Standardized Tests

For the first eight years of my life, I went to public school. I have a lot of stories about public school-my bus driver who brought her grand kids on the bus and made us take care of them; my homeroom teacher (who insisted we couldn't bring a plastic butter knife to cut up our lunch as it was a safety hazard) cutting a meter stick with a hunting knife; the kid who proudly told our English class that he ate road kill. My list goes on and on. One story I have is about standardized testing.
I was nine years old and in fourth grade. We were taking NECAPS, and as I was turning the page, I got a paper cut.
But this wasn't just any paper cut, no. It sliced my entire finger and was gushing blood. Nasty, right? Well, I wasn't allowed to go to the nurse because testing was in session. And because our teacher didn't have any band-aids with her I had to wrap the cut in a paper towel. I was told not to get any blood on the test or all my answers would be void.

Okay. I've been taking standardized tests since I was in third grade. So since I was eight. HALF OF MY LIFE I've been taking standardized tests. And I've learned nothing from them.

The thing about the American school system is that it is so deeply flawed, so harmful and toxic to students, that standardized tests are only one part of the problem.
The point of school is not just to learn-it is to open your mind, see ideas in new ways, entertain new prospects. Up until the higher grades of elementary school, I feel that many children enjoy school and love learning new things. The difference is that when kids hit about third, fourth, or fifth grade, they start hating school. But that doesn't mean they hate learning. But today, it seems like school is simply about earning a grade. It's not about ideas or thoughts. It's about numbers and status quo.

It doesn't matter if one individual student can't grasp a concept, what matters is that he's a failure and he isn't taking school seriously!
Obviously, I'm joking. But from a young age, American students are taught that if they aren't the best, they might as well not try. America is used to thinking it's the best. So, when in John Oliver's video about standardized testing, he brought up statistics from the 90s showing America's low math scores, it must have been a shock.
People call Americans vain and narcissistic and you know what? They're right. Because in response to those test scores, the American government set up a system which would destroy future students' mental and emotional health.
Standardized tests were encouraged by President Bush in his No Child Left Behind video. If a student was struggling in a subject, the tests he took would indicate this and he could theoretically get extra help. But the tests did not work in this intended manner. They became a way for businesses like Preston to increase value by producing thousands of standardized tests.
Standardized tests, instead of being ways to help struggling students, ended up being money makers which influenced placement and future academic opportunities. This puts such pressure on students. Maybe I sound like I'm overreacting, but the fact is, that doing poorly on these tests doesn't mean you get extra help. It means you will be treated like a failure for not increasing America's national scores.
If the American school system spent money on economic reforms and funded public schools, maybe more teenagers would actually enjoy going in. It's hard to stay in school or want to entertain the thought of going to college when your test scores are telling you that you're stupid.

Difficult, absurd tests are making students feel like they are failures. What child would want to go to school if they feel like a failure, especially if the point I made earlier (being the best vs not trying at all) is true?
I didn't go into too much detail talking about the rhetorical strategies John Oliver used. However, his use of logic fueled his power of persuasion. He made clear points about the problems standardized testing cause and the effects of these problems on American students. Hopefully, I've done the same.