The Follow-Up: Why the School System is Broken

The American school system was built to measure performance but at what cost? In this Follow Up episode, Dr. Mona sits down with Lauren Smith, a former educator and nationally certified school psychologist, to unpack how our current approach to education fuels anxiety, burnout, and perfectionism in kids.

They dive into the ripple effects of over-testing, constant competition, and the push to perform that begins as early as kindergarten. From standardized tests to college rankings, the conversation explores how a culture obsessed with metrics is stealing creativity, rest, and joy from learning — and what real change could look like.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why kids are more anxious than ever about school and grades

• How over-testing and Common Core shape classroom pressure

• The downstream effects of perfectionism on teens and college students

• How teacher burnout connects to testing culture

• What other countries are doing differently — and better

• Why “slowing down” might be the most radical educational reform

Want more? Listen to the full, original episode.

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