Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom
Episode: The Follow-Up: Why the School System is Broken
Description: 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 lo...