We Should Not Treat Schools Like They’re Businesses

Our current public education system is moving towards treating students like variables to improve profit margins in a corporation. Standardized test scores and corporate earnings reports have more in common than you might think. This emphasis on improving student test scores belies a viewpoint that sees students as numbers and statistics more than whole people with unique needs. In both cases, there have been instances where officials doctor earnings reports or test scores to look better. In the case of test scores, this can have detrimental effects on students whose wellbeing is left on the sidelines in favor of pushing them to have better test scores.

We need to stop thinking of the public education system as a way simply to train students for the workforce. Schools are where students spend the majority of their lives from a young age, and should be invested in improving student wellness. Test scores have little to do with that mission. In fact, test scores are often used to punish students who do not perform well enough, despite the fact that they may not have the resources they need to thrive. We want students to thrive as whole people, not just future workers.

What Do Corporate Earnings Reports and Standardized Test Scores Have in Common?

By Larry Cuban | September 12th, 2025 | Network for Public Education