I always know when they are coming
Discipline referrals soar
Teachers’ complaints and voices are louder
Some even break down, yelling or crying
The tests begin
Tension is still high
But it lowers all week
Until emotions are back to normal
But the scores are so important
That the rest of the year we re-teach
And re-test
So students have ample chance to do their best,
Again,
And then
Summer school if you still don’t pass
Doesn’t matter how you did in class
The test is everything
And nothing