States: “A nation destroying its education systems… Rewards, test scores higher than critical thinking and literacy” (Hedges ). Hedges indicates that creativity is often excluded from schools, as well as not being used enough in educational development. However, what Hedges doesn't seem to understand is that testing students doesn't always have to be a bad thing. If tests more accurately described what is taught in schools, then standardized tests would have a better effect on students because they would be tested on material that actually applies to them. As a result, standardized tests take less than an agonizing hour and are actually time well spent. If students and teachers were more willing to teach and learn the nuances of certain material, then, as a community, this country would be stronger and have a better understanding of what it takes to be financially and emotionally successful in