“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” It’s a major tenet Rumon-Fair Haven area parents and students learned as they gathered together recently to view and discuss the documentary Beyond Measure, the sequel to the acclaimed Race to Nowhere.

Parents and students in the Rumson, Fair Haven and Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) districts participated.

Here’s what happened …

Panelists in the discussion, facilitated by RFH Principal Dr. Tracy Handerhan, were: Dr. John E. Bormann, Rumson School District Superintendent, Dr. John E. Henning, Dean of the School of Education at Monmouth University, and Fair Haven School District Superintendent Nelson Ribon.

Beyond Measure, shown and discussed on Nov. 12 at RFH, is the sequel to 2010’s award-winning documentary Race to Nowhere, which became nationally recognized because of its hard look at stifling and high-pressure education systems. Beyond Measure shines a light on tenacious and cutting-edge alternatives now being offered to students in grammar schools, high schools and colleges.

It follows public schools across the country as they take matters into their own hands and innovate from the inside. Notable figures providing commentary include: Sir Ken Robinson, international education expert and presenter of the most-watched TED talk of all time; Linda Darling-Hammond, education advisor for President Obama’s 2008 campaign; and bestselling author Daniel Pink of Drive and A Whole New Mind.

During the panel discussion it was noted that the Fair Haven, Rumson, and RFH school districts have already taken steps to incorporate innovation-based learning techniques into their curriculum. The districts are working together and partnering with Dean Henning to achieve the greatest level of success in this undertaking, school officials said.

A parent in attendance shared her first-hand observation that students who demonstrate a passion for lifelong learning — and do not necessarily fit into the “cookie cutter” mold — are being increasingly sought after by today’s colleges and universities.

“That is certainly the case at Monmouth University,” Dr. Henning concurred. “I have the privilege of working closely with students who are future educators, and our goal is to immerse them in situations by which they gain real-world experience in innovative learning techniques.

“This is a very exciting time to be involved in education.”

Rumson Education Foundation Vice-President MaryPat Moriarity noted that the film “evidenced the dire need for all public schools to acknowledge and act on the fact that our students are starved for dynamic interaction and engagement in the classroom.”

“The impressive collection of experts in the educational field (some of the best academics in the world) who were interviewed in the film all agree that hands-on, practical learning opens students’ minds, enlightens their senses, and taps into individual creative thinking in a way that is simply unattainable with traditional teaching methods” she said. “To hear these sentiments echoed by the panelists was very reassuring to me as a parent, and I very much appreciate their candor.

“I don’t believe an overnight seismic shift is necessary, but small changes need to start … and they have in our Rumson-Fair Haven school district.

“The collaborative approach being taken by our school districts and by Dean Henning will help us continue to make strides in developing innovation-based educational initiatives and elevate the quality of education that we have all come to expect from our beloved public schools.”

For more information on the film “Beyond Measure,” visit http://beyondmeasurefilm.com

— Edited release from Rumson, Fair Haven and RFH School districts