PUSD’s Board of Education is considering changes to graduation requirements and the process for adding and removing classes from the curriculum.
Health teacher Lael McAuliffe said a workshop was held on Sept. 26 with Superintendent Jennifer Hawn, Assistant Superintendent Ariel Dolowich, and the five board members.
“It was about course selections and the budget, and what courses should be offered in the context of declining enrollment and class sizes,” McAuliffe said. “And a desire to expand offerings of different classes, which may or may not be a desire to add more AP courses and offerings.”
Association of Piedmont Teachers President Elise Marks also attended the meeting.
“The purpose [of the workshop] was to talk about a clearer process for deciding when to add new courses, what new courses to add, and when to choose not to offer certain courses that have traditionally been taught,” Marks said.
Marks said there had previously been a two-year process to determine course changes.
“There was a two-year process where it would go to review by the committee of department chairs, where they really think about, how does this fit in with our master schedule? How does this fit in with our graduation profile, with what we want our students to know and learn and be capable of before they leave?” Marks said. “This school board and this current superintendent have basically said they don’t want teachers to be directly involved in the process anymore and that the board will make these decisions.”
McAuliffe said the board is considering eliminating the requirement for Ethnic Studies, Computer Science, and Health.
Marks said that, despite Ethnic Studies and Health being state graduation requirements, there are workarounds.
“Ethnic studies was supposed to become a state graduation requirement in the next couple of years, but because the state is not funding it, it allowed a loophole that said that if the state is not providing funding, districts do not have to run Ethnic Studies,” Marks said. “Health has
standards that have to be met, but they can be put into other classes, but not easily. [The school board] seems to be assuming that they can just sort of drop it into PE and Academy standards.”
Marks and McAuliffe expressed concern that students would not receive a Health class.
“Teachers are really concerned about students not getting that material,” Marks said. We really feel for the physical and mental health of our students and for their ability to become fully functional adults and take care of themselves and have good relationships with others. It’s an important class.”
Additionally, Marks said a major reason the board cited for removing these classes was to make room for more AP classes, specifically AP World History for sophomores.
“[Teachers] are very concerned about this rush to add more APs, especially since the argument with Health and Ethnic Studies is that it’s a fiscal issue that we can’t afford to be running these classes, but if we replace them with a bunch of AP classes, we’re not going to save any money,” Marks said.
McAuliffe said she was also concerned with the scheduling of the workshop. She said she and other teachers were not properly informed of it beforehand and that it was held in the middle of the school day, making it difficult for students and teachers to attend.
“I think they’re pushing for decisions without asking students, without asking teachers, without asking the councils,” she said.
Marks said she was also concerned about the board’s lack of effort to gather teacher opinions. She said the board is using results from a recent Healthy Kids Survey and other data too much.
“[Teachers] are the ones who really have a good sense of what kids can handle, what they can’t handle and how stressed out they are,” Marks said. “The survey results are better, and that’s great, but it doesn’t give a complete picture.”
Marks said this topic will be discussed further at the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.
According to a message sent out by Superintendent Jennifer Hawn, students are also invited to attend the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Meeting during lunch on Tuesday, in the PUSD District Board Room, located on the first floor of the 40s building. Lunch will be provided, but students have to sign up at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvDM2l5QuO4GsH4MxpZAHvSuMCSxxaoBotQNdPIi2uFc_gNg/viewform
