Children passing tests, still being left behind

Because I haven't posted in a while, I just want to take a brief moment to say that I love it that apparently test scores have gone up in the wake of the "No Child Left Behind" act. Wait, you mean to tell me that an act that bases funding for public schools on test scores causes test scores to go up? Really, that surprises the hell out of me. Because certainly, that wouldn't make schools teach to tests now, would it? Perish the thought.

You cannot judge the success of a student or a school on test scores alone; some of the smartest people I know don't test worth crap. And no, I don't have a better metric, but perhaps we could avoid such a singularly simplistic one. Also, while schools must be held accountable for educating students, restricting funding to schools where students are failing tests in order to improve student achievement is tantamount to feeding the poor by giving more food to the rich.

And thus my libertarian bents grow, as I become increasingly of the mind that perhaps the federal government shouldn't be worried about funding public schools except in dire circumstances. After all, most of the people currently running the thing appear to have less knowledge of American and human history than just about everyone I know.

Song lyric of the day:
"Hardly education
All them books I didn't read
They just sat there on my shelf
Looking much smarter than me"
- Modest Mouse, Education