The public school system is a sham. No longer does it seem the main focus is teaching and guiding the future of America but instead making sure students can pass their final exams and standardized tests. The majority of the final review guides I’ve gotten throughout high school have been close to or exactly the final.

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was implemented in 2002 as a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 “to close the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility, and choice,” according to the Department of Education. While this was enacted with good intentions, it was left up to interpretation. It seems the education system focused on spoon feeding students a basic but “well-rounded” education to make sure they pass tests and say they know a little about a lot.

In years 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2009, the National Assessment of Educational Progress gave 12th graders reading assessments. Looking at the data for the national average, scores were higher before NCLB was enacted. Even in 2002, the first year of NCLB, the national average dropped three points. So when schools weren’t put under the pressure of having good statistics, actual focused learning seemed to take more precedence in classrooms.

When teachers have the ridiculous, looming requirement of every student in a public school ranking at least proficient in reading and mathematic standardized tests by 2014, they are not to blame– it’s the politicians who recreated an educational act. Schools have two years to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) until the government steps in and puts them in an improvement status. Schools have five years until they could be required to close and reopen as a public charter school, replace appropriate staff, bring someone new in to run the school or give control of the school to the state education agency.

The largest issue with NCLB is it doesn’t allow students to think for themselves. It definitely does not prepare students for things they’ll encounter in the real world: problem solving, critical thinking or basic studying skills for the years in college.

After 13 years of schooling, I have never felt that completely understanding the curriculum of whatever classes I was enrolled in was the sole focus. It’s always been a constant concern to remember in May what we learned in January so I can pass my finals. The bottom line is education needs to get back to educating to the full potential rather than making politics and numbers top priority over students and their future.