement if you want the kind of innovators that made us famous.
9
Ms. Abeles notes that college professors and employers have seen a reduction in the level of preparedness on the part of high school graduates since 2004.
I am certain the 2004 was chosen as a baseline because that is when the impact of NCLB was first felt in schools... and that is when public schools and public school parents became obsessed with test scores. The assumption of politicians and "reformers" was that a rise in test scores would lead to graduates who were ready for work or ready for college. But as the survey of colleges and employers show, the test scores are not a proxy for either college or workforce readiness: they only measure a students ability to take tests. Unfortunately the passage of ESSA means that we are likely to have another decade of obsession over test scores, another decade of racing to nowhere, and another decade of ill-being for children in public schools.
I am certain the 2004 was chosen as a baseline because that is when the impact of NCLB was first felt in schools... and that is when public schools and public school parents became obsessed with test scores. The assumption of politicians and "reformers" was that a rise in test scores would lead to graduates who were ready for work or ready for college. But as the survey of colleges and employers show, the test scores are not a proxy for either college or workforce readiness: they only measure a students ability to take tests. Unfortunately the passage of ESSA means that we are likely to have another decade of obsession over test scores, another decade of racing to nowhere, and another decade of ill-being for children in public schools.
4
I recently retired from the teaching profession, which included my last 16 years as an administrator. Students who are experiencing this level of burnout will turn to the simplest solutions: time with friends, music, art, non-competitive sports, reading and writing (journals, etc.) and other introspective activities, but only when we provide them with schedules that permit this downtime. Just as the body needs sleep to heal from the day, so does the mind need the release of non-academic interventions. Piling more and more on them (including the Common Core and its associated assessments) is a terrible disservice to our students. The resulting anxiety and depression is the only rational response they have to these pressures to "succeed."
3
As a parent, I'm completely comfortable with the idea that not all my kids might end up with a 4-year degree. I'm a lawyer, but my husband has a 2-year trade degree and makes good, middle-class money. He is living proof that a 4-year liberal arts degree is not the only path to a happy, financially secure life. And frankly, he likes his job more than I like mine. My son is very bright, but struggles with ADHD, so he may never be a top-tier student. He likes hands-on work, so if the kid ends up a plumber with a good union job, you won't hear one complaint from this mom. My daughter is a natural student -- maybe she'll be a doctor or a lawyer. or maybe she'll cut hair. I don't know. It doesn't actually matter. There are all kinds of ways to live in this world -- money and prestige aren't the only measures of success.
279
Emily love this comment. I too am a lawyer. My wife's and my attitude is much like yours. I come from a highly educated family but that is not the only path to success. My Ivy League father would not be disappointed in my kids at all if they end up as a welder or some other high paying trade. Who said that the rule has to be you have to be a doctor or lawyer to be happy or that highly educated people are somehow better than those who go into trades. Most of them that I know are not happy.
3
I think the article misses some points. First, it suggests part of the stress is due to more homework and thus less sleep. Having two recent high school grads I saw no evidence of more homework. In fact, my sons said much of the so-called homework was done during the last 15 minutes of class. These was because periods were nearly 1.5 hours--so long many teachers ran out of steam and/or the class out of attention.
I recall my middle and high school schedules had shorter periods, allowing for more classes per day. This made for a day that contained a rich mix of material and included shop, art, and music—while retaining civics, math, and science.
Second, my experience tells me the lack of sleep is not due to excess homework, but rather to gadgetry. The advent of smart phones and computer games present a siren song to those without the discipline to work first, play later.
Finally, there is a lack of coping skills in many students. Part of the problem is students have not developed sufficient self-regulatory or compensatory skills to deal with stress. They have not had the chance to develop a goal, create a plan, work the plan, compensate when things do not go to plan, and finally bear the consequences. Too often parents have taken care of the planning and execution for them. Without such experiences, students do not develop compensatory skills—in part because they never had to.
I recall my middle and high school schedules had shorter periods, allowing for more classes per day. This made for a day that contained a rich mix of material and included shop, art, and music—while retaining civics, math, and science.
Second, my experience tells me the lack of sleep is not due to excess homework, but rather to gadgetry. The advent of smart phones and computer games present a siren song to those without the discipline to work first, play later.
Finally, there is a lack of coping skills in many students. Part of the problem is students have not developed sufficient self-regulatory or compensatory skills to deal with stress. They have not had the chance to develop a goal, create a plan, work the plan, compensate when things do not go to plan, and finally bear the consequences. Too often parents have taken care of the planning and execution for them. Without such experiences, students do not develop compensatory skills—in part because they never had to.
26
There are lessons here for the adult work world too. Maybe Amazon-style 24 hour availability, high-stress, push-to-the-limit-and-past workplaces are also backfiring. When people - adults or children - are stressed to the max they get sick and overwhelmed, they make poor decisions, they can't think straight, they sleep and eat badly. There is high turnover. Stupid mistakes are made. People feel crushed.
Innovation, creativity, and genuine high performance require periods of downtime, when the mind can flow freely and ideas can be contemplated. They also require reasonable quiet for at least some period of the day or week (not constant immersion in a frenetic open work plan). Any artist or creative person can testify to this. My best moments are almost uniformly after a walk in the park. There is a reason for this - it is how the human brain works.
We used to know this and then we somehow forgot it. The past 30 years have been an increasing frenzy at work and school, with little to show for it aside from a burned-out and overwhelmed populace. Yet the architects of this vision - the Jeff Bezos entrepreneurs, the school testers and reformers, and the Wall Street investors who push for it all - still have the upper hand. These are the people who are making a lot of money from everyone else's misery.
Innovation, creativity, and genuine high performance require periods of downtime, when the mind can flow freely and ideas can be contemplated. They also require reasonable quiet for at least some period of the day or week (not constant immersion in a frenetic open work plan). Any artist or creative person can testify to this. My best moments are almost uniformly after a walk in the park. There is a reason for this - it is how the human brain works.
We used to know this and then we somehow forgot it. The past 30 years have been an increasing frenzy at work and school, with little to show for it aside from a burned-out and overwhelmed populace. Yet the architects of this vision - the Jeff Bezos entrepreneurs, the school testers and reformers, and the Wall Street investors who push for it all - still have the upper hand. These are the people who are making a lot of money from everyone else's misery.
16
How can there be stress. I have yet to see a kid flunking at high school. The last day at school they all are dressed like just having gotten a PhD in brain surgery. Nobody ever flunks. Kids in the US are just spoiled by parents and teachers and the coach, are told from hour to hour what to do, are kept away from experiencing boredom or personal stress. Basically they have no idea of who they are - obviously this lack of life experience hits them right in the eye at the wrong moment and way too late.
7
About 2/3 of all teens are sleep deprived. Both the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics have recommended no school before 8:30. When districts discuss it they typically say, "yes, but when will football practice be?" Any school system that hasn't changed to an 8:30 start for high school is actively damaging the mental and physical health of kids.
There are a lot of negatives to homework. It makes it harder for kids in families without two parents and money for a tutor to keep up with the kids with these privileges. In addition the science on homework helping with learning is really weak. In a typical high school kids are in school from 7:30 - 2:30, which is 7 hours a day, 35 hours a week. Any amount of homework over an hour should result in overtime pay. In fact I would argue, that 35 hours is enough for kids who should have some time to play.
Both of these issues are major drivers of the achievement gap. In the 21st century we shouldn't be clinging to what doesn't work in education.
There are a lot of negatives to homework. It makes it harder for kids in families without two parents and money for a tutor to keep up with the kids with these privileges. In addition the science on homework helping with learning is really weak. In a typical high school kids are in school from 7:30 - 2:30, which is 7 hours a day, 35 hours a week. Any amount of homework over an hour should result in overtime pay. In fact I would argue, that 35 hours is enough for kids who should have some time to play.
Both of these issues are major drivers of the achievement gap. In the 21st century we shouldn't be clinging to what doesn't work in education.
14
I surely would not take any actions at all based on the level of anecdotal evidence for a problem provided in this article.
1
Stressed out 5, 6 and 7 year olds with ulcers sounds like more than a problem with school demands. The parents seem to be a leading cause of the stress. The so called helicopter parent that organizes every minute of a child's life. The days of children going off and exploring without a parent are seemingly over. My fondest memories of childhood are just that, exploring the woods and wildlife. Fear is prevalent in our society presently. Parents won't let their kids be alone and explore anymore.
The lack of critical thinking skills is age old in America. Otherwise we would not have people dependent on social security and medicare voting for a republican that wants to eliminate both. Not even aware that both programs are government programs.
The lack of critical thinking skills is age old in America. Otherwise we would not have people dependent on social security and medicare voting for a republican that wants to eliminate both. Not even aware that both programs are government programs.
10
The pressure seems not to be just to get into a good college, but to excel among the top tier of students or go on to earn a post-graduate degree. With those pressures and the crippling cost of achieving those goals, it's not just the kids that need to worry; it's all whom they are dependent on and all who will depend upon them later on down the line. The numbers associated with the return on the investment in education seem to add up less and less in the United States.
These sad outcomes need be compared to psychological outcomes in Northern Europe. Such comparisons are either missing by design, because the contrast in outcomes would be so telling if not damning, or because the critical thinking required to look for alternate models, patterns and methods is unavailable. Our current orientation in public education has been to monetize as much of it as possible. Testing endlessly is one way. The 'testing' culture that took over public education all but destroyed teaching critical thinking. For instance, consider the different skill sets required by two ways of asking the following question: What is the 2nd amendment? OR What are the pros and cons of the 2nd amendment? As with the Iraq War, which we entered without the faintest interest in debate that would require critical thinking skills, testing has produced windfall profits for the private sector and prominently among them, members of the Bush family. One New Year prediction for the USA is that ordinary people will find themselves in one way or another cleaning up the messes created by the rich and powerful. Now if we can monetize that, we might be really onto to something.
"A growing body of medical evidence suggests that long-term childhood stress is linked not only with a higher risk of adult depression and anxiety, but with poor physical health outcomes, as well."
That may be, but our merciless economy and job market promise nothing but long-term stress for the adult who wasn't put through the wringer of our so-called educational meritocracy.
Without the door-opening credentials and connections that come with an elite education, what prospects are there of establishing a career that offers a measure of financial security?
It's all well and good to take the pressure off first year med school students, but it's important to realize that successful applicants only get into medical school because they have endured phenomenal levels of stress in high school and college.
I fear that when word gets out about Irvington, college admissions committees will downgrade applicants because their schooling was not sufficiently rigorous. How will Irvington graduates compete with freshmen who made it through boot camp?
There are two structural problems that the Irvington model will not fix. The first is that the number of seats at "elite" institutions has remained static for decades while the American population has surged. No wonder the competition for admission is so savage.
The larger problem is that the economy doesn't have enough jobs and careers to go around. That's why the competition for places at name-brand schools is so fierce.
That may be, but our merciless economy and job market promise nothing but long-term stress for the adult who wasn't put through the wringer of our so-called educational meritocracy.
Without the door-opening credentials and connections that come with an elite education, what prospects are there of establishing a career that offers a measure of financial security?
It's all well and good to take the pressure off first year med school students, but it's important to realize that successful applicants only get into medical school because they have endured phenomenal levels of stress in high school and college.
I fear that when word gets out about Irvington, college admissions committees will downgrade applicants because their schooling was not sufficiently rigorous. How will Irvington graduates compete with freshmen who made it through boot camp?
There are two structural problems that the Irvington model will not fix. The first is that the number of seats at "elite" institutions has remained static for decades while the American population has surged. No wonder the competition for admission is so savage.
The larger problem is that the economy doesn't have enough jobs and careers to go around. That's why the competition for places at name-brand schools is so fierce.
6
The statistics are cherry-picked to support a preordained conclusion. Do kids who report sadness and anxiety in high school (and then attend college) have worse lives than students who don't report sadness and anxiety (and then don't go to college)? Where are these kids who attend high school but aren't sad and anxious? Are they high achievers or low achievers? Do they have parents who set high standards, low standards, or no standards? I don't know the answers to these questions -- jus pointing out the inadequacy of the evidence.
Also, look at the 2014 headlines, TV lead stories, and predictions about climate, the economy, the state of the world...
Is it possible that the sad and anxious students are on to something?
Also, look at the 2014 headlines, TV lead stories, and predictions about climate, the economy, the state of the world...
Is it possible that the sad and anxious students are on to something?
