9th grade class boycotts the state Algebra exam required for graduation, responds with apathy when teachers threaten to call their parents: 'I don't care'

Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor

May 18, 2024 8:00 PM EDT

I do not envy the burdens that teachers bear. Getting an apathetic group to start caring is exceedingly tricky, and that seems to be the situation many modern teachers are in. According to r/Teachers, modern K-12 students do not care about doing a good job, parents perpetually blame the teachers for their kids' failures, and there are no consequences for failing in a post-No Child Left Behind America. No matter how badly students do, they continue to get promoted.

While that is a juicy narrative, I understand the struggles of the modern student. When I was in Elementary school, we spent so much time practicing and freaking out over the state exams when they had no impact on our future success. The only reason to do well was so our schools would get more funding; apparently, that was motivation enough for me. A 40% of the 9th-grade class in a Florida high school recently decided to boycott state exams despite the fact that they are required for graduation.