Do you ever feel really confident for a test that you 100% know the contents of and are ready for, but once you finish the test it comes back as a C or a D? Do you stress over tests that are months away and that are said to ultimately dictate what college you’ll get into? Do you feel like you are no longer being taught for the sake of learning but instead for the sake of memorization? If so, you are not alone. In fact, a study by the New York State Parent Teacher Association (PTA) found that 75 percent of students were more stressed about testing than they had been in previous years. Additionally, results from a 2015 survey of more than 1,500 National Education Association members, 70 percent do not believe their primary state assessment is developmentally appropriate for their students. So the question is: if both students and teachers dread and disagree with standardized tests, why do we not change the system? For years now students, staff, and parents alike have been speaking their mind and taking a stand against tests but not much has changed. In New York during 2015, 49,000 students did not take English tests and about 67,000 skipped math tests in protest of tests, and thats not the only story of a protest. In fact, testing protests are making their way across the nation to let our voices be heard.

In my experience as being a junior in high school, I’ve noticed more often than not that we are being taught to memorize facts, statistics and numbers. I’ve found that I am more eager to go to class when I know we can take our time, discuss, and be taught things for the sole purpose of learning, as you probably do as well. Take a stand and speak up about standardized tests.