Measuring merit on test scores loses the plot. The second the ignorant spout that nonsense they have lost all credibility in the game. "Take this kid who listens to Thugonomics and not his parents, who thinks disrespecting teachers is passing school rather than making academic progress and it's YOUR fault he never put an ounce of work in and you would have been fired if you so much as told him to hush in class".

All that grandstanding to ultimately bow down and say "just pass the future doctors and lawyers along."