Episode 22: State Testing Stories That Shouldn’t Be Real | The Edu20/20 Podcast

Edu20/20

June 2, 2026

In the After Hours season finale, Courtney and Shannon share state testing stories that sound made up — the sign-in-blood rules and pressure, the week-of chaos, the moments you can’t control — and how teachers somehow survive it every single year.

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Welcome to the Edu20/20 After Hours Podcast… and yes, we’re ending the season with state testing. Because what better way to wrap things up than revisiting one of the most stressful and chaotic times of the school year?

In this episode, we’re sharing real stories from state testing–the kind that sound made up until you’ve actually lived through it.

We’re talking:

  • The rules, the pressure, and the “did I sign in blood?” meetings
  • What classrooms actually look like during testing week
  • The moments where everything goes sideways (and you can’t do anything about it)
  • And how teachers somehow survive it every single year

If you’ve ever made it through testing season, you already know. And if you haven’t… buckle up. Source moments pulled straight from real classroom experiences.

Chapters:
0:00 Why state testing deserves its own episode
2:22 The rules, the pressure, and the setup
4:20 What testing week actually feels like
6:38 When things go wrong (and you’re stuck)
9:32 The story we will never forget
12:01 How teachers survive testing days
14:00 The moments you can’t control
15:34 Ending the year (and season) with perspective

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