In order to accommodate for the new teacher-in-service half days, the school district has changed this week’s exam schedule to four days of testing mixed in with regular classes.

“It’s hard to adapt, not just for students but for the teachers,” junior Faizan Arien said. “I think it would be much better if it was more consistent.”
For the first part of the school day there are regular classes followed by exams for the last five periods; later in the week, this will be vice-versa.
“The separation of afternoon and morning classes creates more work for us,” Spanish teacher Juan Garcia said. “(I) like it when planning is uniform.”

Teachers have the choice to give their exam at one time or split it up over the two days.

“It’s pretty stressful and a lot more to study for,” junior Lynn Nguyen said.

This exam schedule deviates from the way most universities do their midterms.

“If we’re preparing students to be college ready, then let’s create an environment where it’s similar,” Garcia said.

Another concern for some teachers is how to spend the regular class time after an exam has been taken.

“That’s a day I’m not going to do anything (so) to me that’s wasted time,” Garcia said.

The only absences that do not factor into the exemption attendance requirements are college visits, observances of religious holy days and school related activities.

“(The district) tries to make it as standardized and as strict as possible in order to honor (their) intent,” Academic Associate Principal Patty Ayala said. “Exemptions are really supposed to reward a student who is almost never out.”

Unless students are excused from a class close to their lunch period, at the beginning or end of the day, they must be in the library for those 45 minutes.

“We exempt classes (as) a reward for working hard (so) it’s nice if we get to go home,” Arien said. “Being stuck at school doing nothing isn’t really a good use of our time.”