4
'Where are these kids who attend high school but aren't sad and anxious?'
There aren't any. That's the nature of high school. Why do you think The Hunger Games is so popular? Because teenagers recognize it as a metaphor for their experience, is why. Why do so many adults read this YA fiction and enjoy these movies? Because we were once tween- and teenagers, and have our memories (and in some cases lingering PTSD). In the 1970s, Stephen King launched a career by tapping into this social anxiety in 'Carrie', 'Christine', 'It', etc. And no matter what you do in terms of academic pressure, the social pressure will still be inescapable.
There aren't any. That's the nature of high school. Why do you think The Hunger Games is so popular? Because teenagers recognize it as a metaphor for their experience, is why. Why do so many adults read this YA fiction and enjoy these movies? Because we were once tween- and teenagers, and have our memories (and in some cases lingering PTSD). In the 1970s, Stephen King launched a career by tapping into this social anxiety in 'Carrie', 'Christine', 'It', etc. And no matter what you do in terms of academic pressure, the social pressure will still be inescapable.
1
As someone who works at a very challenging college preparatory school, I can attest to witnessing many stressed out students whose anxiety levels are up. I'm reminded of NY Columnist Frank Bruni's recent work that purports, "where you go to college is not who you'll be." It is true that students are putting a lot of pressure on themselves to gain admittance into elite colleges, and many of their parents are part of the pressure frenzy, as well. I do worry about students who are so busy aiming for lofty college admissions dreams that they neglect to cherish their present environments. No one is suggesting that students should not aim for their dreams, but they need not become over zealous and fanatical in the process to the extent that they compromise their healthy existence. It is incumbent for all caring adults involved in mentoring students to help them be reasonable and balanced individuals.
1
If you have a one in a million talent, there are over 7000 more of you out there. Think about that.
Then go see the movie "Concussion" for an example of the reception you can expect for your insights.
Then go see the movie "Concussion" for an example of the reception you can expect for your insights.
1
Social Media!!! Technology is re-wiring the young brain and is highly addictive. Young people can't make eye contact today or hold a coherent conversation on current events. They are too busy with their electronics to do homework and this is where the "stress" comes in. In 1965 we didn't have the "technology" we have today. Kids went to the library or worked in study groups with "books". Today, they are shut up in their rooms glued to a screen, texting, and "liking" everything on Facebook. I know we can't go back, yet I'm not sure forward is the answer either.
6
While perhaps beyond the scope of this essay, the author did not even venture to guess at what is driving parents and schools to create such stressful conditions.
Here's two theories:
Income inequality and the demise of the middle class have created the very real fear that if one does not "succeed" then they will end up living in a car and eating cat food for dinner.
The villification of teachers (largest last-standing union) has created an educational environment based on fear: fear of job loss, and fear of students not excelling at The Test.
Here's two theories:
Income inequality and the demise of the middle class have created the very real fear that if one does not "succeed" then they will end up living in a car and eating cat food for dinner.
The villification of teachers (largest last-standing union) has created an educational environment based on fear: fear of job loss, and fear of students not excelling at The Test.
5
As an educator and the coordinator of the IB program at my high school, I'm well aware of student stress. Encouraged by the IB organization we too have limited homework (which is broadly defined) to 20 minutes per night per IB class. However, we also talk to our students about what 'doing your homework' means - it has nothing to do with having your facebook page open or answering texts you receive on your cell. At the start of the year in class, we even do side by side comparisons of groups ONLY doing schoolwork with classmates doing schoolwork, texting and messaging. You can imagine the results. Students have to realize too that they are part of the problem. As one of my students put it, "What I'm stressing about is the work that I know I should have done, had the time to do, but didn't do it."
116
I think this scenario really depends on the idea of success. One of my favorite recent books, Zero to One by Peter Thiel addressed this beautifully. In it, Thiel discussed how focusing on to many achievements for the sake of achieving or competing with other students can lead one to essentially miss out on larger possibilities. Time is better spent on developing oneself for a particular task or goal or even an invention. In college, this is often the same mentality that transcends from high school. Students aim for leadership positions and believe that holding these positions and achieving every possible achievement at school is a must in order to make it to the next step. I think this type of overachieving or drive for success is incorrect and woefully misguided because it misses the point of why one should aim for success. One shouldn't aim or success just to compete with others or to stand out, but rather to create something entirely new by developing oneself or an idea.
I'd definitely like to see another article that elaborates more on how the student leaders act in particular positions that they achieve when they are achieving for the sake of achieving rather than because they are truly passionate about it. Also, I'm aware that not all student leaders have this kind of negative drive, some are very good, but I have noticed differences in the students that aim for specific types of success during my days in college as well as high school.
I'd definitely like to see another article that elaborates more on how the student leaders act in particular positions that they achieve when they are achieving for the sake of achieving rather than because they are truly passionate about it. Also, I'm aware that not all student leaders have this kind of negative drive, some are very good, but I have noticed differences in the students that aim for specific types of success during my days in college as well as high school.
1
I believe the drive for success is making our children and adults sick. Yes we need to be competitive with other nations but how do you compete with a place like China that pushes their children and adults to excel regardless of the effect on their mental health.
Perhaps if our government would stop using it's citizen's money to solve other country's problems they could spend the money to improve the educational system here and provide funding for mental health.
Perhaps if our government would stop using it's citizen's money to solve other country's problems they could spend the money to improve the educational system here and provide funding for mental health.
SLAVIN's medical students may have reduced stress and anxiety, but how much medicine did they learn? Are they as good physicians as previous generations, for which medical schools seemed to work well?
3
I am not sure I agree entirely with this article. I genuinely believe that kids in the US are not challenged as much as kids in other countries on the academic front. I grew up in India and although I don't completely endorse the academic culture there, the focus on Math and Science is something that we need to adopt in this country. Also, homework and testing have received too much of a bad rap here. I am not saying we need to take up the rote learning that is prevalent in Asian countries. However, homework and testing do have their benefits. Ultimately, the amount of pressure kids take up has a lot to do with parental involvement in academics. If homework is done in the right spirit, then it will aid in positive development of children.
8
Feel for the parents and teachers too!
2
Also, I would take these depression and stress surveys with a grain of salt. My son attends a blue ribbon high school that Vicki Abeles and Challenge Success passed through. In completing the surveys, he said that many of his friends exaggerated the stress they experience so that teachers and administrators would feel sorry for them and give them less work. Kids are sly as foxes and like all humans, would take the path of least resistance if available.
9
This is an almost data-free opinion piece. SOME students are stressed out in ONE study. Cue the hysteria nationwide. Please. Let's see what more information tells us.
3
i wonder if the children of hedge funders find themselves stressed out with long drilling periods straped to chairs filling out little bubbles. i wonder why the 'powers that be' find billions for testing companies and not a penny for smaller classrooms and better school environments, to say nothing of art, music and science for growing minds. the true stuff of an educated, civil and worldly competitive population is thinking 'outside the box'. our poor children are being raised to be clones, properly educated to fill walmart shelves. you can bet the children of the 1% are out there in museums, skating rinks and band, filling their growing minds with exploration, wonder and critical thinking skills.
12
>
It's making me sick. I can't imagine it's doing children as good.
It's making me sick. I can't imagine it's doing children as good.
4
The author is focusing on a particular kind of school - the elite suburban schools - and a particular kind of student - the ones who aspire to top colleges and who do the AP track in high school. This is not typical. The kids who come from the elite pressure cooker high schools are not the ones who are unprepared for college, as the article seems to assert. Instead, it is the kids from the average schools, the ones that put little pressure on kids. My students are mainly B students who are from decent high schools, but who did not do the AP track. They are totally unprepared for college - they can't write a coherent paragraph, do simple math, and most tellingly, can't cope with the demands of college because they never had any demands placed on them in high school. The reality for most students is the opposite of what this author asserts. The reality in most high schools is low standards and too few demands.
193
I couldn't agree more. I am appalled at the low expectations in our school district, and I live in a college town that hosts one of the top 30 liberal arts schools in the country.
6
I agree with the premise of this article as I constantly see stress related conditions in my own pediatric office. When questioned, I find the students getting at least 2 hrs. less sleep than recommended and often staying up to do homework. (They are also on social media too late.) They often skip breakfast and are eating less than healthy meals. I get a defeated look from the parent in the room. When I was in school (elite NYC prep school) only the seriously smart workers took AP, usually one or two classes. Now it seems that the standard has risen to many or most students in my middle class suburb and many are in 2+ range (some up to 4!) with 3 to four hours of homework. Even with no AP, I had 2-3 hrs of homework every night. Additionally there are the activities which eat up free time. I have elementary soccer teams finishing at 8 or 8:30 at night. The parents have bought in to the educational establishment which says this is necessary to get into the right position for college. Seems like a not fun hamster cage.
3
From what I've seen in high school, college and medical school, a "drive for success" really translates into a "crushing fear of failure." Failing at something is seen as a character flaw, not a necessary step towards learning. This attitude generates tremendous pressure and shame, as well as a level of anxiety that approaches paranoia. It kills creativity, curiousity, critical thinking and true learning.
Because of this, kids are afraid to try things they might not succeed at -- but willing to try and fail is how innovation happens. A society of kids who are afraid to fail will become a society of kids who cannot invent or create.
It also means that kids learn not to take responsibility for failing, because failure is a character flaw. This is a huge problem, because it can create professionals who don't learn from their mistakes and don't know who to fix mistakes when they make them. In some careers, such as medicine, this can be deadly.
The ruthless, crushing fear of failure is why kids and their parents demand such heavy workloads, even when it actually inhibits learning. Reducing the workload may help with the stress, but I don't think it solves the underlying problem. Kids need to learn that failure is not the opposite of success or they are going to stay anxious and miserable all their lives.
Because of this, kids are afraid to try things they might not succeed at -- but willing to try and fail is how innovation happens. A society of kids who are afraid to fail will become a society of kids who cannot invent or create.
It also means that kids learn not to take responsibility for failing, because failure is a character flaw. This is a huge problem, because it can create professionals who don't learn from their mistakes and don't know who to fix mistakes when they make them. In some careers, such as medicine, this can be deadly.
The ruthless, crushing fear of failure is why kids and their parents demand such heavy workloads, even when it actually inhibits learning. Reducing the workload may help with the stress, but I don't think it solves the underlying problem. Kids need to learn that failure is not the opposite of success or they are going to stay anxious and miserable all their lives.
139
The idea that we will not allow our kids to fail - and that they themselves cannot face failure is important. Kids, and their parents, need to learn to process disappointment, and figure out how to recover from it.
This has always been true.
What challenges high school students now, is not just the fear of failure, and the inability to brook setbacks, it is the *cost* of failure. Failure doesn't mean you pick up and start over, and toughen up. It means you lose the opportunity for grants and scholarships that reduce your debt. It means you get into a college that may not give you job opportunities to pay back the loans you will need. It means potentially deferring moving on with your life for a decade while you pay back the cost of your failure - waiting on marriage, kids, home.
So the risk of teaching our kids to brook failure, to become resilient - a very important life lesson in these times - is that they will need far more of it that we can teach them to handle.
This has always been true.
What challenges high school students now, is not just the fear of failure, and the inability to brook setbacks, it is the *cost* of failure. Failure doesn't mean you pick up and start over, and toughen up. It means you lose the opportunity for grants and scholarships that reduce your debt. It means you get into a college that may not give you job opportunities to pay back the loans you will need. It means potentially deferring moving on with your life for a decade while you pay back the cost of your failure - waiting on marriage, kids, home.
So the risk of teaching our kids to brook failure, to become resilient - a very important life lesson in these times - is that they will need far more of it that we can teach them to handle.
4
All this stress and still only 14% are prepared for college?
14
Most other advanced or semi-advanced countries (at least half the countries in the civilized world) have higher academic standards in their public schools than we do. The schools I taught in when I was in China, Malaysia and Japan for about 5 years all required much more of their students than we do of ours. So, on international exams in math and science we do much poorer than they do. Our kids are just as smart as those kids, but they spend much less time STUDYING than kids in most of the rest of the world. We can't be anywhere close to best in the world in any academic area if our kids don't study hard, with the help of highly qualified teachers.
However, our elementary and secondary schools are really good at, and spend a lot of time at, one area - organized and paid for by our taxpayers' dollars. We are one of the few countries in the world where basketball, football, baseball and other sports are AT LEAST as important as reading, writing, math, foreign languages and science. We are also one of the few countries without national academic standards for all except the most severely impaired of our students.
