Like Barry Bonds on steroids, the overemphasis on standardized learning and assessments has distorted the true meaning of learning. Even if limited data was made available to “demonstrate” the efficacy of high stakes testing on improving math and reading scores, the negative implications behind testing are never taken into consideration. The very real practical result of years of NCLB-type reforms is that the intellectual life has been squeezed out of classrooms. The phrase “high standards” (or rigorous) by definition refers to standards that everyone won’t be able to meet. If everyone could meet them, this would be evidence that the standards were too low. Policy makers would then ratchet them upwards upward until failures are created. Contrary