My wife has been a teacher for several years, now. Hearing her talking about what they are forced to teach makes me realize that students, by and large, are not getting a well-rounded education. Students are, basically, being “taught” (or, as I believe, coached) in preparation for a high-stakes test. I compare this to where I grew up and, even among us “ghetto kids”, we now have doctors, attorneys, business professionals, social services workers and good, everyday working people. We all graduated high school without a high-stakes test. During that time, we analyzed literature, found fun ways to learn physics and still took Phys. Ed., music and art classes.

So, it hurt my heart to see how, across the country, this experience has totally changed for students. Now, so many of these learning opportunities and fun activities are cut because of money and the fact that they are not considered vital in preparation for “the test”.

In Florida, “the test” is call the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test or FCAT. Well, in schools in Palm Beach County, the observance of Black History Month is being jeopardized due to the pressures of administering the FCAT during that same time period.

While some are trying to find solutions to this quandary (ranging from moving observances to March to attempts to incorporate them into FCAT preparation), it is still sad to see that true learning opportunities are missed because a make-it-or-break-it test comes into play.

I am all for assessing students to help remedy learning challenges and prepare them for life but, let’s face it, these tests aren’t cutting it. If, at the end of a high-school career, a young man or woman does not have the requisite math or reading skills to pass one of these test, then the failures occurred long before that point.

Perhaps, in part, it had to do with the lack of a well-rounded education that found a way to keep more students engaged. School means different things to different kids. Some kids “suffered” through math because they knew that their favorite art class was next. Some “dealt” with all those English essays because their music classes gave them relief. Some may have done some extra reading because of the cultural relevance the subject held for them. Whatever the case, schools were a better place of learning when I was younger because there was more to learn than just “the test”.

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