EDITORIAL: Prestige or Prejudice?

Editorial, Education
November 22, 2022
0 Comments

In a wealthy town like Andover, there is often pressure to go to a prestigious college. Whether it’s Andover’s proximity to Phillips Academy, family pressure, friends who take seventeen AP classes, or the general vibes, it often feels like in order to be considered a “smart” person you need to go into debt to attend a top ten college. You need to go to a prestigious school instead of prioritizing somewhere that would fit you better socially or financially. Many adults around you emphasize that where you go for your undergraduate degree is the be all end all of whether you will be successful in life.

State schools and especially community colleges get a bad reputation, but they are not bad schools and can have excellent programs. They also have a great program called “$30,000 a year tuition.” Community colleges are awesome—you can pay a manageable tuition for two years and save money for living at home. In 20 years, no employer will care where you got your associate’s degree. If you go to community college then transfer to a four-year state school, you can even receive special Massachusetts scholarships.

Instead of trying to get into a college that will probably cost a kidney, focus on going to a school that has awesome programs, is in a cool city, or wants to give you a huge scholarship. Or maybe you don’t want to go to college, which is also awesome! Go to trade school, which is probably the most economic choice.

Andoverview

EDITORIAL H-Blocked: Dead End Data

April 3, 2026

Andover High School introduced the H-block survey last month, asking students to report their plans at the start of each directed study period. According to Principal Jimmy D’Andrea, the goal is to maximize the academic benefits of the period and the data will be reviewed over the summer. Although a reasonable request, we at ANDOVERVIEW feel there are problems with the survey itself.

The options on the survey, as D’Andrea confirmed, are limited to what he called “allowable” options. Each option involves teacher participation except for the last one, the option for students to participate in a “learning activity aligned with a course or program of studies.” The options involving teacher participation include getting extra help, preparing for a test, making up an assessment, or working on a group project. We find the final option regarding a “learning activity” vague in its wording. However, it is the option we expect to be selected frequently by students, because completing homework appears to fit under that category. The survey does not state this explicitly, leaving many of us apathetic to completing the survey.

Of greater concern is that there is no way to determine whether students are using their H-blocks productively because all “allowable” options involve some form of learning time. An anonymous survey would allow for more honest responses and give the administration data that could inform them about how the period is spent. Although the data can differentiate between students who are working independently versus those seeking out teachers, it doesn’t account for those who are not using it effectively. (D’Andrea confirmed that the survey is intended for data collection, not as a behavioral nudge.)

We believe the H-block survey needs improvements to provide clarity for students in order for its data to be useful. A data collection effort that omits the most common categories of student behavior, both productive and otherwise, and that lacks clarity in its language, feels both impractical and eerily premeditated in its futility. Giving students latitude to be honest about how they are using their time would be far more useful to the administration if they want to find ways to protect the much-loved H-block and make it more productive for students and teachers alike. Until then, any conclusions drawn this summer should carry that limitation, because what the survey finds is inseparable from what it cannot.

EDITORIAL: Where is the Line Between Inspiration and Cheating?

March 30, 2026

At ANDOVERVIEW, we believe academic dishonesty is a notable issue. Students are often scared to ask teachers for help, don’t have time to complete the work, or are simply lazy, so they ask AI to do the work for them.

We do not exclude ourselves from this phenomenon. To our knowledge, ANDOVERVIEW has never allowed AI to change the truths that we report, but we know for certain that there have been drafts put forward by students for publication in the past years that have relied on AI. We acknowledge that the problem with AI usage is schoolwide (in fact, nationwide); now, as part of the student body, we want to raise awareness and help solve this problem.

Cheating causes an uneven playing field between those who use AI or cheat in any way, and those who do their work honestly. Academic dishonesty also hinders teachers’ ability to understand how much their students truly retain what is being taught.

We at ANDOVERVIEW believe that within each class at AHS, teachers need to provide a defined line between what constitutes cheating and learning.

Much of cheating today revolves around AI, and many teachers seem to have a different policy regarding it. Students must figure out which rules apply where. Academic integrity in one classroom may be considered a violation in another. Although a schoolwide policy is existent, it is lengthy while simultaneously being unclear at times. More specificity is necessary within the policy to ensure that coursework isn’t a stressful guessing game for students.

So, what are students to do? At ANDOVERVIEW we believe students who use sources for ideas—not as a replacement for their own work and effort—need a solid line to tell them if what they are doing is considered academic dishonesty. We need a policy, we need a line, and most importantly we need consistency.

Until that consistent line is drawn, students must recognize that if, in their eyes, an action comes anywhere near that blurry boundary, they should stop. Reflect on if it is truly worth it risking your reputation and potentially your future. If not, we urge you to choose a different path. Academic integrity starts with each individual student.

AHS NEWSPAPER

Or check our Popular Categories...

AHS NEWSPAPER

Or check our Popular Categories...

EDITORIAL: Prestige or Prejudice?

Like this: