In this section of the book, a central theme is how the curriculum being taught is limited by standardized testing in schools. In several instances, the teacher is limited in her lessons and the students answers are limited in their creativity because of the need to focus on standardized testing. The article we chose discusses creativity and imagination in current students and explores the idea that creativity is dwindling. Page 197: "But butterflies had been off the official schedule in the past few years. Each fall, Ms. Luddy imagined suburban elementary school students rambling around apple orchards on field trips, picking fruit, creaking about on hayrides. Her kids couldn't do that, not with all the mandatory test practice." ^Reflects limits in curriculum due to standardized testing Page 235: "Now can anyone tell me what a journey is, in your own words. Is a journey just a trip? Or is it something more? Can you think of examples of journeys?" "The CMT!" Jeremy yelled. "That's like something we work at a little at a time ^Reflects limits in student response due to standardized testing

Although I find the article and interesting one and a great read, I do wonder if the way we find and measure creativity is entirely effective. It seems that testing for creativity is a very difficult and subjective test and I question its validity. I also wonder if the standard of creativity or the perceptions of creativity has changed over the past few decades. This would mean that our creativity styles would be different than those of generations before. I am always skeptical to think my generation is better than the ones that follows, and in the same way, that older generations have abilities that I can't or don't have. However, this is coming from a girl who is a naturally excellent test taker. I am good at information recall and application, but I am one of the most uncreative people I know. So I could be wrong. Either way, the author cites TV watching and standardized testing as two reasons for our less creative society. I see TV watching as the greater of the two evils as I feel it has more of an impact and that it is wasted time, unlike testing which, to me, is necessary.

Page 35-36 "The families claimed that extreme racial and classic segregation in schools enabled and sustained by state-enforced school district boundary lines, denied them the equal educational opportunity guaranteed by Connecticut's Constitution." We feel that this article underlines the book's main focus as it parallels the inequality between economic classes. This book's theme is focused on the inequality between economic and racial education in Connecticut.

This is an issue that I am very concerned with, and I have gone as far as considering participating in Teach For America to help solve this problem and eliminate the education gap. What I do like about this article is something that is buried in the middle of it and could be easily overlooked. It says "now catching the attention of a broader audience, in part because income inequality has been a central theme this election season." It then goes on to say "focus of President Obama as well as some of the Republican presidential candidates." Although so far this is all talk and no action, I feel like the first step in changing this movement is spreading awareness of the problem and generating interest in a solution. I am glad that this is an issue that is being talked about and openly discusses, because that means we are at least one step closer on the road to solving the problem. I have high hopes that if Americans make it an important issue and make that fact known to our law makers, then we will eventually see change and progress in the system to help solve this problem.