This is NOT a formula for economic success, and we refuse to acknowledge or admit it. My comments are based on at least 45 years of teaching, and still going.
Let's try to get better. Our kids, mine and yours, deserve it.
However, our elementary and secondary schools are really good at, and spend a lot of time at, one area - organized and paid for by our taxpayers' dollars. We are one of the few countries in the world where basketball, football, baseball and other sports are AT LEAST as important as reading, writing, math, foreign languages and science. We are also one of the few countries without national academic standards for all except the most severely impaired of our students.
This is NOT a formula for economic success, and we refuse to acknowledge or admit it. My comments are based on at least 45 years of teaching, and still going.
Let's try to get better. Our kids, mine and yours, deserve it.
3
The education system requires young people, at their physical peak years, to seat behind a desk and study 24/7. It's unnatural.
Children who do well in school have weak, comatose bodies.
Children who do well in school have weak, comatose bodies.
3
It is more important for children to play with their friends than have a lot of homework or attend sports clubs. Playing with their friends improves their imagination or creativity. Children should not be controlled by teachers or sports coaches for a long time.
5
I have been involved with the education system as an active volunteer for over 15 years. My oldest is a sophomore in an elite school and the youngest is right behind him.
Learning is a lifelong experience and invoking curiousity should be the number one goal of educators. Yes we need standards but we don't need mind-numbing drills that teach nothing. Explore a book and interpret it by creating multimedia collages; rather than making sure everyone is on page 148 on week 3.
We have let bureaucrats into education. And the results are stultifying. Time to bring back the excited educators. Yes there are educational districts that are in shambles -- but many aren't. And the ones that are, require schools to step in and be parents. Don't conflate the two scenarios.
Learning is a lifelong experience and invoking curiousity should be the number one goal of educators. Yes we need standards but we don't need mind-numbing drills that teach nothing. Explore a book and interpret it by creating multimedia collages; rather than making sure everyone is on page 148 on week 3.
We have let bureaucrats into education. And the results are stultifying. Time to bring back the excited educators. Yes there are educational districts that are in shambles -- but many aren't. And the ones that are, require schools to step in and be parents. Don't conflate the two scenarios.
2
I don't need to read a book and understand what I read to make multimedia collages. I do need to actually read and comprehend to answer questions, give reports, and then there is the value of reading out loud to the class.
I have been involved with education for 30 years and what I see passing as "learning" is nothing more than being able to answer properly formatted questions on a test and putting enough "content" on a page or screen to get credit because it's okay if the work isn't correct, you were expressing yourself. I cannot begin to count the number of gifted/talented and AP students that fail the introductory college courses I have taught. They do not understand basic concept of science nor chemistry but in their minds, they are Pauling, Bohr and Curie all in one. Some actually care to learn but most just whine that I should let them have their own facts and give them a 4.0 because they went to Exceptional HS and had all honors and AP classes.
I have been involved with education for 30 years and what I see passing as "learning" is nothing more than being able to answer properly formatted questions on a test and putting enough "content" on a page or screen to get credit because it's okay if the work isn't correct, you were expressing yourself. I cannot begin to count the number of gifted/talented and AP students that fail the introductory college courses I have taught. They do not understand basic concept of science nor chemistry but in their minds, they are Pauling, Bohr and Curie all in one. Some actually care to learn but most just whine that I should let them have their own facts and give them a 4.0 because they went to Exceptional HS and had all honors and AP classes.
5
Whose children are suffering these slings and arrows of outrageous school and other related demands? Not many, if you believe a related article in the the Times which noted that while high school graduation rates were rising, a relatively small proportion of students in most schools were actually prepared for college ( see "As Graduation Rates Rise, A Fear Diplomas Fall short," NYT, Front Page, Dec. 27, 2015). Instead of standards being made more robust, schools are now fairly consistently lowering standards to improve the appearance of success. In New York State, for example, a student need only answer 35% of the algebra Regents test questions correctly to pass the exam.
The Times illustrates this article with a dramatic graphic showing a student at his wit's end as he studies a textbook. Frankly, as a teacher who does appreciate the legitimate stressors on students, I mostly see this reaction in contemporary school age students when they've have a bad day getting the requisite number of social approvals on Instagram, whose tentacles reach throughout the class and the students' lives.
I think Ms. Abeles is referring to quite a selected audience, not to the average student in the average school.
The Times illustrates this article with a dramatic graphic showing a student at his wit's end as he studies a textbook. Frankly, as a teacher who does appreciate the legitimate stressors on students, I mostly see this reaction in contemporary school age students when they've have a bad day getting the requisite number of social approvals on Instagram, whose tentacles reach throughout the class and the students' lives.
I think Ms. Abeles is referring to quite a selected audience, not to the average student in the average school.
5
A number of years ago the educational and corporate powers that be (as if there's really any difference) were holding up as 'shining examples' such ultra-competitive, tessting-mad systems as those of Japan, South Korea and China, while happily touting the endless rote memorisation and competition for every little percentage point as the wave of the future. Well, take a look at those happy lands now. There's Japan, where the birth rate has actually dropped below population replacement levels (Due, in part, to would-be parents' reluctance to bring children into such an insanely high-pressure world) and the economy, dragged down by gradually shrinking demand, has been in a long-term state of depression. On to China, where, like Japan, after-class exam schools are the norm for those striving to give their offspring a chance to get into the elite 2% and avoid a lifetime of menial work for companies that often force their wage slaves to live in 'dormitories' under conditions that wouldn't be tolerated in a typical U.S. prison. And then there's South Korea, with similar extreme high-stakes testing and one of the world's most dubious distinctions: Number One in youth suicides.
The 'wave of the future' is beginning to look more and more like the one in that classic disaster flick, 'The Poseidon Adventure'. And about as healthy for the kids and their families as that last cruise on that tub, to boot.
The 'wave of the future' is beginning to look more and more like the one in that classic disaster flick, 'The Poseidon Adventure'. And about as healthy for the kids and their families as that last cruise on that tub, to boot.
2
Imagine you have a 10 month old baby and decide it's time for that baby to start walking. So you spend two hours every day walking it around on its little legs. Incredibly frustrating and boring for the baby, and you, and utterly pointless. That's what I think is happening figuratively with kids and school. The majority of 5 year olds are not ready to sit all day at a desk writing and being quiet. If they're bored and stressed out by third grade, why should anyone be surprised?
Kids need to play, and they learn a lot by playing. What's driving all this "get them into Harvard" right now stuff is an economy fashioned by the wealthy, with no concern for the good of the commons, no idea that all work is important and should be compensated decently. So we do all the wrong things to fit into this stupid, narrow worldview, consigning young children to numbing work, like the drones we want them to be when they graduate.
Kids need to play, and they learn a lot by playing. What's driving all this "get them into Harvard" right now stuff is an economy fashioned by the wealthy, with no concern for the good of the commons, no idea that all work is important and should be compensated decently. So we do all the wrong things to fit into this stupid, narrow worldview, consigning young children to numbing work, like the drones we want them to be when they graduate.
179
So much 'stress' being measured and yet, our children perform worse year over year in all measurements of knowledge and critical thinking. What are the chances that the stress being exhibited might just be caused by a lack of coping skills resulting from receiving one too many trophies for participating rather than for winning.
The dumbing down of expectations of the next generation will not help it succeed in a world that is only moving faster and faster.
The dumbing down of expectations of the next generation will not help it succeed in a world that is only moving faster and faster.
2
I just love when articles take one study and attempt to generalize it to the rest of the population. The study looked at students that live near silicon valley, but yet they try to say that this is representative of the general student population? What are the odds that a significant portion of these children of highly intelligent parents working in silicon valley have some sort of social anxiety or struggle with social interactions? Maybe that has something to do with the high levels of anxiety rather than school. If they found high levels of anxiety in elementary school aged children, why not test preschool children. I would guess that they also have higher than average levels of anxiety.
As for the critical thinking skills that are constantly discussed, why is it that we think we can teach this type of skill? Try to think critically about a topic you know little about or have minimal background information on. Then read a couple of books on the topic. It's much easier to think critically about that topic once you have information. Same thing for students. We try to teach them to think critically, but we do not teach them enough information to be able to think critically.
As for the critical thinking skills that are constantly discussed, why is it that we think we can teach this type of skill? Try to think critically about a topic you know little about or have minimal background information on. Then read a couple of books on the topic. It's much easier to think critically about that topic once you have information. Same thing for students. We try to teach them to think critically, but we do not teach them enough information to be able to think critically.
47
Well, that's scary. Because the other day in this section there was an article about how undemanding American high schools are and how the curriculum lacks high standards. So if American high schools are such educational shams, easy as pie so everyone will pass, and the students are STILL stressed out over their work load, then what the hay?
6
After 20+ years of teaching here are my findings. Homework hasn't changed but kids level of anxiety has skyrocketed. What has changed? The game changers have been smartphones, computer games, AP courses and grade inflation. Students, and often their parents, are on their phones all their waking hours. If they aren't literally texting or surfing than they have their phone on their desk, kitchen table or some readily available place so that they know when the next exciting text comes in. While computer game have been around seen the 1980s, parents could more easily limit use until smartphones came into existence, now I regularly have students who are ready to pass out in class after playing games on their phones until 4am. Combine this with grade inflation which means anything less than a B+ is failing (sometimes even a B+ is failing) and you have students who can't aspire to anything higher but can only fall. For all those who believe it was the recession or simply the drive to success, sorry, you're simply trying to align your agenda with the problem (note: i am a liberal). Added to this is the parent (and child) who fears that their child won't go to a most competitive school so demand that schools have open enrollment and enroll their child in as many AP courses courses as possible without taking the time to realize that college level courses are qualitatively more demanding. Lessons haven't become more demanding, students and parents have.
From Newton MA to Boulder CO, I've seen a lot of this close-up. Two observations:
Kids in this tiger-parent cycle also suffer from poor role models. They see their parents, often highly successful people, driving themselves crazy marshaling the kids from practice and program to meets and everything else, often exotic and distant activities hoped to make them stand out. So they somehow get the impression that success in life is equated with nonstop anxiety and insecurity, with too much driving and too little sex. Is it any wonder?
Of the two, Newton has the better high-level academics by far. But it pays the price for it. Besides the sky-high property taxes needed to support this venture in a state where education relies very heavily on them, Newton is also a place where young people, at least the ones I knew and I knew dozens, don't have many opportunities to get out on their own, developing self-reliance. And if your kid is not a college kind of person, the existing culture is stacked high against him.
Kids in this tiger-parent cycle also suffer from poor role models. They see their parents, often highly successful people, driving themselves crazy marshaling the kids from practice and program to meets and everything else, often exotic and distant activities hoped to make them stand out. So they somehow get the impression that success in life is equated with nonstop anxiety and insecurity, with too much driving and too little sex. Is it any wonder?
Of the two, Newton has the better high-level academics by far. But it pays the price for it. Besides the sky-high property taxes needed to support this venture in a state where education relies very heavily on them, Newton is also a place where young people, at least the ones I knew and I knew dozens, don't have many opportunities to get out on their own, developing self-reliance. And if your kid is not a college kind of person, the existing culture is stacked high against him.
2
And yet, a little more than a week ago The Times ran this article about the reaction when a school district tried dialing down the pressure on students: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/nyregion/reforms-to-ease-students-stre...®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=119&pgtype=sectionfront
The highest end colleges and universities continue to accept only those high school graduates with the most impeccable test grades, with only a small smattering of acceptances for those with the life skills and community service work and project experience which are really important to their futures. A change from looking almost exclusively at students with high grades and more towards those who see and contribute to life's bigger picture would have huge and positive effect not only on their university but on student stress and the world in general. As a person who does a great deal of hiring, I don't care at all where someone went to university. What I care about is what they have done with their life.
7
'As a person who does a great deal of hiring, I don't care at all where someone went to university.'
The NYT does. When I was laid off three years ago, I subscribed to automated notifications from a number of job search websites specializing in publishing jobs, and also was placed automatically on the NYW unemployment job search system. One day - this was a couple of years ago - the NYS bot turned up an opening at the NYT. Since Mediabistro, iHirePublishing, et al. never showed any NYT openings, Intrigued, I clicked through, and found the NYS bot had harvested it from a site called 'ivygrad.com' - which accepts only resumes from Ivy grads, as per its name, and will not even let you view the job, much less apply, if your CV doesn't include an Ivy degree. I didn't find the job listed on any other job site.
