“We need to prepare them for the real world, for success in the new industries of tomorrow like alternative energy, medical research and technology” says Weaver. Amador County Assistant Superintendent In Charge of Curriculum, Elizabeth Chapin-Pinotti agrees with Weaver. She says “The current system is stealing creativity and hands-on learning out of the classroom because it does not take into account the whole education of children.” Pinotti says that “A system, by the way, that tests all students and includes each of our student’s scores into the results…unlike other countries who only test the gifted and high achieving and then compare them to the United States as some badge of honor.” Pinotti says that worldwide comparisons are not accurate for these reasons.

She says “Test all your children and then we’ll talk comparisons…but that is another argument.” As far as the Federal Benchmarks, Pinotti says there is a deeper problem. The deeper problem with NCLB, says Pinotti, is the emphasis on a one size fits all, 65 question, multiple-choice test, where critical thinking and abstract thought are often necessarily omitted because the stakes are so high.  Without teaching students how to think and how to explore, by quashing their curiosity and emphasizing on “power” standards – how indeed is the United States ever to complete in the global economy?  How are we going to produce inventors and doctors and creative geniuses and rocket scientists out of our students if all they can do is take multiple-choice exams asks Pinotti?  

Politicians and the media are versed in the tip of this catastrophic tornado, the test scores and quantified results, but it seems that neither group has analyzed the real data and the fact that comparing the test results of “like grade levels of students” who are being tested at vastly different levels says Pinotti. She asks the same question being asked by educators through out the country, what will the long term results of the accountability systems? Pinotti asks if by not teaching students to think are we putting future generations at a disadvantaged as they venture out to compete in our ever shrinking world? The majority of Americans, according to the this newly released poll agree with Pinotti