This article examines the standardized high-stakes testing in the wake of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) movement. It focuses on the political economy of the testing industry; that is, a look into the ownership, intent, and regulation of the private forces that produce, provide materials, prep sessions, and tutorials for and evaluate, report on, and profit from these tests. The author states that, by looking at and analyzing this powerful sector and the networks therein, it is much easier to understand the synergy that exists among government, corporations, and the media and how this force has been controlling public education in the U.S. to the detriment of its people. It is from this position of awareness that activists can better mobilize against these forces, and teacher education programs can be restructured, if they are really intent on democratizing schools, in order to better meet the needs of educators and students alike. The author offers suggestions on what teacher education programs and practitioners can do to work towards redemocratizing public schools and creating civic-minded students and a vibrant public sphere. (Contains 26 notes.)