Overloaded and Underprepared: Kids Go Back to School

Guest: Denise Pope, Ph. D., Senior Lecturer at the Stanford University School of Education and Co-founder of Challenge Success; Maureen Brown, MBA, Executive Director at Challenge Success; Sarah Miles, Ph.D., MSW, Director of Research at Challenge Success  School is Top of Mind this hour. High-schoolers across the country are slowly acknowledging that summer’s-almost-over pit in their stomachs. Our guests this hour say the stress and pressure of school in America is as intense as it’s ever been.  And here’s the real problem – kids are leaving the education system missing many of the components to a successful life. Schools are so worried about tests and grades, they’re not teaching kids to be independent, adaptable, ethical or capable of thinking critically.  The new book, “Overloaded and Underprepared” offers strategies for creating stronger schools and healthier, more successful kids. It’s the culmination of years of research by the Stanford Education initiative called “Challenge Success.” Stanford education professor Denise Pope co-founded the program and joins me for the hour. Welcome.