Fight Against Doe v California Settlement

As students, we have the right to speak and voice our opinions. Society frowns upon those who challenge decisions made by those who are more experienced, but sometimes, we are forced to take action.

The Jane v. California Settlement will affect many students in our district. The new ban on changing grades because of an AP test is not only unreasonable, but it is also unfair to those students who had been enrolled in an AP class and had been depending on this policy.

"The settlement reached today protects California students' right to a truly free public education," said Morrison & Foerster partner Dan Marmalefsky. "We are pleased that the State has acknowledged the unlawfulness of these fees and agreed to take steps to prevent future violations of this fundamental constitutional right."

Although we all agree that a free education is a constitutional right, here are just a few of the numerous reasons this change should not be enacted:

- In most AP classes at the beginning of the year, [students] took home a course description explaining the grading process including the grade change. [Students] and [their] parents signed to this agreement. If the school decides to back out on this policy, they have literally deceived students. Every student has the right to back out of the class and have all poor grades removed since the class did not meet the course description expectations. Kenny Lei

- "It leaves us at a disadvantage compared to the other districts who are implementing the no-grade change policy starting the next school year, after they have adjusted their curriculums accordingly. Our average GPAs would be significantly lower than from the years before, with which the college will be using as a comparison and profile for our school Joanne Yeh

- Not only is it unfair, the government is blaming it on the wrong people, when in fact it should be the collegeboard that should be blamed they consider themselves a private nonprivate organization but every year price reduction fees go up. Roy Koo

- They say it is because it is unfair. The thing that is unfair is that we are not allowed to counter it. But we will. Tell your parents, make them make a move. They wont listen to us students. We dont pay taxes. But sadly money talks and it talks a lot. There is a board meeting soon, and we will show our opinion, and voice our voices.
Okay, maybe we are a little too biased. Just a little but angered by such a sudden change in policy. But the least they can do, the least they can promise us, the least we want, is to postpone the ruling from taking effect until next year.
All we ask for is to have the basic civil right to make reasonable decisions based on information that is guaranteed and true, and not have the ground on which our decisions were made to be altered. Justin Kang

Although this petition is aimed at the Walnut Valley Unified School District and is mainly for and from WVUSD students, anyone who supports this cause is welcome to sign it and show his or her support.