I came across an article in the Omaha World-Herald titled “Teachers ‘Say Social Studies Suffers‘,” and it really stirred up some strong emotions in me.

While reading, I found myself in complete agreement regarding the sidelining of Social Studies due to the emphasis on extensive state testing. I wholeheartedly share the concern about the serious implications this trend holds for the future generation of Americans and their understanding of citizenship.

However, my perspective shifted when I encountered this specific paragraph: “Several board members acknowledged the pushback against social studies, encompassing history and geography, being overshadowed in classrooms. Yet, they suggested that the only way to prioritize it like math and reading would be through implementing a state social studies test.”

Is the solution really to burden students and teachers with more state testing? Seriously?

The pressure from state and standardized tests is already overwhelming, leading to a loss of genuine teaching and creativity!

Acts like the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Every Child Succeeds Act of 2015, with their excessive focus on testing, have drained schools of authentic learning. Teachers are overly fixated on meeting these test benchmarks, neglecting the opportunity to truly teach and encourage students’ minds, imagination, and creativity.

Most states have implemented the Common Core Standards or similar ones, introducing additional layers of paperwork and hurdles for teachers to navigate. Across various blogs and forums, I constantly encounter posts from frustrated teachers who simply want to get back to teaching. They’ve had enough of the testing and standards meant to “fix” the system!

Moreover, amidst increasing budget cuts, schools struggle to afford extensive testing. It’s a substantial expense for school districts (which means it’s coming out of taxpayers’ pockets!)! Wouldn’t investing that money in more teachers and smaller class sizes be a wiser choice?

These educational decision-makers are just as tangled up as Congress. It’s a disheartening reality, especially considering that it’s the future generations of Americans who will bear the consequences. As an educator, that deeply troubles me, but as a parent, it makes me furious! I’m fed up with these self-proclaimed “experts” hindering my children’s educational opportunities. How many of them have actually spent a full school year in front of a classroom, working directly with children? It’s outrageous!

The most successful teaching years I’ve had were under a principal who believed that as college-educated certified teachers, we were equipped to teach. Unless he identified an issue, he trusted us to do our job the way we deemed best. He understood that we knew these kids better than any administrator or board member and trusted that we would strive to push these kids to their fullest potential. During those years, my students flourished the most and achieved remarkable progress.

In my experience, the more the board or administration intervenes, the less successful children tend to be! Teachers are highly trained professionals. We hold college degrees, often advanced ones. We continuously undergo development courses throughout our careers and are present in the classroom every single day, closely interacting with students—second only to their parents. We’re educated and qualified. Let us fulfill our roles and teach! Saving taxpayers’ money and rescuing the American education system involves scrapping all this unnecessary and excessive testing!