So much for meritocracy vs credentialism. No plebs need apply.
The irony is, of course, that applying that yardstick, many of the most distinguished journalists of the NYT's history wouldn't get past the bot, whereas Judith Miller (Barnard) would. As would Stephen Glass (University of Pennsylvania).
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The NYT does. When I was laid off three years ago, I subscribed to automated notifications from a number of job search websites specializing in publishing jobs, and also was placed automatically on the NYW unemployment job search system. One day - this was a couple of years ago - the NYS bot turned up an opening at the NYT. Since Mediabistro, iHirePublishing, et al. never showed any NYT openings, Intrigued, I clicked through, and found the NYS bot had harvested it from a site called 'ivygrad.com' - which accepts only resumes from Ivy grads, as per its name, and will not even let you view the job, much less apply, if your CV doesn't include an Ivy degree. I didn't find the job listed on any other job site.
So much for meritocracy vs credentialism. No plebs need apply.
The irony is, of course, that applying that yardstick, many of the most distinguished journalists of the NYT's history wouldn't get past the bot, whereas Judith Miller (Barnard) would. As would Stephen Glass (University of Pennsylvania).
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3
I was a teacher in a very upscale school district as well as a principal in a school that was one of the poorest in the state. The difference of socioeconomics has an enormous impact on both academics and the welfare of kids. As principal of a school in which 70 percent of the kids received free lunch, I had to deal with issues of parental neglect. While no parent ever questioned our educational policies and principles, many parents failed to properly attend to their children's most basic needs, causing distress in kids. The opposite was true in the upscale school but he damage these parents did to their kids was no less tragic. They provided their kids with material things but put unbearable pressure on their kids to succeed by forcing them to take college test prep courses and demanding top grades in every course. Many fine kids cracked under the pressure, turned to drugs, and became alienated from their parents. Somehow, we need to reach a sensible middle ground. Schools should be safe, academically rigorous, yet nurturing. We must also recognize that intelligence goes beyond test scores. It's not how smart a child is, it's how he or she is smart. Many students are gifted in non-core academic areas, such as car repair or cosmetology. We should celebrate those gifts. Tougher to do when parents don't acknowledge and support those qualities. I doubt you'll ever hear a highly educated parent boast that his/her son/daughter is thriving in a vocational school.
149
I am a "highly educated parent" who boasts as much about our son who is " thriving" in his College- Tech- Prep ( our District's "vocational school") Forestry and Landscape Management program as I do about our son pursuing Chemical Engineering in a highly lauded program.
Because of the skills and academic rigor of College Tech- Prep our son has developed the competencies and confidence for both university and entrepreneurship. He is an Early Admission to his first choice University, majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries Resource Management and is fielding numerous lucrative and substantial job offers.
It is not an either -or proposition. There is no ONE road to Success and Happiness. And that's what scares parents.
Because of the skills and academic rigor of College Tech- Prep our son has developed the competencies and confidence for both university and entrepreneurship. He is an Early Admission to his first choice University, majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries Resource Management and is fielding numerous lucrative and substantial job offers.
It is not an either -or proposition. There is no ONE road to Success and Happiness. And that's what scares parents.
33
I worry about the overwhelming structure that blankets an affluent adolescent upbringing today. Schedules are broken out by the hour on shareable online family calendars between school, extracurriculars, camps, and tutoring sessions. A key difference I notice between my childhood and kids today is the lack of work experience. The part time job is a thing of the past for many youth, especially the affluent. My part time job in high school was a huge positive influence on me. I worked at a golf course and learned customer service, often encountering unexpected problems that required thinking on my feet. A 16 year old working at a restaurant or in retail would have similar experiences which would benefit their development into adults, but the thought of working in retail or the food and beverage industry is so beneath many affluent parents. Their kids are missing out from learning the value of the dollar by earning their own money. They are not gaining valuable soft skills. Years later they will be in college and looking for internships or jobs. They will have never have sold a product before, or encountered a difficult customer, or solved an unexpected problem at work. They will be interviewing against candidates who have navigated those situations, and be at a disadvantage.
105
Competence at work is especially good for students who aren't among the academic elite. The top ten percent of students include many who are just naturally clever at the academic tasks set before them—tasks which often bear little relevance to real-world success, but narrow the gateway to scholarships and opportunity.
As someone who was freakishly (given my poor background) gifted at academic excellence, I would rather hire the A-/B+ student who's exhibited a work ethic, social skills, emotional stability, and the ability to be a team player in a job or something approximating a real-world setting—not a hothouse flower with super-high SAT scores and a 4.0 average who's never been responsible for anything but demonstrating her own perfection.
I also think extracurriculars are important for such students. I'm not keen on sports that are hyper-competitive and bad for young bodies, but yes, commitment to sports, orchestra, theater, robotics projects, and meaningful participation in clubs can show some measure of the student as a decent and productive human being.
As someone who was freakishly (given my poor background) gifted at academic excellence, I would rather hire the A-/B+ student who's exhibited a work ethic, social skills, emotional stability, and the ability to be a team player in a job or something approximating a real-world setting—not a hothouse flower with super-high SAT scores and a 4.0 average who's never been responsible for anything but demonstrating her own perfection.
I also think extracurriculars are important for such students. I'm not keen on sports that are hyper-competitive and bad for young bodies, but yes, commitment to sports, orchestra, theater, robotics projects, and meaningful participation in clubs can show some measure of the student as a decent and productive human being.
3
Our schools are making kids sick? Homework is stressing out our kids? Really?
If too much homework is harming our children, how is it that American eighth graders rank below students in 29 other countries in math achievement, as measured by the PISA rankings in 2013? How is it that American eighth graders rank lower than students in 22 other countries in science understanding? Why is it that Korean students, who live in a country where GDP per capita is half that of the United States, so strongly outperform American students? Why do American students trail 13 other OECD countries in ability to read? And why are other countries' student moving ahead of American students in those key metrics of educational attainment?
The notion that our children are forced to study to hard is pure baloney. Perhaps they would be less stressed if they learned more now, so that they could earn more later in life.
If too much homework is harming our children, how is it that American eighth graders rank below students in 29 other countries in math achievement, as measured by the PISA rankings in 2013? How is it that American eighth graders rank lower than students in 22 other countries in science understanding? Why is it that Korean students, who live in a country where GDP per capita is half that of the United States, so strongly outperform American students? Why do American students trail 13 other OECD countries in ability to read? And why are other countries' student moving ahead of American students in those key metrics of educational attainment?
The notion that our children are forced to study to hard is pure baloney. Perhaps they would be less stressed if they learned more now, so that they could earn more later in life.
77
The children facing this extreme workload are also going through the difficult adolescent years. Add to this the time lost through distractions like smart phones, social networking, the pressure to appear cool, less time for exercise or outdoor activities, more junk food .. it adds up to a toxic time indeed.
Thanks to Ms. Abeles and her efforts also through the movie "Race to Nowhere" for bringing this to our attention.
I do want to point out that the makeup of the Irvington Fremont community is not typical, it's very likely that the environment in that school has much more pressure than the typical American high school.
Thanks to Ms. Abeles and her efforts also through the movie "Race to Nowhere" for bringing this to our attention.
I do want to point out that the makeup of the Irvington Fremont community is not typical, it's very likely that the environment in that school has much more pressure than the typical American high school.
1
Today's "reformer" buzz words include terms like "rigor," "no excuses," "college and career ready," "transformational" and "entrepreneurial." Endless testing regimes based on age inappropriate content and contrived expectations have added greatly to the stress that students are exhibiting. This pathology has found its way to even those children in kindergarten, who are considered failures if they're not reading by first grade. Things are even worse in charters, where regimentation is the overriding educational environment and where test prep is non-stop. Critical thinking skills are secondary to filling in the bubble on the answer sheet. Some of their "scholars" (a term which they use) fail to meet their lofty goals and are "counseled out."
Standards are important and we need to create a system in which all students can succeed based on their ability and talent. We don't need widgets that are programmed for work at Exxon or Ford and we don't need young people whose lives are negatively impacted by emotional and social problems starting at a very early age. Parents have begun to take note, as is evidenced by the opt-out movement. More has to be done in terms of the after school non-stop scheduling. What we should want are young people who have the ability to make thoughtful and rational decisions, while enjoying the experience of growing up.
Standards are important and we need to create a system in which all students can succeed based on their ability and talent. We don't need widgets that are programmed for work at Exxon or Ford and we don't need young people whose lives are negatively impacted by emotional and social problems starting at a very early age. Parents have begun to take note, as is evidenced by the opt-out movement. More has to be done in terms of the after school non-stop scheduling. What we should want are young people who have the ability to make thoughtful and rational decisions, while enjoying the experience of growing up.
55
Schools are simply too big. Tear down the impersonal multi-thousand student schools and once again let education happen in an environment where students and faculty know each other. I attended schools where we got up too early and had too much homework, but we were all part of the same community. My daughter was schooled the same way as I. Today kids walk down halls filled with people and with the faces of strangers. Locally in West Virginia more and more small schools are being closed and students sent to large schools in big towns, all in the name of saving money. No study is required to know that those students from happy small town small schools will be stressed when forced to attend superschools. And they will not do well as they are appraised and judged. Tear down the big school buildings or convert them. Build smaller structures and watch as grades and happiness miraculously rise.
2
My then 7th grade child was moving from a small country school district that had 400 students total to a big city super-sized middle school that had 2000 students in grades 6-8. He looked at the building and asked why I was bringing him to prison. There were a few small windows in the building, a high fence with what looked like barbed wire at the top went around the school. I found a school that was smaller but not nearly as academically renowned. He was much happier. Since that very long ago day, I have noticed new schools look more like low level detention facilities than schools.
3
The first time I can recall a national panic over our failing schools was in the late fifties after the Soviets launched Sputnick. They'd won the space race and were obviously outcompeting us in math and science. That of course happened when there was still such a thing as the Soviet Union. We were told in "The Coleman Report" in '66 and in "A Nation at Risk" in '83 that we were failing as well. If we believe what we read and hear, that failure has continued uninterrupted for nearly sixty years. If that's true why do we still have the most productive economy in the world? Why do so many people from the countries that educate their children "better" than we do want to come to college here and remain here to live, work and oh yes, raise and educate their children? Heck, why are we still here instead of out migrating to places with better education systems than ours? Are we in the grip of some massive, six decade long market failure, or are have we been doing something right the whole time?
3
It is not easy to immigrate to other countries from the US. It is very expensive and there are strict limits and rules. I wanted to leave the US so my kid could have a better education but I would have had to apply for residency in these countries years before I had him. Canada would have cost us $15,000 which was more than I could scrape up. By the time I had the money, it was too late.
1
As an EL principal, I see children become stressed when we require them to think in a more mature way than they are yet capable. Young children love to and are very accomplished at memorizing--songs, rhymes and general information. They are not good at abstract thinking or thinking from another point of view. If you allow them to learn using these strengths, they are enthusiastic and joyful.
Despite knowing these developmental characteristics, we insist on trying to teach them to think abstractly, beginning algebra in kindergarten and overdoing inferential thinking in reading. I have seen students in tears, not knowing how to answer these kinds of questions. We want them to end up as critical thinkers, so we imagine we can start at age 5. Not so. Deep thinking is the result of amassing a great deal of literal-level information. By first knowing what is, we can then imagine what can be.
We need to stop wasting time asking young children to "explain their thinking" and just teach them about the world. Then, when they become preteens and naturally begin to filter what we tell them, we can teach them to think critically about all they have previously learned, and give us an informed opinion. They will be very excited (not stressed) to do so.
Despite knowing these developmental characteristics, we insist on trying to teach them to think abstractly, beginning algebra in kindergarten and overdoing inferential thinking in reading. I have seen students in tears, not knowing how to answer these kinds of questions. We want them to end up as critical thinkers, so we imagine we can start at age 5. Not so. Deep thinking is the result of amassing a great deal of literal-level information. By first knowing what is, we can then imagine what can be.
We need to stop wasting time asking young children to "explain their thinking" and just teach them about the world. Then, when they become preteens and naturally begin to filter what we tell them, we can teach them to think critically about all they have previously learned, and give us an informed opinion. They will be very excited (not stressed) to do so.
51
Many parents are doing lots of damage by putting too much pressure on their kids to do things that earn the parents bragging rights among their similarly status-obsessed friends.
2
As a 33 year old internist I am 5 years removed from medical school and clearly remember the stress of trying to get into med school. The stress of med school and residency always served as a driver for me to work harder and fortunately I understood that stress was good only to that end.
With this background I have 2 points to make, the first being that financial success is harder to achieve in America than ever before. Being a lawyer is no longer a guarantee of being able to even pay off your loans and due to a multitude of factors wage depression is making many once solid career paths questionable due to the high cost and low return on many advanced degrees. Realizing this causes young people a great deal of stress, especially the intelligent ones will realize the window for success in America is rapidly closing and barring a high paying Wall Street job most will struggle to repay loans even if they obtain a degree from a Ivy League school.
Secondly, due to my age I did not have a cell phone until 18 or social media until I was well into adulthood. But I will be honest, faceboook, instagram ect. all cause me a great deal of stress leading me to delete or use them differently i.e avoiding the FB newsfeed entirely. I can only imagine the stress level social media invokes in young people who are constantly bombarded by it and essentially forced to participate in it. I feel sad for the generation born as digital natives and even worse the smart phone natives.
With this background I have 2 points to make, the first being that financial success is harder to achieve in America than ever before. Being a lawyer is no longer a guarantee of being able to even pay off your loans and due to a multitude of factors wage depression is making many once solid career paths questionable due to the high cost and low return on many advanced degrees. Realizing this causes young people a great deal of stress, especially the intelligent ones will realize the window for success in America is rapidly closing and barring a high paying Wall Street job most will struggle to repay loans even if they obtain a degree from a Ivy League school.
Secondly, due to my age I did not have a cell phone until 18 or social media until I was well into adulthood. But I will be honest, faceboook, instagram ect. all cause me a great deal of stress leading me to delete or use them differently i.e avoiding the FB newsfeed entirely. I can only imagine the stress level social media invokes in young people who are constantly bombarded by it and essentially forced to participate in it. I feel sad for the generation born as digital natives and even worse the smart phone natives.
29
It's more so in the case of the children driven further by their parents. This phenomenon is somewhat less in America and much more in India. Conversely the same is true in the case of students, who are not successful, either way they fall sick.
1
Kid who cave under pressure may have too much pressure, or they may have too little self esteem. I think the epidemic of depression etc is more related to parenting problems than school problems.
2
Don't show this "Tiger Mothers" of communities like Fremont, CA., who believe that less stress=failure.
I applaud these schools for trying to seek balance in their students' lives. The college rat race will continue as along as the elite schools expect their applicants to have multiple AP classes and endless extracurricular activities.
I wonder if changing the very outdated school year schedule to allow for many short vacation periods throughout the year would help out.
Not a new idea but maybe with these levels of stress being observed its time to try it
Not a new idea but maybe with these levels of stress being observed its time to try it
3
I don't think it is a national problem but a Silicon Valley,Westchester, NYC, Boston, Princeton Private School Problem - basically an Affluenza problem. The proof is in the pudding. These stats are for those school districts where only the perfect score is acknowledged, forget the likes of a B. Since we know the nationwide stats on scores, I really would'nt worry. Besides, the school districts with high success rates are well-equipped to take care of themselves.
3
I, too, believe that there should be limits on the amount of homework we ask of students (research shows the 10 minute/grade rule works well). However, when looking at the primary cause for student stress, it's important to consider that homework/school demands remain little changed in recent years (see UCLA's yearly American Freshman studies). Also, as noted in the most recent Nation's Report Card study, American teens' scores in math and reading went down from 2015 to 2013. While some students, especially at high-performing schools, may be doing too much homework, the majority of U.S. students are putting in limited study time.
What has dramatically changed over the past 15 years? Our teens now spend 8 hours a day using tech and screens that research shows pulls them away from the families they need for support. Our teens now live their lives out in social networks where they experience "fear of missing out" and "social comparison" effects that contribute to depression. A recent study showed that teens (grades 7 to 12) who spend more than 2 hours/day on social media are more likely to experience high levels of psychological distress and thoughts of killing themselves.
What will help our children and teens? Limit their playtime technologies and engage them in the family. Have school expectations based on a good effort, not grades. With love and support, our children can work hard in school and maintain their emotional health.
What has dramatically changed over the past 15 years? Our teens now spend 8 hours a day using tech and screens that research shows pulls them away from the families they need for support. Our teens now live their lives out in social networks where they experience "fear of missing out" and "social comparison" effects that contribute to depression. A recent study showed that teens (grades 7 to 12) who spend more than 2 hours/day on social media are more likely to experience high levels of psychological distress and thoughts of killing themselves.
What will help our children and teens? Limit their playtime technologies and engage them in the family. Have school expectations based on a good effort, not grades. With love and support, our children can work hard in school and maintain their emotional health.
15
Well, if the children are being over-educated, how come the result is ignorance? The article itself points out how woefully unprepared for college the current generation of students is. The NYT has recently published a number of articles about the low levels of reading and math proficiency among HS graduates. American students are far behind their counterparts in China, Hong Kong and several European countries. Perhaps if children were taught how to enjoy acquisition of knowledge instead of it being seen as an ulcer-inducing chore, the results would be better. Learning should not be dumbed down in order to be fun. Just the opposite: the more challenging, the harder, the more creative, the more fun it is.
12
I wonder about the extent to which strict, high-expectations parenting contributes to mental health problems. Many Asian-American parents are verifiably demanding with their children, which tends to form high-achieving, high-income, intelligent people. Yet we see many people on Wall Street committing suicide and often the lives of "powerful" people are emotionally empty. I wonder whether people should sacrifice themselves for their work, and whether they are sacrificing themselves for status or for the greater good. Both, I suppose.
It's happening exactly the same here since government started full day schedule from preschool to high school some 20 years ago. Less free time, no time to learn (we need to settle & process learning experiences through daily life events, otherwise we won't be able to store & recover any new info). Free time to play, share & live, those are leading factors to get the best work performance, to become happier citizens & to be more humanitarian people.
Curricula ought to be redesigned immediately, in a decade it will be too late...
Curricula ought to be redesigned immediately, in a decade it will be too late...
2
Abeles refers to an article: https://thejournal.com/articles/2015/07/27/survey-most-profs-find-hs-gra..., that cites professors to say that high schools don't work students hard enough, the very opposite of what she recommends.
1
High stakes standardized testing is driving every minute of our children's schooling and the stress is threatening their well being. What kind of society eats its young in the name of profits and competition? Not a healthy one. No child development specialists or special education teachers were involved in the creation of the Common Core, or the cookie cutter demands it imposes. There is no joy left in learning, the profession of teaching has been devalued and belittled. Education decisions are now made by vulture philanthropists and profiteers looking to generate huge profits in the sell off of public schools and the children and teachers inside. We are destroying a generation of children and a once honored profession. I urge people to see Ms. Abeles' new film Beyond Measure. It is a wake-up call.
3
This is no surprise. But, people are catching on now that more children are being impacted! A term I coined to describe the population of children and young adults with whom I work... "Kids in the Middle" (those with average to above average to gifted cognition who have a learning disability or difference) have suffered in this way for quite some time. The term "learned helplessness" was often used to refer to their struggle for success (as not always having the right environment, interventions or support). Today, things are negatively compounded by the achievement culture, high stakes testing and as a final icing on the cake, the inability to graduate from high school after working so hard due to limited diploma options (local diploma and RCT having been taken away in NYS!). And, think about the kids with lower cognition who are pushed to achieve using the same standards. Let's work together to support our kids! Educate them properly by understanding the "whole child" and their individual abilities and needs. NYS needs to act NOW to modify their failing policies and more schools need to step up!
1
The pressures are not all academic. Kids have to excel in sports and tournaments to satisfy adult ambitions. They also have to be "on" at all times to talk and text or they're not cool. There's little or no time for reflection, so there's no time to process inner turmoil. The concept of an inner life has disappeared. No wonder there's a sense of ( yup) alienation. No one has your back!
7
Only 20 minutes of homework per class.....
So that is a couple of hours if a student has six classes. That would be in addition to sports, music, volunteerism (now somewhat required for college entrance). And we wonder why kids are depressed? Just thinking about it is depressing.
So that is a couple of hours if a student has six classes. That would be in addition to sports, music, volunteerism (now somewhat required for college entrance). And we wonder why kids are depressed? Just thinking about it is depressing.
20
Merit and achievement are often unforgiving goals. Learning to pitch well enough for the big leagues is years in the training , cooking a meal, professionally, is on the high wire at each burner, playing an instrument at a high level takes incalculable hours for brain and muscle memory. And , to be sure, becoming , god forbid, a good baker surely is not for the faint of heart.
The tested increase in anxiety and depression is hardly a surprise. Many parents no longer see their child as other than an extension of self, of goals still needing to be achieved, or ambitions fulfilled. Not everyone has to go to college to have self worth.
By the way, the goal to teach critical thinking is correct and admirable.
Unfortunately, this is the at the very center of the animus against the Common Core. If you think it is stressful to memorize, wait till your child has to explain , cogently and logically, why capital markets are better for people than collectives.
The tested increase in anxiety and depression is hardly a surprise. Many parents no longer see their child as other than an extension of self, of goals still needing to be achieved, or ambitions fulfilled. Not everyone has to go to college to have self worth.
By the way, the goal to teach critical thinking is correct and admirable.
Unfortunately, this is the at the very center of the animus against the Common Core. If you think it is stressful to memorize, wait till your child has to explain , cogently and logically, why capital markets are better for people than collectives.
3
Indeed, people have children to fulfill their own dreams, but their children often dream differently.
1
Yes, but every child does not have to be a major league pitcher. Every meal at home does not have to be created as if done by a chef.
It is fine for students and other people to find what they like to do and pursue that at a level that they enjoy. There are more important things in life than career achievement and money.
It is fine for students and other people to find what they like to do and pursue that at a level that they enjoy. There are more important things in life than career achievement and money.
1
I thought my son's homework in elementary school was designed to compensate for the lack of rigor in the classroom. He was in little chatty social groups were meant to bolster leadership and that meant speaking up in class (a good thing). Over-focus on recognition, testing and leadership development, left very little room for children to enjoy or learn the subject in the classroom. (It is loving a subject that drives excellence). Kids are also suffering physically from being unfit, overweight and that also contributes to their anxiety.
I think there was one kind of student who did well and nothing for the rest. This article doesn't mention how badly boys do, compared to the girls, or the fact this trend continues in college. This is important because good jobs require education today more than ever.
I think there was one kind of student who did well and nothing for the rest. This article doesn't mention how badly boys do, compared to the girls, or the fact this trend continues in college. This is important because good jobs require education today more than ever.
What about reducing sports and extra-curriculars? Where I come from the drive to succeed in college and life is a lot less pronounced but there is constant pressure to join sports teams and clubs and participate in activities. Kids play numerous sports all year round, practice every day, go to conferences, fundraisers, concerts, plays, etc. The enrichment opportunities far exceed those available when I was a student, but they don't add much to the quality of life or to the educational experience. I believe that dialing back the level of busy-ness would do a great deal to limit stress and anxiety.
14
Our kinds are now competing globally for the admission to a top college. Do you think Chinese kids care about how US kids are suffering? They take it as a sign of weakness. Simply put, US kids are losing to kids from other countries and in a typical US fashion their parent and media pundits are trying to find some excuses to make everyone feel better.
Thank you for publishing this piece. I am a recent college grad and I concur with everything said in this article. Ever since middle school, I have felt pressure to succeed in school and in my extra-curriculars as well. In high school, I was diagnosed with depression. In college, I had a 2nd bout of depression and also developed anxiety. Although I am no longer depressed, I still have bouts of anxiety. I felt as if I was being torn asunder with each class requiring 100% of my effort and attention. If it wasn't for my understanding professors and employer, I wouldn't have finished college.
3
Our highly competitive approach to education creates a very large number of "losers". Only 10% can be "in the top 10%". Usually only one can be valedictorian for a class of graduates. Until we learn to emphasize competence rather than "winning", our schools will continue to generate a lot of unnecessary and unproductive anxiety.
Andrew Biemiller (retired professor of education and child development)
Andrew Biemiller (retired professor of education and child development)
11
Yes! also kids need to understand that an "ordinary" life could be as satisying (maybe more) as an extraordinary one. So many of the things that enrich life have to do with being mindful, curious, grateful. Being "the best" means running like a hamster on a wheel to keep it up - feeling threatened by competitors - being afraid to take risks, etc. Not very satisfying. I am not against hard work - most interesting work requires it. But the current environment in schools is over the top. I think getting rid of grades would be a great place to begin changing kids' experience of school for the better.
