For the past couple of years, the TABC make-up schedule has always been the same. Students would go to the office and take the test at the earliest and most convenient time for them. But now all of this is changing!
Mr. Arthur J. Poleyeff, the Principal of TABC, stated the reasons for this change: “In the past, the make up test policy was not adhered to, causing confusion and perhaps cheating.”
Ideally, students were supposed to take their make up exams during lunch, but this rarely happened. The new make up test policy helps organize the process “so everyone has a fair chance” and no one has an advantage over someone else.
Mr. Chanan Strassman, the TABC Guidance Counselor, agreed with this statement and said, “the old process was very hefker.”
Mr. Poleyeff said that there’s simply no time during the school day for students to take make-ups because doing so takes away from other classes. This new policy also requires “frequent flyers” to take the test on time. This refers to students who continually defer taking their make-up in the hope they never have to take it.
Dr. Elliot Prager, History Teacher and College Guidance Counselor at TABC, said that the new make up test policy is beneficial to the school because it “sends a clear message to students that they have a very limited time to make up the test.”
Under the last policy, students felt that they could take the test “whenever they wanted to.”
Dr. Prager also said that most of the faculty are in favor of the change in policy because they feels it helps the school as a whole.
Mr. Poleyeff said that the days chosen for the make-up exams were the only times not during the school day that were convenient. He also observed that there is late-night busing for out-of-towners on Wednesday night to allow them to get back home.
However, some students believe that the old system was a lot better. There was “absolutely nothing wrong with the old one. Nothing about this one is better,” said Junior Natan Rifkind.
The objections are more pressing among students who live outside the Teaneck area. Junior Ezra Baron said that TABC prides itself on having 40% of the student body be from out of town; he regards it as unfair to these students that have to drive all the way to TABC just to take their make up exam on Sunday.
Junior Ari Needle, an out-of-towner himself, agreed: “I feel that the new make up test [policy] is unfair; it's hard to get rides to and from TABC on a Sunday morning.”
Mr. Baron said that he understands why TABC changed this rule, since it is not good for students to miss lunch and free periods to take them, but ultimately, it should be up to the students to decide when they want to take their exam: “The school should not be able to force you to come back to the school to take the test.”
Some students have found the new rule has brought special challenges. Junior Yoni Bierig related that because he had to take a make up test one Wednesday night, he was not able to get transportation home and therefore had to sleep over at someone else’s house.
Bierig commented that he feels it is unfortunate that students “have to do something that puts them in an inconvenience.” He believes the new make-up test policy not only puts students in an inconvenience but peers and parents as well.
Of course, it is not only out-of-towners who are affected by this rule change. Junior Shlomo Gellman, a Bergenfield resident, also feels the change affects him negatively. Speaking as a member of the hockey team, Gellman said that “the make up test policy is really annoying because if I miss a test and I have a free I can't take it and I have to come in on a different day which may not work for me … I can’t just come in on a random Wednesday when I have practice, and on Sunday I have practice until 1:00.”
But, as Mr. Poleyeff said, “you can’t do everything.” He observed that students will have to miss some activities to do other more important things.
Not all students think that the new make up test policy is bad. Some students believe it is actually better, as the old policy had some issues. Junior Ving Levy said that the new policy is more organized and that it “limits cheating.”
Junior Gabi Antosofsky is also for the change, noting the flaws in the old policy: “I didn’t like that I had to waste my lunch period to take the test.”
There are also some students who feel that there are equal pros and cons to this change. Junior Moshe Dergel said, “I do see a potential benefit in it for students because this way they'll still have free time and time to eat…but this new policy makes it harder for out of town kids who have to travel every day who don't want to stay after school and get home even later.”
Junior Danny Schwartz has already taken a make-up exam under the new policy. Danny was very upset that the tests needed to be taken at night rather than a school day, especially considering the fact that he has an extra-curricular Wednesday night.
Additionally, Schwartz said “the make-up exams on Sunday are a bit too early.”
In regard to the commute not during school hours, Schwartz added, “it was a bit inconvenient.”
All in all, students are split on whether or not the new change was good or bad for the school.
As of now, Mr. Poleyeff said that it has been the right change, but whether it will work out or not remains to be seen over the course of the school year.