School.
Although many hate it, it is important in the molding of who we are. Our experiences in school, good or bad, all lead to where we go to college, what occupation we choose, and initially the path we take in life.
A lot of weight lies on the shoulders of education, and lately the quality of that education has come into question. But where do we start? The curriculum, the schedules, the teachers? It seems everyone we know has had experiences with the best and the worst teachers. Yet, how can they be classified and is it right to pin numbers on the caliber of teaching?
I believe teaching can't be classified by numbers. And, as a student in this day and age, I believe I know more than any adult how schools are operating today. Just recently, I was administered the English Language Arts tests. The passages on these tests were dull and meaningless. Last year, the eighth-grade test was absolutely appalling, something about pineapples and hares that I don't even want to go into detail about.
Now the government expects us to base the quality of teaching on these ridiculous exams.
I am not one of those kids pretending to be worked up about this because I hate tests; I understand the importance of state testing. But I don't think that everything, including the quality of our teachers, should be dependent on them.
Lily Pickett
Albany