Draconian law returns amidst beautiful Spring days as California State Testing, also known as CAASPP, previously STAR, forces its way in between lesson plans once again. Students begrudgingly accept the tradition, though there was hardly a choice; opt-out system was red taped to the teeth in order to keep participation above 95%, the minimum to qualify for federal funding. Students lament all the same, a Blazer expatriate journalist, in the field reporting on an underground dog fighting ring, overheard the following: “Waste of my whole ass day,” and, later on: “I just don’t want to participate in the standardized education circlejerk.” Juan Raygoza, down five hundred dollars from betting on, admittedly, rather lopsided matchups, had this to say: “I don’t know how I’m going to pay my bills this month.” Despondent and out another five hundred by the day’s end, he could not be reached for further comments.
The California Department of Education does a good job pretending to have good reasons behind state testing. On reluctant, but nevertheless careful, inspection of the nothing-titles and even-less paragraphs detailing the necessity of their “one common yardstick,” it becomes clear that for all the numerous pages, links that lead back on themselves and copy-paste sections, the CDE is only willing to admit one thing: that state testing is a benchmark exam. It’s easy to divine the real reason; allocating funding to public schools. Evil at first glance, additional research seems to show that the only funding given based on CAASPP is given on top of the usual amount, it doesn’t add or subtract from the normally given amount, or at least, that’s how it worked with STAR - details surrounding the tests are sparse online; not many people are looking up the history of California State Testing.
Unfortunately, students’ opinions cannot challenge the indomitable State of California. Testing will continue all the same, and considering the situation we’re in, we at the Blazer ask that you try on your remaining state tests. No matter what you believe about the system, it will provide actual, tangible benefit for the school if it performs well. Collectively, we will all suffer through these state mandated ordeals until we can rise up at the advent of our coming revolution, January 6th, 2024.