Useless testing needs to end

I’ve been studying standardized testing, and the walkouts from Garfield High School in 2011 really got me fired up. 2011 is when I graduated from high school and I was misled into taking the WASL, the major standardized test for Washington state at the time. If only I had the courage to do what those high school students did I wouldn’t have given myself the massive text anxiety that I did. My senior year was supposed to be my best year in high school, but I felt so much pressure to do well, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to graduate!

It’s hard to believe that we make children go through the amount of stress that tests can bring onto them. Some kids even get so nervous that they cry, and even puke on their tests! I’m with the Seattle high schools in their choice to walk out on the testing going on. If it doesn’t bring anything to the student for the future, why should they take it? We shouldn’t pressure them to take an unnecessary test just so their schools can receive funding. Funding should be a basic right to the school districts.

Let these kids enjoy their education, and their time in school.

Kelsie LeBlanc

Snohomish