How High School Became an Academic Pressure Cooker

Extreme academic workloads and relentless achievement culture are driving a youth mental health crisis in classrooms nationwide — especially among students trying to get into top colleges. That’s according to Stuart Slavin, a pediatrician who researches how to improve student mental health and the author of “The Success Trap.” We’ll hear from Slavin, a former school administrator and a high school journalist about how to escape “The Success Trap” and how parents can help their kids navigate this pressure.

Guests:

• Stuart Slavin, author, The Success Trap: How the Pressure to Stand Out Is Fueling Anxiety, Depression, and Burnout in Teens—And the Fundamental Fix They Deserve; pediatrician, medical educator, researcher
• Ananya Kota, student journalist, Los Altos High School – published an article in May in student paper detailing the pressures students face
• Chris Funk, former superintendent, Dublin Unified School District – initiated policy limiting the number of AP/honors courses students can take yearly