By: Sicily Houk, Co-Editor in Chief
Recently there was a Board Meeting to discuss the potential return of midterms and finals to the Howard County Public School System Curriculum. Our student member of the board, Peter Banyas, voted in favor of this return. Following this decision, there seems to be controversy among the Howard County students.
As a result of Peter’s vote, many students questioned his decision, some in a vitriolic manner. When asked in an interview why he voted in favor of these tests Banyas replied that ”in college or the workforce, we’ll be expected to reach difficult goals, and our complaints won’t make them go away. Getting rid of challenges puts our students at a disadvantage against the millions of other graduates who have that skill in their belt.” Peter was motivated by the benefit of the students and making sure they are prepared for things such as college and the workforce. Although many students do not believe that these tests even help measure how prepared you are. Junior Amelia Rose replied,” They should not exist and are not a reflection of a student’s intelligence.”
Many students comment about how this goes against his campaign for protecting the mental health of the student body and others say it is just adding stress. Junior Colt Pitsley said,” Personally I don’t care too much, although it is stressful on top of everything else.” Although it seems that students’ mental health was also a factor in Peter’s decision. He stated that “mental health means resilience. We have to be able to get through tough things and still move forward. If we remove the opportunities to test and strengthen our mental health fortitude in school, the stressful situations after graduation will be that much more difficult.” It appears that Peter was looking to benefit students’ minds and strengthen them with the challenges of midterms and finals.
For college bound students these midterms and finals give an insight to the college world and what lies ahead. Banyas remarked,” I’ve heard from a UMD student that a course had exams worth 90%, and from a UMBC student, 60%. It is worth noting that different colleges and courses weigh these exams differently, but I believe our educational mission is to help students develop the skills they need to thrive, no matter what path they choose.”
With all the conflict this decision is causing, many students did not have the opportunity to understand what led to this decision. Many believed it was unfair and unnecessary for this vote to be made. Although it is hopeful that a new understanding for both sides will be made when looking at how each side views this situation.