Senior ditch day has been a high school tradition for generations, however some students decided to skip the fun

“He’s too intense, man,” said Jim Tinker, referring to the harsh consequences John Baker threatened to impose on his students for participating in senior ditch day.

Baker warned his AP classes in the beginning of the year that if they were to plan a senior ditch day before the AP tests, that there would be dire ramifications. As the year dragged on and seniors became more impatient, they planned a Jan 17 ditch day, which is, of course, before AP tests.

Baker, frustrated with how the seniors were organizing senior skip day, said, “I’m realistic and understand that seniors want to enjoy their senior year and feel entitled to participate in certain senior year traditions…[however] this tradition has been abused by the past few senior classes, extending ‘senior ditch day’ to include many ‘senior ditch days.’ As a teacher this is frustrating. As a teacher who is responsible for teaching an impossible amount of coursework and being accountable for it with AP test results is maddening.”

Because of all the furlough days and the late start of the year, Baker is responsible for teaching his students a large amount of material in a small amount of time. He said if they participated in the ditching, they would be required write a 4-6 page paper.

On the day of Jan 17, all his students were present (with the exception of two students with serious illnesses). Baker, who is committed to teaching his kids all the material necessary to pass the AP tests, says “that’s a testament to how much my students value our class time.”

The absences affect more than test results. The district loses a large sum of money, $44 for every absence. Multiplied by 500 students, it can put a significant dent in attendance revenue granted to CUSD by the state.

Although it may seem to many that Baker is taking the matter too seriously, he “put[s] a lot of work into maximizing every minute of a class period to make sure it is meaningful to [his] students.”

When I was first researching information to write this article I was frustrated, as I’m sure many others were, that a teacher was going out of his way to try and prevent his students from participating in a senior tradition.

However, after reading a powerful testimony from Baker and his viewpoint on the issue, I have come to sympathize with the teachers and their frustration with ditching.