DEAR EDITOR: After reading recent news articles about higher academic standards, I started to think about all the standardized tests that kids have to take nowadays. I have my own theories as to why the Department of Education thinks that these tests are necessary, but I would like to see if someone in the academic world could explain what has caused our educational system to deteriorate to a level that requires constant testing instead of teaching. And please do not give the politically-correct version.

I have always wondered if the decline in our educational system might have something to do with the influence of certain special-interest groups in the educational system.

Instead of creating more standardized tests for the students, why not run off the special-interest groups that have taken over the educational system in this country? You can make all the excuses you want, but teaching someone to read, write, spell, add and subtract has not changed. The methods for teaching prior to the intrusion of certain special-interest groups had worked for many years. Let’s not forget that at one time the United States had one of the best educational systems in the world. Now we have one of the worst. This did not happen overnight. This has been a deliberate dismantling of the foundation of our educational system so as to appease certain groups in this country.

The idea that the only way to know if students are learning is by making them take a bunch of tests is bull. Standardized testing is not the answer. Removing the special-interest groups is the answer.

Chuck Sanford
LaPlace