2
It's all due to the of greedy materialism sans few positive cultural values that have taken over our nation. This leads to stress in many kids and a forbidding of how they will be as adults. Dangerous for them and the future of American democracy now and in the future.
2
We as a society have forgotten that children need to be children not miniature adults. Life is better when we value cooperation over constant competition. Parents are to blame for the current sad state of affairs and if they do not demand change then we will see more mental illness in future generations
The joy is being taken out of the American liberal arts based school system. While bemoaning this fact against an onslaught of cookie cutter solutions it is imperative for parents to give their children a happy childhood.
I can only dream that children would regress to a less pressure driven upbringing but have no idea how that can happen. It will only happen if society changes the parameters and metrics for success, which like all wishful thinking, is unlikely to happen.
I can only dream that children would regress to a less pressure driven upbringing but have no idea how that can happen. It will only happen if society changes the parameters and metrics for success, which like all wishful thinking, is unlikely to happen.
Indulgent parents who want their children to succeed academically but load them up on extracurricular activities and then blame the school for working the kids too hard are responsible for any anxiety students gave.
I can assure you that school curricula are not as rigorous as they were thirty years ago.
And I know that parents tolerate behavior on the part of their children unthinkable thirty years ago.
I can assure you that school curricula are not as rigorous as they were thirty years ago.
And I know that parents tolerate behavior on the part of their children unthinkable thirty years ago.
6
Learning and problem solving are as natural to humans as water is to fish. The drive for success has skewed and polluted that natural learning environment. I am literally sick to my stomach every Sunday night from September to June. Summer is the only time I'm healthy. Oh, and yeah, by the way, I should mention, I'm speaking as just a teacher, not a child or a student. And have been a teacher, in the public high schools in Brooklyn, for an entire generation of kids. Let me tell you: it's worse on the students. I've developed 25 years of adaptive strategies. They have no idea what they're going to get hit with when they walk through the door each day. It's more than a full-time job for the students. For me, it's a full-time job I can barely keep up with. Learning isn't supposed to be so abusive, right?
4
And if our children have trouble "adapting" to this new environment, we have Big Pharma ready to help them cope at the cost of a co-payment each month, and undetermined long-term effects on their brains.
5
I teach high school and have seen a sharp increase in the number of students suffering from depression and anxiety disorders since I started teaching though I do everything I can to prevent it. I've educated myself on mental health issues, I'm implementing research-supported instructional strategies . . . and yet I still see my middle-class students terrified into near-immobility, not by me, but by what they see as a shrinking of opportunities around them. Even my students who are skilled at math, sciences, and computer programming doubt that they'll get into a competitive university program, let alone find a job that will allow them to buy a house like their parents have. (Their parents are also worried that their children will end up living in their basements and pressure them more, increasing their anxiety.) It doesn't help that some of my students have older siblings and cousins who are unemployed or underemployed, even with engineering degrees and the like.
142
So true. The stress isn't a result of how much homework they have; it's a result of how little opportunity they will have. Income and resource inequalities have real effects on mental health. Our children are only expressing the greater stresses of a society that is extremely unbalanced.
6
'Even my students who are skilled at math, sciences, and computer programming ...'
Embedded in that 'even' is the misconception that the STEM fields are a panacea. Do you seriously believe students in India, China, etc. cannot learn math and science? If anything, these are easier subjects to master than are the humanities, as the language barrier is less important. By contrast, skills in which American graduates consistently come up short - mentioned often in these comments, in fact - include critical thinking and analysis expressed coherently in words; creative and unorthodox thinking, flexibility, the capacity for insight; and social skills, the ability to set aside ingrained bias and understand others' subjective perspectives, individual emotions, and cultures. No coincidence those skills are what the much derided humanities curricula teach.
Embedded in that 'even' is the misconception that the STEM fields are a panacea. Do you seriously believe students in India, China, etc. cannot learn math and science? If anything, these are easier subjects to master than are the humanities, as the language barrier is less important. By contrast, skills in which American graduates consistently come up short - mentioned often in these comments, in fact - include critical thinking and analysis expressed coherently in words; creative and unorthodox thinking, flexibility, the capacity for insight; and social skills, the ability to set aside ingrained bias and understand others' subjective perspectives, individual emotions, and cultures. No coincidence those skills are what the much derided humanities curricula teach.
5
How unsettling it must be to know you are growing up in a time of dwindling opportunity. Collectivism steals hope. It sets one child against another for the favor of the ruling statists and corporate elite. Worse still, "climate change" now requires a policy goal of zero-sum gain, setting one group against another for the dwindling handouts of negative growth. I'd be shocked if the numbers found in this study are any different from the American psyche as a whole.
1
The problem isn't the expectations of schools and teachers: it's the expectations of parents that their children receive high grades all while they "march through hours of nightly homework, daily sports practices and band rehearsals, and weekend-consuming assignments and tournaments."
Their teachers are not assigning them sports practices, band rehearsals, or tournaments. That's extracurricular stuff. If you want your kid to do those things, maybe accept that their grades won't be quite as great, and be okay with that.
The academic school day ends somewhere between 2pm and 4pm in most places. There's still plenty of time for hours of homework and time to relax, as long as you don't fill up all that time with other stuff.
You cannot have it all. Trying to have it all is where the stress comes from. Take those overstressed kids and clear their schedules of everything *but* schoolwork, and I guarantee they'll be happier and healthier too.
Their teachers are not assigning them sports practices, band rehearsals, or tournaments. That's extracurricular stuff. If you want your kid to do those things, maybe accept that their grades won't be quite as great, and be okay with that.
The academic school day ends somewhere between 2pm and 4pm in most places. There's still plenty of time for hours of homework and time to relax, as long as you don't fill up all that time with other stuff.
You cannot have it all. Trying to have it all is where the stress comes from. Take those overstressed kids and clear their schedules of everything *but* schoolwork, and I guarantee they'll be happier and healthier too.
97
My middle-school daughter has forgone all extracurriculars, and she still has 3-4 hours of homework a night. There are no study periods during the day. As a family, we were unable to do any activities together during the Thanksgiving break because two subjects' teachers had assigned major projects for the holiday weekend. It's the schools and the culture of "excellence" that they produce that is responsible for her anxiety.
3
I totally agree with this because if parents would pay more attention to the health of their children instead of extra curricula then it would make a big difference in their everyday living!
Beware of telling your children they are gifted or letting them overhear you saying this. I know at least a dozen "gifted" adults in their late 30s who have failed to launch. Several have been to rehab. There are worse things than being "good enough."
2
Thank you for the insights.
Now it is clear why the Chinese, and other cultures and societies, are overtaking America in math, science, technology, and related subjects like engineering.
Competition, sometimes fierce, once the backbone of American ingenuity and advancement, is taking backseat to a society in which "everyone wins", from athletic contests in grade school which no team "wins" so as not to hurt anyone's feelings, to schools which graduate unworthy students because no one cares to enlighten them as to the cruel realities of the job market.
At least our armed forces are safe from this overblown infantilism...for a while.
Now it is clear why the Chinese, and other cultures and societies, are overtaking America in math, science, technology, and related subjects like engineering.
Competition, sometimes fierce, once the backbone of American ingenuity and advancement, is taking backseat to a society in which "everyone wins", from athletic contests in grade school which no team "wins" so as not to hurt anyone's feelings, to schools which graduate unworthy students because no one cares to enlighten them as to the cruel realities of the job market.
At least our armed forces are safe from this overblown infantilism...for a while.
1
The divorce rate (and the surrounding conflicts) in the country is a leading cause of children emotional distress. There is some research about that, not a lot, because it points to several pillars of the American society that are supposed to be beyond criticism...
1
Poor Kids. At least they do not have to worry about being sent to the principal's office to get swats as a result of misbehavior or having the weekly check of ears and hair by fellow students to determine if one washed or had cooties and then, if found to be dirty or infected, suffer the ridicule that followed. These are just two of my favorite memories of grade school some sixty years ago. I survived, so can these kids.
An ever growing fraction of high school grads make it into college, so increased stress over testing and admissions, compared to decades past, seems either hyped or misplaced. In the small city where I live, high school students are stressed, because they know their school and the walk home after school aren't safe. Perhaps some of the stress discussed in this article comes because our economy provides fewer and fewer viable options for those (often male) students who aren't suited for college. The loss of manufacturing jobs has hurt a lot of young people.
2
No explanation given as to whether level of stress is observed by psychologysts in a controlled manner, or whether it is self reported by students. No explanation as to how credible the self surveys are. Were the surveys ad-hoc or designed by reputable specialists? No distinction made betwee social and academic stress. No distinction made between positive and negative stress. No explanation as to why 20 minutes should be the magic number for homework duration - does really a one size fit all?
1
I'm a parent living in a highly competitive school district. I ran for parent rep at school council meeting with the lofty goal of working to help students of all abilities have the chance to be heard. I knew I would lose when someone tracked me down and demanded to know my thoughts on maximizing the number of AP classes. My oldest child had an IEP and never took AP classes so I was pretty naive about how rabid parents can be. But guess what, he got into a great college and says how great it is to not feel inferior or stupid like he did in high school. There is hope
2
People are frightened by this economy. Parents telegraph their anxiety to their kids by setting unrealistic expectations about academic performance.
Their fear is that their kids won't be good enough to compete for fewer and fewer well paying careers. Only the strongest succeed.
The pressure comes most from well educated parents. They know that only hard work will facilitate success. There is no easy solution. If your kids fail they will never leave your basement.
Their fear is that their kids won't be good enough to compete for fewer and fewer well paying careers. Only the strongest succeed.
The pressure comes most from well educated parents. They know that only hard work will facilitate success. There is no easy solution. If your kids fail they will never leave your basement.
115
Life is not pass/fail for most people. It's difficult enough for kids to figure out how to live without adding our own anxieties. Plenty of people work hard and are not financially rewarded. Plenty of people are rewarded far beyond their own efforts. Children may return home to gain strength and leave again. If one is in the basement permanently, there are mental health issues. The best thing I think we can do beyond providing access to education is to help children develop inner strength and try not to project our fears on them.
2
It's time to stop all this nonsense about a so-called "successful life." From what I can see, most Americans are highly unsuccessful with their 60 hour a week jobs, many of which they do not like or even actively dislike, their huge credit card debts, their too-big mortgages, their lousy diets, and their paranoia over health and terrorism. Children appear to me to be the most happy people around. Leave them alone so they can enjoy childhood and adolescence. They will be discontented and unhappy just like you soon enough.
290
Kids don't have lives anymore. When I was in school, Momma woke me up at 7. I was in grade school by 8:30, high school by 8:15. I was home by 3:15 or 3:30 respectively. She cooked dinner everyday. I watched the news and started homework around 6:30 or 7. Usually done with it by 8:00 or 8:30.
We didn't go anywhere. We stayed home. We had time to play, work on projects, be with family. Nowadays, kids spent hours a day in a car. They get out of bed as early as 5:00. They are constantly being shuttled to this or that. They are never home. Everything is programed. They have no life. No downtime. No time to explore. No time to just be a kid.
Parents, leave your kids alone and let them play. Stop trying to enrich their lives to the point that they have no life. Spend time together. Use that thing in the kitchen called a stove. Use it together.
Perhaps kids could think more critically, if they had time to think. They would be healthier if they played more. Stop buying them gadgets. Stop helping them so much.
We didn't go anywhere. We stayed home. We had time to play, work on projects, be with family. Nowadays, kids spent hours a day in a car. They get out of bed as early as 5:00. They are constantly being shuttled to this or that. They are never home. Everything is programed. They have no life. No downtime. No time to explore. No time to just be a kid.
Parents, leave your kids alone and let them play. Stop trying to enrich their lives to the point that they have no life. Spend time together. Use that thing in the kitchen called a stove. Use it together.
Perhaps kids could think more critically, if they had time to think. They would be healthier if they played more. Stop buying them gadgets. Stop helping them so much.
58
Well, not necessarily in a car - here in New York City we do not get around by cars . But I know six year old kids, friends of my daughter's, who in the course of one week do at least 5 after school activities - kumon, chess, private tutoring, gymnastics team, swimming, robotics, ballet, tennis...it's insane.
