At What Cost?

Anxiety depression and their dangerous manifestations-substance abuse eating disorders self-injury and suicide- are increasing student conditions at many competitive high schools. Paradoxically most of these schools promote themselves as being committed to students' holistic development in academics athletics and the arts and in their personal social and emotional growth. So why are so many students struggling? Dr. Gleason has investigated these concerns in competitive high schools throughout the United States and around the world and has found almost complete unanimity in how educators and parents have responded to his interviews. In sum these caring and dedicated adults fully admit to overscheduling overworking and at times overwhelming their students and teenaged children. This conflict - adults wanting to educate and parent adolescents in healthy and balanced ways but simultaneously overscheduling overworking and at times overwhelming them - is at the heart of this book.