Teachers and students have a reputation to live up to, especially in the areas of performance tests. Performance tests include the FCAT, AP and AICE tests, as well as the SAT and ACT. In order to make our school look like an excelling and improving school year after year, students need to take advantage of these tests and take them seriously. When students do not take their classes seriously or ignore their teachers, it affects our school in a negative way.

When in College Board’s Advanced Placement classes, some students do not take the program with the highest sincerity because of the common claim that “they put me in here.” First, who is “they?” Secondly, why do students state that they were put in the class? There is no reason why any student in those classes, who claim that they were not willingly placed there, cannot work to the level of the students who are “supposed” to be in those classes.

Even though certain groups of students might not admit it, Mandarin is one of the best high schools in the city. Therefore, for us to keep our high status, all of us must try to live up to our title and maybe even become higher in our stance.

In order to possess a more positive attitude, we must all get over the fact that “they” didn’t do anything bad. Last year, former Superintendent Joseph Wise required to have a 200% increase in AP enrollment in Duval County high schools. Subsequently, many students were forced into AP classes that they had not selected to take the previous year. However, “they” no longer do that since we have a new superintendent and one on is to blame for being in classes that they did not choose.

Basically, we all need to work harder. The student body can attempt to claim Mandarin as a top school once we notice great improvement in our AP, AICE, and FCAT scores and passing rates. This will allow everyone to show their excellence and allow Mandarin to be seen as one of the top schools that colleges select their incoming freshmen from.