Kids Under Pressure
April 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Under Pressure: Does Test Stress at School Added to Economic Stress at Home Constitute a Toxic Combination?
During the last decade, America’s public school students have seen a steady increase in the amount of testing they have to endure. As a result of state policies and federal mandates, schools have transformed curricula from Pre-K up to raise scores on standardized tests, and have put immense pressure on teachers to do that, putting their jobs in jeopardy if they fail to do so.
All over the nation, stories abound of classrooms becoming zones of extreme stress, with teachers and students displaying symptoms of anxiety, rage, and depression in response to the new demands. Intentionally or not, our elites have sent a message to public school teachers and students — produce or else — and have made it seem as though improving test results is everyone’s patriotic duty, and that activities which don’t contribute to that are not only a waste of time, but a threat to the nation’s future
From a strictly educational standpoint, these policies are highly questionable. There is no evidence that students learn better in an atmosphere of fear and stress, and that they will become more productive citizens if they are deprived of play, emotional support and opportunities for self-expression.
But what makes these policies all the more tragic is that they come at a time when many students face increasing stress at home because of severe economic pressures on American families. During the Great Recession, according to economists Thomas Saez and Thomas Piketty, blue collar and white collar Kids Under Pressure: