Parents request return of math tests

Written by Paige Castren

Math teachers’ reluctance to allow students to keep their tests “has always been an issue,” principal Linda Fernandez said. There has been much spark about this issue lately from parents on the online WHS parent Yahoo! group.

“Honestly, it is crazy that they don’t release tests to students. If teachers want to ensure the integrity of their tests, it should not be at the expense of students who need help,” parent Farrah Foroushani said. “It is not feasible for parents to keep taking off from work to see test results or for the student to spend after school hours and rewrite the questions on a piece of paper.”

Fernandez is working with the Assistant Superintendent of Education Parvin Ahmadi to review the education code and the Williams Act, a court decision regarding students’ equal access to instructional materials.

“My job is to investigate everything,” Fernandez said. “We want to make sure that we do everything according to the law.”

Fernandez addressed complaints by making mutual resolutions between teachers and parents.

Teachers often let students and parents come in and copy what they got wrong before school, after school and during lunch.

Students have mixed feelings about this issue.

“This is the only way to really stop test questions from getting copied for next year’s students, so I understand why [teachers] do it,” senior Emily Khuc said.

Others hope for a mandate.

“There would probably be a dramatic change in scores,” sophomore Katie Majumdar said. “Being able to correct what we did wrong and having it instilled in our brains would definitely help us with the tests.”

For now, Fernandez can’t say when a mandate may be issued. She is trying to cooperate with families and is relaying the concerns to the district and its teachers.

“I would really like this situation to be resolved,” Fernandez said.