Yes. With the state required testing, TAAS, TASP, or whatever your state has, all the teachers do these days is "teach the test". Because the government has set it up that whichever schools get the best results on this test, that school gets more government money, that's all the school is worried about. They don't care what/if you learn, as long as you can do good on this one test.

I dont go to school. But I think public schools have gotten really bad. Nobody really cares about school anymore. Just look at all the cool movies!

It should be both.

Not for me though I always tried to actually take advantage of everything I learned, and actually took classes I was interested in, instead of choosing the class that was the easiest.

The key is to have the option of taking classes you like. Last year before I graduated high school, I was in all regular classes except for AP Psych. I took that class because I wanted to learn more about Psychology. Although the class was more difficult I did great because I liked it. I had a higher grade in my one AP class then my other regular classes.

Yes, but a better question would be Has school become "make the grade" instead of "learn?". It shouldn't be about getting certifications at any costs nor about remembering things which might or might not be helpful to you. It should be about giving kids proper access to the knowledge human beings have developed throughout history, and let them decide if they want to use it, and how they want to use it.

yes i belive so its makwe this grade to become this or if you dont you become that >.<

Yes and no. Yes in the sense that those who do not take honors classes will not need to know the material to take the AP/IB tests. But for those of us that take all honors classes possible, we must know the material in order to get the grade in the class. And especially when it comes down to the SAT and ACT, they are weighted equally by colleges as your grades so it is far more important in that sense to know the material and get an average grade in the class than get a high grade in the class, and bomb the SAT and ACT.