Orange number two pencils with pink erasers have a way of brining back memories of standardized testing to my 1990's kid brain.

As an adult, having worked with children through a range of ages and socio-economic standing, I've witnessed how disparities in quality of home life do effect a person's academic achievement.

I remember my grade school teachers going on about how they disliked standardized testing, a suspicion I now share. It seems pretty sterile and linear to categorize something as organic, transitory, and sensitive as the child's mind in this way. Those of us who are poor test-takers are at risk of internalizing consistently low scores as a mark of low intelligence, which is harmful.

Additionally, I question often in myself and in my work, the meaning of achievement. Is achievement really indicative of merit, or is it artificial.