“A playbook for families and communities seeking change.”
Beyond Measure: Rescuing an Overscheduled, Overtested, Underestimated Generation lays bare the striking evidence that America’s obsessive achievement culture is making children sicker, not smarter.
Front and center are promising solutions—the stories of courageous communities around the country who are working together to break free from achieve-at-all-costs expectations, creating cultures of learning that value curiosity, collaboration, and community engagement.
Through in-depth research, personal anecdotes, and practical action steps, Beyond Measure shows communities how to realize their collective power to change the system to better reflect our true values: health, happiness, and genuine learning for children.
With a foreword from Lynda Weinman, Educator, Innovator and founder of Lynda.com.
PRAISE FOR BEYOND MEASURE
“Vicki Abeles has written what is at once a thoroughly researched and eloquent indictment of our outdated, stifling, achieved all costs educational system, and a call to arms for change.”
—Brigid Schulte, New York Times best-selling author
“A crucial and credible account of the toxic stress that threatens the health of our youth. The scores, résumés, and admission letters that our educational culture worships have little to do with most parents’ wish lists for kids: happiness, resilience, curiosity, kindness, and making a meaningful contribution to society. In this important book, you will find all the science and stories, statistics and steps you need to make real change.”
—Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., author of The Developing Mind, Brainstorm, and Mindsight
“Our one-size-fits-all school system is running our children’s wells of creativity and inspiration dry. This revealing and powerful book compels us to revive the kind of learning that really matters, to unleash the possibility within each child.”
—Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, Scientific Director of the Imagination Institute
“Our kids are arriving at college sick, stressed, and ill-equipped for success. Beyond Measure provides a promising roadmap for parents and educators who understand that happiness and well-being are not optional if we want our kids to thrive.”
—Christine Carter, PhD, UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center