May’s first two weeks— AP season— haunt students around America as they prepare for their toughest high school exams. Yet with all their scrambling, they forget very important people: their teachers. How do instructors feel about the AP exams?

On a broad scale, teachers are enthusiastic about the exams. Jay Matthews, who wrote for the Washington Post in 2021, reported that “a College Board survey of all AP teachers last summer found 80% wanted to return to the full exams,” reasoning that “the AP exams… motivate more work by both students and teachers.” Simply put, teachers believe that the exams promote student involvement. Since good exam scores give students a financial and educational edge, they want to do their best. Teachers are motivated to assist their students in achieving the best possible grade (and potentially a bonus for every high-scoring student).

Dr. White, the teacher of AP Language and Composition (or APLAC) at Wayne Valley, shares these same views. “‘What is measured is done,’” former President Reiss philosophized as Dr. White recalled. A test, in their opinion, promotes learning. Dr. White’s only issue with the AP exam appears during the three-consecutive essays portion. In total, students spend two hours and fifteen minutes writing on three challenging topics. Dr. White suggests that administrators add break periods in between essays to reduce the “endurance test”; many APLAC students would likely agree.

In AP courses, students don’t leave only with a final grade. They carry the skills they learn throughout the college hike, applying AP knowledge with every step. Wayne Valley thanks our AP teachers, and every teacher, for their hard work and dedication to their students.