By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Buffalo school students are getting a break from taking final exams. The only finals being offered in city schools this year are the state Regent's exams.
Some teachers say the "no finals" policy has led to a downturn in attendance. They say seniors who know they have sufficient grades to graduate are skipping the final days of classes.
But Schools Superintendent James Williams says final exams were eliminated because they did not test students on state standards. He says a new plan will be phased in over the next three years with exams that are aligned with the standards.
Williams says he thought there was strong support for the change.
"The teachers union supported it. Our Board of Regents supported it. Our commissioners supported it in Albany," Williams said. "I supported it because I recommended it."
But Buffalo Teachers Federation President Philip Rumore is now saying most of the teachers he's talked with think the "no finals" policy is a bad idea.