Friends and my philosophy about standardized testing

Today, I have been reflecting on my friends and the changing seasons that friendships go through.  Last year, I thought my best friend was K.  A deeply ambitious, intelligent and sensitive human being.  It seems as though we are going in different directions.  We are in a women's group together and I appreciate her and her insights but there is a change in our connection.  I can't quite put my finger on it - it is sometimes hard to have things change but if I hold on I might choke the seasons from changing.  There are new friends emerging.  I hang out at Monarach coffee in Sandpoint and I meet and talk with people that I know there.  I think the coffee shop is a great place to meet and talk with people.  I wanted to walk today but too cold.  I thought I would go for a swim but ended up staying at home and getting some homework and housework done.  My room was looking like a disaster.  I have an assignment for another class that I am not too excited about consisting of questions about standardized testing, authentic assessments and standards.  I feel like I have answered these questions in several ways in one form or another.  I realize there is a certain amount of repetition but this one is kind of going overboard.  I realize that if I had been a student in today's schools I would have been in trouble because of my challenges with reading.  Somehow I was able to hang on until 4th grade or so when I learned how to read but in todays schools I might have been held back.  I find this rigidity problematic.  I think the brain learns in different ways for different people and when we have too many rules it can backfire.  I want students to be excited about learning and not be lost in trying to pass the test.