By Yvette Lin & Jessica Lu, Staff Writers
District plans new ethnic studies class
The district intends to offer a new semester-long ethnic studies class as an elective course at the high school. It plans to make the class a requirement for the graduating class of 2029-30, per Assembly Bill No. 101.
An ethnic studies committee will develop and edit the curriculum in the spring and fall of 2022 and recommend it to the Board of Education in the winter.
According to the California Department of Education, the ethnic studies model curriculum focuses on four foundation disciplines: Chicanx and Latinx, Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander studies. The focus on these disciplines is to allow students to learn about the history and contributions of these groups that are often marginalized in U.S. history courses.
“I think it’s important that we study this and know where we come from,” English teacher Vanessa Hadikusumah said. “Many students here come from a minority background and yet do not understand the bigger picture of how Americans perceive ethnic minorities. I hope that understanding, awareness and interest will develop from this class.”
WASC accreditation
A Western Association of Schools and Colleges committee virtually visited TCHS the week of Nov. 29. WASC covers accreditation for public schools in California and Hawaii every two to six years. All high schools and colleges in the U.S. must receive accreditation to issue valid transcripts.
Representatives from each department worked in focus groups to write sections of a collaborative report. The final report aims to self-evaluate, highlight campus activities, identify areas of improvement and ensure that activities are student-centered. To gain additional input, administrators surveyed students, staff and community members. The school also selected students for group interviews with the WASC committee.
“I felt like I was given a chance to voice my opinions about the school, whether it was good or bad,” senior Theint Lei said. “The WASC committee was very welcoming, and they genuinely wanted to know more about the school from a student’s perspective.”
Due to the pandemic, WASC postponed the accreditation visit from Spring 2021 to Fall 2021. Although it usually sends in-person committees, officials conducted the visit remotely this year. WASC also encouraged teachers to submit five-minute videos of their classroom activities.
“It’s not the same, but we are doing our best to keep the process moving forward both authentically and as easily as possible,” social studies teacher Robyn Selders said. “At the end of the day, we all have things that we need to work on to make things even better, but what the WASC process has continued to show me is just how amazing all of our students are!”