School is like a prison,
They don't care about your closing time -
They just care that you have keen precision.
Football, activities, none of them matter,
Well maybe the former does more than the latter.
To do or to die,
Every assignment completed on time.
Classes like skyscrapers,
Reaching up high.
Making mountains out of molehills,
That's what they like.
A place where children are prisoners - clinging to chains,
Kaleidoscope colors are all that they gain.

We've all been there. You get to school, unpack your book bag, sit down at a desk, and immediately have a test thrown at you. It's only the third day of school, yet you already have a test that's going to be worth 15% of your grade - if you don't pass this test, you won't pass this class.

Why?

Students are taught from Pre-K and up that tests are what will better their futures. Life is full of twists, turns, and tests. Everywhere you look, you'll see people being tested along their ways of life; is this really necessary?

Studies have shown that tests have nothing to do with how well you know the material, but rather how much motivation you have in order to take the test. You could have a student get all 90% and above in class, but then completely flunk the SAT or ACT. Schools throughout the USA are now beginning to take away the mandatory SAT/ACT scores in order to apply to the college.

Within the past few years, schools have moved past teaching a child the important aspects of life, instead only teaching them how the best way to test is in order to get the school to have higher ratings. Higher ratings mean more profits, which gives the schools a bigger chunk of money that they can use to spend on whatever they want.

What if we took a break from all of the standard state tests and focused more on actually teaching kids the things that they really need to learn in life?