11 ms·
> But don't make the mistake that there are no kids who go for shock value or are wantonly manipulative when they know it can't come back to them. In the US,
by fucking_tragedy 7y ago
> But don't make the mistake that there are no kids who go for shock value or are wantonly manipulative when they know it can't come back to them.
In the US, school funding is based upon standardized test results, and bad results can shut a poorly performing school down.
It's drilled into every kid's head that these tests are very important, super strict and if they accidentally mess up, it can ruin their academics, because retesting and regrading are expensive.
- jacobwilliamroy 7y agoAs a kid I would go out of my way to fail those tests. The whole curriculum was designed around them, meaning that even if we did score high, any funding gains would just be put towards training us to take the test. I thought the state was holding the school hostage, threatening to cut funds or shut them down if they ever stopped. We never learned anything about civics or American history. Until I was out of highschool, content regarding atrocities like slavery and the trail of tears was not on the test and that was enough to whitewash the whole curriculum. Standardized testing is to the U.S. what lead waterpipes were to the roman empire.
- lonelappde 7y agoYour school didn't teach slavery? What state?
- stochastic_monk 7y agoIt’s possible that there’s a difference between admitting it happened and an honest portrayal of the institution.