Public school teachers I have spoken to have said they hate standardized testing, or teaching to the test. It takes a huge chunk of time out of the regular curriculum, it causes severe stress and anxiety in the children, and there is no obvious benefit to either student or school. Learning is supposed to be fun. I don’t think anyone but teachers are even considering the students’ health and well-being; they’re certainly not a factor for hedgefund managers. But the kids are the bottom line, the entire point of our efforts. Every year prior to standardized testing periods there is a flurry of emails and letters coming home urging parents to make sure the kids get enough sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and take advantage of after-school study sessions. It makes me angry and sad; a reminder of the stress our children are unnecessarily undergoing and how that affects their attitude towards school and learning. I wish there were a way for parents to opt their children out of it in every state.
Please keep having this conversation. Real education reform should be about what’s best for the children and their needs, with teachers and parents working together, not Wall Street vampires.
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