2
I'm a student at Irvington's neighboring high school, Mission San Jose, and the pressure we, as students, undergo is not trivial in any sense. From a young age, we are taught that our ultimate goal is to get into college. And you constantly see that those who succeed went too far--they got three hours of sleep a night, took every AP class possible, etc. It's not healthy in the slightest, but it's our reality. Although teachers try to reduce the stress that students have, it's not always just homework. As a junior, it's normal for me to have four or five quizzes and tests in one week, if not more. Because we're told to follow the paths of those who got into top universities, those with different strengths than us, we often take more onto our plates than we handle. Not only do we feel like we need to take the hardest classes, but we are also compelled to do as many activities as possible. Our goal is singular: get into a good college. And within that goal, we often forget about the most important thing: that we should focus on staying happy first.
I've cried because of school more times than I can count. My friends have broken into tears after teachers made them feel stupid. This is an epidemic of massive proportions.
Teachers need to make sure that struggling students don't get overwhelmed. Students should be allowed to drop from AP courses if they talk with their counselors. Parents need to remind their children that it's okay to fail.
More must be done to reduce stress.
I've cried because of school more times than I can count. My friends have broken into tears after teachers made them feel stupid. This is an epidemic of massive proportions.
Teachers need to make sure that struggling students don't get overwhelmed. Students should be allowed to drop from AP courses if they talk with their counselors. Parents need to remind their children that it's okay to fail.
More must be done to reduce stress.
227
Thank you Shayna. We all wish you the best.
4
1. We are competing in a world-wide talent pool now. 2. Our government doesn't care about us, and government is the only solution to the ravages of capitalism. 3. Motivation comes from within; stress comes from external pressure. Only the best will win, and the rest know they are doomed under present world conditions.
6
Germany does not allow itself to be beaten-up by the likes of Uber.
2
"This is so far beyond what you would typically see..."
Yet the article offers no control group statistics or other similar studies to validate this extrapolation, which leads me to conclude that without further study this is merely an opinion, and quite possibly the data is misleading. Then of course the implication is that kids can't handle competition, when no causal link is offered. Perhaps these kids are stressed because they know that no matter how hard they try they will end up with the same participation trophy (diploma) that all the other kids get it today's world of public education.
Yet the article offers no control group statistics or other similar studies to validate this extrapolation, which leads me to conclude that without further study this is merely an opinion, and quite possibly the data is misleading. Then of course the implication is that kids can't handle competition, when no causal link is offered. Perhaps these kids are stressed because they know that no matter how hard they try they will end up with the same participation trophy (diploma) that all the other kids get it today's world of public education.
2
This article applies to maybe the top 10% to 20% of students (and who also happen to be from higher income families and who attend either private schools or top public schools). Wouldn't say that illness as a result of too much homework or of too much pressure to succeed ranks among the top five concerns for anyone else.
How do the researchers know this is any different than it was 50 or 60 years ago? Adolescents have always been moody and dramatic. Male teens in the 60s and early 70s had Vietnam to worry about, is college really more stressful than that? Or have today's children been taught to believe that life will always be comfortable, so the idea of suffering with a flip phone or three friends sharing a small apartment post-college is what's traumatizing them?
Btw, my low income students aren't burdened by hours of homework. Very few do any at all, even small assignments.
Btw, my low income students aren't burdened by hours of homework. Very few do any at all, even small assignments.
2
We do not need to all just jump on the crazy train-maybe we, the adults, need to help slow the train down. All of the competition and the pressure many parents additionally place on kids doesn't help. It's just all too much and we needn't go along willingly. Children can strive and tests can be given but the climate at home and in schools and the media needs to calm down. The whole child needs developing and that's where the focus should lie. Adults-stop freaking out the kids and maybe they'll feel less stressed.
55
It seems that parents also need to learn to set some limits, i.e., it is not all about how much homework the teachers assign. Some parents can and do set limits on how much extra curricular activity a child or youth has on his plate in a given year.
Then, too, the drive to go to an elite or big name college is mostly nonsense. In some segments of the culture, where a kid gets his bachelor's is so very important; so important to impress that Johnny got into Harvard or Brown etc. Yet, if Johnny does well at the community college then the state college, he can still get that law degree or MBA or MD and do very well in life. Clients or patients care little for where the lawyer or financial adviser or doc got his or her degree (at any level) as long as they are good at what they do.
Then, too, the drive to go to an elite or big name college is mostly nonsense. In some segments of the culture, where a kid gets his bachelor's is so very important; so important to impress that Johnny got into Harvard or Brown etc. Yet, if Johnny does well at the community college then the state college, he can still get that law degree or MBA or MD and do very well in life. Clients or patients care little for where the lawyer or financial adviser or doc got his or her degree (at any level) as long as they are good at what they do.
11
However, parents cannot set limits on the schools and I know from experience that there are schools that do assign homework every night and on weekends (even holidays)--for students in kindergarten! Parents and schools must work together to find sensible and healthy limits for the children.
1
'so important to impress that Johnny got into Harvard or Brown etc. '
This made me smile, recalling an incident a few years ago, when I was still commuting to work in Manhattan. Evening; express bus to the upscale bedroom community in which I live. A few seats in front of me, a man was telling his seatmate - no, not telling, *yelling*, literally - about his daughter at Harvard. I wish I could cap this anecdote by saying I followed my urge to shout back, 'yes, OK, we heard you, we're all impressed your daughter's at Harvard, so use your indoor voice now'. Whether from cowardice or pity, I kept silent. But I couldn't help but wonder what inadequacies, regrets, and missed opportunities he was compensating for vicariously through his daughter and whether a Harvard career was what *she* wanted; and he'd actually made me thankful I went to Fordham, for an education, and not so my father could inflict his pride on strangers at 110 decibels.
This made me smile, recalling an incident a few years ago, when I was still commuting to work in Manhattan. Evening; express bus to the upscale bedroom community in which I live. A few seats in front of me, a man was telling his seatmate - no, not telling, *yelling*, literally - about his daughter at Harvard. I wish I could cap this anecdote by saying I followed my urge to shout back, 'yes, OK, we heard you, we're all impressed your daughter's at Harvard, so use your indoor voice now'. Whether from cowardice or pity, I kept silent. But I couldn't help but wonder what inadequacies, regrets, and missed opportunities he was compensating for vicariously through his daughter and whether a Harvard career was what *she* wanted; and he'd actually made me thankful I went to Fordham, for an education, and not so my father could inflict his pride on strangers at 110 decibels.
1
Considering that the majority of students graduate apparently unable to write a coherent paragraph or perform simple algebra, the "drive for success" sounds more like a pile-up at the on-ramp than an actual voyage from Point A to Point B.
This state of affairs doesn't make our children sick. However, it should make any thinking adult want to retch.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/us/as-graduation-rates-rise-experts-fe...
This state of affairs doesn't make our children sick. However, it should make any thinking adult want to retch.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/us/as-graduation-rates-rise-experts-fe...
8
The article you link to was methodologically problematic, as several of today's letters to the Times point out http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/03/opinion/sunday/the-value-of-a-high-...
We know students are learning very little -- they cannot read, write, or do math when they finish high-school. History, science, and geography are beyond them.
Compare "white" students graduating in 2015 with those graduating in 1965 and we can see the drop in what students learn. We can't, however, measure the "stress" levels of late `50s and early `60s students. Were stress really caused by working way too hard -- then we must have been stressed out of our minds!
The problem with this Opinion -- is it assumes the stress comes from students being pressured to achieve. Parent's pushing their kids? Not unless they are Asian. These kids couldn't make it through a day in a Chinese school -- or a German school.
So if today's kids are full of stress, it isn't from their parent's urging them to study hard. It isn't from being assigned too much homework.
When school systems were pressured to eliminate "tracking" by those who saw that it revealed a "racial divide" -- a divide America seems no longer to be able to deny -- it was one more step toward the already growing "move the kids through at the least possible voter cost" attitude that lies at the heart of education. School administrators quickly learned that keeping pressure groups and the state govt. happy had to be their priorities. Teachers fell in line.
Students sense they are bit players in this all encompassing political farce by the adults in their lives. That's a lot of stress.
Compare "white" students graduating in 2015 with those graduating in 1965 and we can see the drop in what students learn. We can't, however, measure the "stress" levels of late `50s and early `60s students. Were stress really caused by working way too hard -- then we must have been stressed out of our minds!
The problem with this Opinion -- is it assumes the stress comes from students being pressured to achieve. Parent's pushing their kids? Not unless they are Asian. These kids couldn't make it through a day in a Chinese school -- or a German school.
So if today's kids are full of stress, it isn't from their parent's urging them to study hard. It isn't from being assigned too much homework.
When school systems were pressured to eliminate "tracking" by those who saw that it revealed a "racial divide" -- a divide America seems no longer to be able to deny -- it was one more step toward the already growing "move the kids through at the least possible voter cost" attitude that lies at the heart of education. School administrators quickly learned that keeping pressure groups and the state govt. happy had to be their priorities. Teachers fell in line.
Students sense they are bit players in this all encompassing political farce by the adults in their lives. That's a lot of stress.
11
Irvington High School is 60% Asian.
3
Correlation vs causation much? Let's see what else has happened since 2004 - how about wars, terrorist attacks at home, a long recession, parents laid off or part time, low wage growth and republicans behaving like they might need to retake the GED. Enough to make adults anxious and depressed, no wonder kids are too.
From a skills standpoint, based on personal experience I can generalize that kids today seem less prepared, less motivated and expect things to be handed to them. There are several shining exceptions, of course. The others will learn in good time like we all did.
From a skills standpoint, based on personal experience I can generalize that kids today seem less prepared, less motivated and expect things to be handed to them. There are several shining exceptions, of course. The others will learn in good time like we all did.
26
of course there's a correlation. In Silicon Valley it's well known that there's a lot of pressure for children to succeed. Many of these children's parents are successful and educated, so the children must follow their parents' example.
Also, Silicon Valley has a very competitive environment; thus, no parent want their child goimg to community college or state university.
Also, Silicon Valley has a very competitive environment; thus, no parent want their child goimg to community college or state university.
2
That is surely true. My husband and I each went to two of the best private high schools in America, where the curriculum was ta the college level, followed by top-10 colleges. We were not anxious and depressed. We thrived. So did most of our friends and classmates. But the factors you cite - terrorism, unemployment and so forth - along with the constant testing of the Common Core - were largely absent from our lives in the 1980s and 1990s when we were growing up.
My school was actually cited prominently in the book "How Children Learn". According to the book, today parents at this school (and surely elsewhere) are not letting their kids fail and learn resiliency. The principal is featured in the book as trying to change the culture there but failing to get his message through to parents. THEY are the anxious ones, and it's rubbing off on the kids.
My school was actually cited prominently in the book "How Children Learn". According to the book, today parents at this school (and surely elsewhere) are not letting their kids fail and learn resiliency. The principal is featured in the book as trying to change the culture there but failing to get his message through to parents. THEY are the anxious ones, and it's rubbing off on the kids.
2
Unfortunately once out of the track of a learning community and into the adult working world the person who hasn't gained enough from his/her education enters an insular world and the path to continued growth and experiences becomes shorter as th responsibilities of adult life take over. The time to inculcate skills of critical thinking as mentioned in the article should be in the earliest years and making the problems they grapple with successively challenging so that the simple questions don't trip them up; they have the life skills to deal with them. Don't expect that the mere fact of life and getting older matures and educates people. Often it sets them in their uneducated wsys. Education is only a lifetime process when you are open tog getting educated. The other side of that coin is anti-intellectual and that is the undertones in most of if not all of the rhetoric offered in political speeches today. I wholly agree with ACW in NJ's comments but we HAVE to scream at our school systems to 'explore that here'...learning specific facts is no longer important or necessary. Learning how to gather them , where the facts come from, and why those facts are important are imperative. EXPLORE.
2
It's not just the level of stress, it's the lack of coping mechanisms. We have outsourced so much to tutors, structured activities, etc. that kids don't even get the opportunity to practice their skills. Oh, and helicopter parenting, combined with virtual 'friends', is the icing on that cake.
13
This is the price we pay for several decades of hedge-fund and billionaire financed union busting education "reform." It is the capitalist ethos of competition to the death applied to our children and it is an atrocity.
144
Perhaps it's a matter of these kids not having the same coping skills as the older generations?
