Governor Gray Davis
300 South Spring Street
South Tower, Suite 16701
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Dear Governor Davis,

My name is Christopher Ochoa. I am a freshman at Santa Monica High School. I feel that the High School Exit Exam (HSEE) should not determine whether or not we get to graduate from high school. I think that all four years of high school and the students’ grades should determine graduation. I hope that you take my thoughts into consideration because remember that I will be able to vote in three years when you are going to be running for office for your second term.

The HSEE costs too much money. The government is spending so much money on this test when we don’t even need it. You could spend money on more books, supplies, teachers, inreasing teacher salaries and other things. For example, in my second period science class, there are over 30 kids. With fewer kids per class we could learn more. Also, schools are losing many teachers because the teachers’ salaries are so low that many of them leave and find higher paying jobs.

This test is unfair for kids who have learning disabilities. Kids with these disabilities are going to have a hard time passing this test. To pass this test you have to do a lot of reading and you have to write two essays from two hard essay writing prompts. Kids with learning disabilities, like dyslexia, are going to have a hard time passing this test. Also, if kids who have disabilities keep on flunking a High School Exit Exam they are in a greater risk of doing harmful things to themselves because they will be more aware of their disabilities. Without this test, these students with learning disabilities get a lot of help all year. Also, these kids with the disabilities are able to get a high school diploma by passing special education classes.

I acknowledge that some people think that the Exit Exam will prepare us for the real world. I agree that Math and English are very important later on. But this Exit Exam is multiple choice. Later on in the real world if you are going to be dealing with Math you won’t be solving multiple choice questions when there is one answer right in front of your face. If you are going to be using English later on in life you won’t be answering multiple choice questions. The only part of the Exit Exam that could somewhat prepare you for the real world is writing the two essays. So the test doesn’t really prepare you for the real world.

Ialso acknowledge that every student gets five or six opportunities to pass the Exit Exam. I agree that some people could have been sick and missed school the day of the test, but they could take it again the next time the test is given. I feel that an Exit Exam should be fair for kids with learning disabilities. The kids who have these disabilities, like dyslexia, can get a diploma by taking Special Ed classes. But now because of the test, it is going to be very hard for these students to pass the Exit Exam and graduate from High School. The point is that even if these kids get five or six opportunities to take the exam, a majority of them will not be able to pass the HSEE.

Thank you for taking time to read my letter. This is a very big issue to ninth graders and incoming high school students all over the state of California. Please consider my thoughts because I strongly feel that we should not have to take the Exit Exam. Once again, remember that most ninth graders across California (and I) will be able to vote in three years when you are running for office for a second term. I think that a good governor listens to what people have to say.

Sincerely,

Chris Ochoa