The Problem with America’s Education free essay sample

Education has a very important place in our society. For 180 days, students attend school in hope to learn something that will inspire them. Because of the numerous issues in our curriculum, education in America is not effective as it should be. America’s education is failing because of the large emphasis on standardized education and the flaws of the students, parents, and teachers. The issues also includes the way students are being taught in school. How we choose to improve our education remains to be a problem. The root of the problem begins with standardized testing. Standardized testing is a type of exam that is administered and scored in a consistent manner. Teachers are now teaching students how to pass a test instead of teaching them useful information they can use throughout their lives. We spend the entire school year preparing for the next standardized test instead of learning something we can use in the real life like paying taxes, creating budgets, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on The Problem with America’s Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Standardized testing has also ruined many students’ opportunities to be creative and imaginative. The obsession with testing had led many teachers to eliminate projects and activities that would be considered â€Å"creative†. Neely-Randall says, â€Å"In the beginning, we were doing all of these great projects and they were fluent readers and writers †¦ and then all of a sudden, I had to stop everything to get them ready for a test. The focus on test prep eats up time that could be spent doing hands-on projects and collaborative, interactive activities,† (Source 1). The decline of creative thinking can improve if we changed the way we teach the students.An effective teacher can make a huge difference in a student’s education. On January 8, 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed. The NCLB act allowed the use of standardized testing in schools. This act forces teachers to follow a system of teaching to the test. Teaching to the test causes a decline in creative thinking. â€Å"Standardized tests reduce the ability to complete more complicated work†¦students can only complete basic problems,†There are many teachers who lack the ability to educate their students and prepare them for the real world.Teachers are supposed to educate us while motivating and inspiring us to reach our goals.