14
parents who have seen the middle class steadily shrink are scared for their kids. plus, what do we know best? what worked for us, our success. but putting our kids on that same path with little room for variation leaves them like this. poor kids, scared parents :(
7
College students struggle with critical thinking because they don't learn it in K-12. You can, with effort and self-discipline, develop a habit of (at least intermittent) rationality - but especially if you've grown up in a society like ours that is permeated with illogic and in fact denigrates reason (no room to explore that here - that's a whole other essay) of course you will have trouble with it.
With regard to the essay proper: The emphasis on college is much of the problem. We have redesigned our economy to hammer 75% of round pegs, for which there were once lots of suitable round holes in the way of manual labour, skilled and semi-skilled trades, and family agriculture, into trapezoidal academic holes. Of course the competition is insane with so many more horses in the race, so students heap on the 'extracurricular' qualifications to attempt to break from the pack.
The irony, of course, is that the true creativity and intellectual development comes not from running on this treadmill, but from stepping back and taking a deep breath to let creativity, instinct, and insight seep through. There really is such a thing as being so frantic you can't hear yourself think. These kids will wind up heavily credentialed nervous wrecks, but, to borrow a phrase from a student of William Deresiewicz, 'really excellent sheep'.
With regard to the essay proper: The emphasis on college is much of the problem. We have redesigned our economy to hammer 75% of round pegs, for which there were once lots of suitable round holes in the way of manual labour, skilled and semi-skilled trades, and family agriculture, into trapezoidal academic holes. Of course the competition is insane with so many more horses in the race, so students heap on the 'extracurricular' qualifications to attempt to break from the pack.
The irony, of course, is that the true creativity and intellectual development comes not from running on this treadmill, but from stepping back and taking a deep breath to let creativity, instinct, and insight seep through. There really is such a thing as being so frantic you can't hear yourself think. These kids will wind up heavily credentialed nervous wrecks, but, to borrow a phrase from a student of William Deresiewicz, 'really excellent sheep'.
60
While the overall thrust of the article is on-target, there is a part that I'd bet is somewhat disingenuous. "Irvington students continue to be accepted at respected colleges." The point of all this pressure isn't to be accepted at undefined "respected" colleges. It's to get into Cal, Stanford, Princeton, Middlebury, schools like that. And make no mistake, kids that turn away from sports, band, and tournaments are going to be at a sizeable disadvantage when applying for admission.
The real root of health and psychological problems here is that emulating a top student is incredibly difficult for those that aren't actually top students. There are, out of the 3 million HS kids graduating each year, genuine superstars that thrive on taking the toughest classes while engaged in a boatload of ECs. These are rare. However parents realize that kids showing superstar levels of accomplishment have a huge advantage in admission to the most selective colleges. And in a society where all the gains the past 30 years have gone to the top 1%, it's only rational to push kids to get into what is thought to be the pipeline to the top.
What articles like this are really saying is for parents to cede top spots to others without even trying to find out if their kids are capable of superior performance. I think it will be a tough sell.
The real root of health and psychological problems here is that emulating a top student is incredibly difficult for those that aren't actually top students. There are, out of the 3 million HS kids graduating each year, genuine superstars that thrive on taking the toughest classes while engaged in a boatload of ECs. These are rare. However parents realize that kids showing superstar levels of accomplishment have a huge advantage in admission to the most selective colleges. And in a society where all the gains the past 30 years have gone to the top 1%, it's only rational to push kids to get into what is thought to be the pipeline to the top.
What articles like this are really saying is for parents to cede top spots to others without even trying to find out if their kids are capable of superior performance. I think it will be a tough sell.
65
When parents became outraged over Reforms that turned schools into testing factories and saw their children showing signs of anxiety, they started the Opt-Out Movement.
In a recent radio interview Nancy Carlsson-Paige, professor of early childhood, stated:
"I could not have foreseen in my wildest dreams that we would have to fight for classrooms for young kids that are developmentally appropriate. Instead of active, hands-on learning, children now sit in chairs for far too much time getting drilled on letters and numbers. Stress levels are up among young kids. Parents and teachers tell me: children worry that they don’t know the right answers; they have nightmares, they pull out their eyelashes, they cry because they don’t want to go to school. Some people call this child abuse and I can’t disagree."
In a recent radio interview Nancy Carlsson-Paige, professor of early childhood, stated:
"I could not have foreseen in my wildest dreams that we would have to fight for classrooms for young kids that are developmentally appropriate. Instead of active, hands-on learning, children now sit in chairs for far too much time getting drilled on letters and numbers. Stress levels are up among young kids. Parents and teachers tell me: children worry that they don’t know the right answers; they have nightmares, they pull out their eyelashes, they cry because they don’t want to go to school. Some people call this child abuse and I can’t disagree."
96
'children worry that they don’t know the right answers'
This may pinpoint a common problem with our underlying pedagogical approach. The flaw in our emphasis on a perfect string of high grades is that your mistakes are what you learn from! (Do you watch Jeopardy? I do. Years later, I remember the answers to Final Jeopardy questions I got wrong.) Wrong answers tell you what you need to learn; figuring out why your answer was wrong teaches you. A perfect grade tells you nothing but what you already know. An endless series of 100s and A+s on tests means your child is learning nothing, treading water in the shallows.
This may pinpoint a common problem with our underlying pedagogical approach. The flaw in our emphasis on a perfect string of high grades is that your mistakes are what you learn from! (Do you watch Jeopardy? I do. Years later, I remember the answers to Final Jeopardy questions I got wrong.) Wrong answers tell you what you need to learn; figuring out why your answer was wrong teaches you. A perfect grade tells you nothing but what you already know. An endless series of 100s and A+s on tests means your child is learning nothing, treading water in the shallows.
3
There was a time when children were just expected to play and learn. What have the adults wrought? Can't blame the kids...
62
I have forty letters written by peers of my grandmother's brother between 1894 and 1900. These surrounded his high school graduation in 1896, whereupon he went to law school in a city five hundred miles away.
The letters are concerned with career plans: Shall I complete high school? What trade or profession should I pursue? What state should I plan to live in?
The point is that the drive for success and problems attending are not new.
The letters are concerned with career plans: Shall I complete high school? What trade or profession should I pursue? What state should I plan to live in?
The point is that the drive for success and problems attending are not new.
2
Perhaps nowadays there is a bigger gap between the perception of life as easy/fun/fair and the reality of life as just life. The gap can add to disorientation, denial, and stress. While I don't see the point of overworking school kids, I think school is also work and it is important to teach kids how to handle stress that comes with work and responsibility.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the heightened stress attendant to academic competition brought on by Common Core and other attempts to improve our global standings in the quality and effectiveness of education has been causing some of our children to exhibit signs of that stress.
So?
We already spend more per pupil than any other developed country, yet rank 14th globally in composite scores for the effectiveness of our education and 20th in number of college graduates (Pearson Education’s annual global educational performance report). We all know how much pressure our international competition places on THEIR children, regardless of stress levels. To what extent do we lower our own and what would be the competitive consequences? For jobs? For prosperity in the 21st Century?
Why have our expectations of education “spun out of control” when those of other nations that push their children far harder than we push ours … not? It may be that some authorities here are choosing “health” over “high-stakes childhoods”, but are they truly doing our children favors by dialing down the pressure to be most worthy of securing the high-paying jobs of the future?
Perhaps, rather than looking at the competitiveness of children, we should be dismantling an educational framework that is failing us so badly, and reassemble it in ways that prepare our children to succeed in a global marketplace of skills without excessively threatening their “health”.
So?
We already spend more per pupil than any other developed country, yet rank 14th globally in composite scores for the effectiveness of our education and 20th in number of college graduates (Pearson Education’s annual global educational performance report). We all know how much pressure our international competition places on THEIR children, regardless of stress levels. To what extent do we lower our own and what would be the competitive consequences? For jobs? For prosperity in the 21st Century?
Why have our expectations of education “spun out of control” when those of other nations that push their children far harder than we push ours … not? It may be that some authorities here are choosing “health” over “high-stakes childhoods”, but are they truly doing our children favors by dialing down the pressure to be most worthy of securing the high-paying jobs of the future?
Perhaps, rather than looking at the competitiveness of children, we should be dismantling an educational framework that is failing us so badly, and reassemble it in ways that prepare our children to succeed in a global marketplace of skills without excessively threatening their “health”.
15
How do you know that the pressure American children are under is actually producing better outcomes? Why do you assume that more time spent in extracurriculars, more time spent on standardized tests and more time spent on homework actually matters? Is it possible that you're simply assuming that quantity equals quality and that more is necessarily better? Is that your assumption? If so, why?
One of the things we know or should know is that it is just as likely that throwing more time, money, rules and layers of public and private bureaucracy at problems leads to inefficiencies that worsen them more often than it solves them.
One of the things we know or should know is that it is just as likely that throwing more time, money, rules and layers of public and private bureaucracy at problems leads to inefficiencies that worsen them more often than it solves them.
3
The heightened stress students face today and their lack of critical thinking skills began to decline long before the Common Core was implemented.
7
If you remove the cost of secondary education, we are NOT outspending other nations, in fact our K-12 funding is quite low. Also, when you disaggregate by socioeconomic level, you will find our students outperform all other countries. Regardless, public education is important for developing creative, thinking, engaged citizens, not just good test takers. Enough with the dismantling of our education system; it is not failing, it created the greatest economy in history, more Nobel Prize winners, the Silicon Valley, biotechnology, etc, etc. Education Reform, with its goal of privatizing public Ed, IS failing our students and is a tremendous threat to our democracy. Stop the high stakes testing and let the teachers teach.
4
My son graduated from our small town HS in 2011. While originally a working class community with a sprinkling of both lower SES and children of knowledge industry/professionals/faculty brats, it is now a trendy, hipster community with a smaller percentage of working class and disadvantaged SES children. The HS prides itself on pulling everyone (?really?) up into the Honors/AP track. I started criticizing this the day my son set foot in that HS (and not just because he wasn't an AP student except in Art). No, it was because there was no track between regular and Honors/AP. What happened to the "college track" classes that we had in my (granted, much larger) HS? This notion that everyone should be doing Honors/AP who plans to attend college is ridiculous. Next they'll be saying if you don't have an IB you're screwed. Pah.
84
I agree. When I was in high school there were two tracks: regular and honors/AP. The school encouraged everyone to sign up for honors/AP and so many people who had no business being in those classes did. It really lowered the quality of instruction since many students were behind and many ended up switching out to regular classes. Also, in my high school's push to enroll as many AP/honors students as possible, many unqualified teachers were assigned to teach AP/honors just so the school could have as many AP/honors classes as possible.
5
In the case of places like Irvington, however, where a college prep track is standard, it's parents who push their students to take the most difficult classes in order to ensure that they end up attending a good college. However, this strategy often backfires, as the stress levels of students not prepared for the pressure they are under rise, and the students do worse.
1
As a high school teacher and parent I have also noticed and been alarmed by the same trend. My school constantly adds AP courses and is now in the process of dismantling the honors program so that students will be forced to choose the AP track. I have also witnessed a significant increase in student anxiety and stress. I belive that my administrators see and would like to address student health issues, but feel compelled to continue thier march in the current direction because of NCLB guidelines and the need to ensure ever increasing SPP scores and make AYP. It is a very unfortunate irony that the program which promised to ensure an equal and decent education to all students has not only failed those who were previously being left behind, but has created a series af negative consequences that threatens all students equally.
7
Talk to your boss tomorrow and ask him if you can redefine your job to "realize your potential". How many minutes did it take before you were standing in the parking lot with a box of your personal possessions?
Unless US society changes, a parent faces a lot of harsh realities for their children. The only better future for them involves (some) college training. Yes we want them to have a wonderful childhood, but in the US there is no safety net in society, individuals are on their own.
So we must (necessarily) over prepare at every stage of life: in childhood to get a good job, in adult hood to earn enough money for family and old age. Mess up when you are six and you'll be eating cat food at 60.
Where in the Capitalist model do you see "quality of life"? Only in $ = QoL.
These are the rules of the game for our current society. If you opt out of the game in K-12, you have opted out of the game (society) for the rest of your life.
BTW. I sit in a cube in Silicon Valley. I get daily assignments (it's called Agile programming", turn in new code (homework) every day by 8PM; get tested on it (code test) over night, and see my "grade" publicly posted every day to all engineers.
This doesn't bother me much, because I learned to deal with it k-12.