I don't like tests, either. Kids in my school district spend at least 20 days every year taking various mandatory tests.
And since there's monetary impact to the test scores, -- big, gasping surprise -- the schools have taken to teaching to the tests.
The current emphasis on "testing" is a crock, foisted on us by idiots who want to pretend they're doing something about education.
If you don't like testing, then come up with an alternative. Just letting the teachers go on the way they are is not an acceptable alternative.
When a system is failing year in and year out to produce what it promises and when it's only proposed fix is "give us more money," then the rubes putting up the money have the right, no, the duty, to question the experts who aren't delivering results. Testing is one obvious, maybe not the best, way to start trying to figure out what is broken.
And Education is broken in this country. As long as we keep shoveling money down the hole, the educators have no apparent interest in making the system any better, except to increase the number of teachers in the union and what they get paid. The teachers and the administrators ARE the problem.
I personally would shut down every public school, ban anyone who has taught there from being employed again as a teacher in the new system, and ban anyone with an education degree from being a teacher in the new system. Vouchers for everyone and let the chips fall where they may. There would be a few years of chaos and then we would have an education system that outperforms the current one at half the cost.
Not doing a very good job of teaching to tests are they?
Maybe there are too many tests. When I was in HS in NYC [a long time ago], the State Board gave 'Regents' tests which the teachers taught to and did a very good job. Tests were in English, History and Economics. Diplomas were with or without Regents credit. I believe this single test helped teachers, students, and schools.
Tests provide measure in health, sports or learning. Tests are for admission to professions. Knowing the 'score' is how the game is played.