How do you feel about the elimination of exam exemptions?
“The ability to exempt exams took some of the stress away. It also provided a little extra motivation to get an ‘A.’ You could only exempt two classes in the first place. If kids work hard, they should be able to exempt.”
Andrew Mecus, East senior
“I was looking forward to senior year and when I found out about the new exemption policy, it gave me more stress. Not all kids are in AP classes, so they won’t be able to exempt at all. If kids work hard all year to keep a good grade, they should be rewarded.”
Megan Kiefert, East senior
“I think that was a smart move by the West Bend school district. If you don’t get tested on what you learn, then why even learn what is in school? We must learn since this is how we will be productive in the future, so therefore we must get tested in the form of these exams.”
Denis Ardelean, East freshman
“I’m a senior so I think it’s okay. If I were in any lower grade, I think it would kind of [stink].”
Scott Anderson, West senior
“The new policy isn’t fair to any student. Exemptions were a reward that could be earned by doing your best, but now nobody really wants to. Students push themselves by taking advanced classes, but now the amount of work we have to do to study for exams is way too much. Crazy!”
Abi Rychtik, West junior
“It’s more work for everyone and we can have our progress tracked other ways. If a student is getting an ‘A’ in the class, it’s most likely that the student does not need to be tested. We have to do it the next semester, anyway, so what’s the problem?”
Abby Schmidt, West freshman
Interviews and photos by Trina La Susa, Current Staff
The West Bend Current 