Regents are a waste of time
Marie C. Camacho
From September to June, I’ve pushed myself: I have read books, written essays and passed my final exams. So I should be done with school, right? I think so but New York State thinks differently.
The state’s educators think that Regents help determine students’ status and where they should end up. But in reality, Regents exams are stressful and a waste of time. And students aren’t the only ones who think the Regents should go: The state’s top educational leaders have started discussions about the possible advantages of no longer forcing high school students to take and pass the high stakes exams.
For some students, especially those who struggle with exam anxiety, the Regents aren’t just stressful: They can determine whether a senior walks across the stage at graduation. To graduate with a Regents diploma, students must pass a Regents exam in English, Social Studies, Math and Science and one other Regents option. Not everyone is able to do so. In fact, the New York State Education Department says that Regents exams prevent 13.1% of high school students from graduating on time.
On the other hand, some people think that it is good to have Regents because there are some people who don’t really do the work and just copy off of someone else’s paper. But that’s where they are wrong. The teachers should be doing their job at seeing if the students are actually doing the work and already determine whether they should take the Regents or not. Also, if the students don’t really care about their work in class, what makes them think that they want to do the real Regents? This is also another reason why New York State should start having optional regents.
Like many students at Bronx River High School, I did my job this school year: I studied and passed all my classroom exams. That should be enough: New York should trust our teachers – not the Regents exams – to determine what we’ve learned. It’s time to say goodbye to mandaory Regents.
Regents Exams let hard-working students shine
By Jomayra Amparo
Some people want to get rid of the Regents. I am here to say these people are misguided. Regents are tests high school students are required to take in order to pass their grade, and even graduate. These tests are full of topics your teachers covered, but the tests are much harder than the work. This is why teachers highly recommend coming to Regents Preps after school.
Often times in classes, students copy work from their acquaintances. These students that just copy are not gaining any real knowledge to prepare for these tests. They just want good grades in order to pass the marking period. With copying, the other student does all the work, not getting any real credit until their tests prove it. This can also go for tests in classrooms. Students who copy often do badly on their tests because the person they copy from can no longer provide for them.
The Regents is honestly a test based on how much you’ve studied and prepared, and many students do not care about school. They just want good grades so their parents aren’t mad at them. Without the Regents, how will we know whether students are prepared for the real world/work industry? Keeping the Regents ensures that standards are met for students who want to do well in school.
Joy • Jun 21, 2024 at 6:39 am
It’s also ridiculous that kids with learning disabilities are expected to pass. This is on no way fair!
Cherry Hodge • Jun 21, 2024 at 12:16 am
I feel like NY should get rid of the regents like hw much of that stuff do these kids going to need in their lifetime let’s face it it’s too many testing as it is and some of these teachers don’t have the patience to teach those kids they’re quick to tell the kids that college is not for everyone and that they should learn a trade
Nia • Jun 20, 2024 at 7:05 am
Regents testing should be an option. You have the choice to graduate without regents
,with your regents,and with advanced regents. It should matter to the student who has to sit in that class. I personally would take my regents, but again it’s a choice. There is already too much testing crammed into a short period of time. From March to the end of the school year all we do is test and prepare. It’s honestly draining. Some people also just don’t work well with how their being taught and in time don’t end up passing me barely pass class and regents. The best route to take is choice, because every student is different.
Jenn • Jun 20, 2024 at 6:35 am
Unfortunately not all schools have good high school teachers. If you come from a title 1 school you might have a few that teach. My kids have had teachers just sit there on their phones and just have the kids read the curriculum. Especially if you are not in an AP class your teachers are usually just there to get their paychecks and pension and again unfortunately the lazy teachers outweigh the special ones. My daughter struggles academically and if her teacher doesn’t care of course she will not either. It’s very sad. So yes, I feel the regents should be optional.
Hello • Jun 19, 2024 at 9:01 pm
What about NYC
Marykay • Jun 18, 2024 at 6:27 pm
New York state does too much unnecessary testing. First before the regents exams are tests to see what the teachers are doing their job and then a month later are the regents exams too close to the end of school, high school they have to go after school is closed. It’s ridiculous that the state puts stresson our kids and claim that they care about them and then pull funding from the schools and lunch programs. The unnecessary testing needs to stop. The common core theology is flawed.
Richard Park • Jun 16, 2024 at 5:52 pm
The removal of a regents deploma will water down high school education even more. A general diploma should be the bear minimum achievement. A Regents diploma are for children who dedicate push themselves to be better. Elimination of the Regents is the celebration of mediocrity. If someone’s feelings are hurt because they didn’t achieve a regents deploma, too bad they should have worked harder.
Noya • Jun 18, 2024 at 6:42 pm
Regents should be over with it’s too stressful and tiring, besides if you should fail a regents by couple points they should let you pass accordingly to the class grade .newyork is too extra with this regents crap
Nola white • Jun 16, 2024 at 1:12 pm
I think kids do have to. Although it shouldn’t interfere with their summer jobs or activities as long as they show knowledge to what they have been learning, the exam can help them realize that life, getting money or jobs, isn’t always going to be easy because it’s about fitting in to their desired future plans. The test is always at the end of school year. It’s not like it’s during summer school for as needed kids. By then there parents should be helping set up work permits for 13-17 or driving permit. Or even helping them lool at colleges they fit into. It’s about organizing and keeping students, and staff safe.
EagleTWB • Jun 16, 2024 at 9:45 am
As a NY middle school special educator I not only agree with making Regents tests optional, but think we should return to non-regents and regents diplomas. I do think that making the Regents optional will cause the number of parents who “opt out” of 4-8 state testing for their children to greatly increase though.
Denise Weber • Jun 16, 2024 at 1:13 am
NYS is the only state that requires Regents exams. Colleges do not care if you took Regents exams and received credit for it. Time to do away with stressing out our high schoolers. Local exams and passing the course is requirement enough.
Eduardo Camacho Camacho • Jun 15, 2024 at 9:12 pm
My self, I had to take the regents , and now my son it’s very stressful and it’s hard all year long to do all the class work and do all the requirements threw out the schools four years. The only time the students get to rest is in the summer.I would suggest these exams to be eliminated.