Not sure schools need finals week at all.  A culminating assessment, fine, but tests on a year’s worth of material crammed together into a week is unhealthy and unwise.  I have never seen more Monster energy drinks in one junior class than I did this week, and multiple students confessed that they were not sleeping this week, and not by choice.  One was having nightmares, another two were stressed to the point of insomnia.  And these were the ones willing to divulge to me.  (not coincidentally most were preparing for the SAT as well)

I used tell myself that “this is what the world is like, so the kids need to get used to it.”  This is simply not true, and even if it were someone would need to figure out another way of doing things so why not schools?  None of my adult friends are asked to remember and produce a set of information for a test (I realize not all tests are like this).  We’re asked to problem solve, think creatively, and produce products that are of some value to someone (I also realize almost no tests are like this).

A culminating assessment in each class at some point between April and middle of June yes, finals week no.