Monica Floyd is an editorial writer at Skyline High School in Oakland, Calif.
June 3, 2011
When faced with the challenge of restructuring a school based on the needs of a diverse crowd, one has to dig below the surface. When Skyline Principal Troy E. Johnston announced his “pathways” plan earlier this year, the outcry was immense. But the complaints did not address the ultimate question: would the plan be beneficial to future students?
The pathways plan creates a system where students are put in a position to make sizeable decisions about what they study, a decision that’s challenging even to college students.
However, the plan has leeway, allowing students to transfer out of their “pathways” at an early stage, and even to follow two pathways. Yet it does raise the question of whether it’s a good idea to push students into an unknown future so early.
To the student who enjoys creating music, playing basketball, and coming up with new ways to teach others how to protect the environment, choosing between the academies available at Skyline — Computer Science and Technology, Architecture and Graphic Design, Education, or Performing Arts — is a daunting task. Now is the time when students should be pushing themselves to experience what’s around them, not limiting themselves to someone else’s scripted agenda.
And what about the student who isn’t going to go to college after high school? If we provide an Education Academy to those students who plan to major in early childhood education, shouldn’t we also have a vocational pathway for those who plan to work right after graduation? These students cannot be forgotten.
But while students and parents can shake their heads and accuse the school of excluding these students, they are just as guilty of making the same mistake. The heart of the pathways program is to help those students who don’t have options. And honestly, isn’t that who we should be trying to help?
Since when is it that it’s the Advanced Placement students who need motivation? To argue that school districts should cater to the top 5 percent of every class is the same as organizing tax code around the richest people in the country. Come what may, 4.0-plus students will not slip through the cracks.
But to those students who rarely get to make decisions for themselves, a pathway will not only offer new opportunities: it will provide them a support system along the way. And to some, it might be the only form of support they have.
So when faced with this change, instead of dramatically jumping to conclusions, and pulling your student out of Skyline, consider the reality. Skyline continues to be one of the top public high schools in Oakland, despite the budget cuts, obstacles and hardships. And as it develops more, it is more likely to provide your student with more opportunities than the schools that rest on their laurels or remain content with mediocrity.
It comes down to the question: who is Skyline going to cater to, the self-motivated students or the students with no other options?
In reality, in the past few years, the administration hasn’t been successfully catering to either group. And this plan seems like a step in the right direction.
The school needs the support of everyone so that eventually the education Skyline provides can be beneficial to all. Haven’t the other students sacrificed enough already?
After four years, someone is finally moving in a new direction and switching things up. And while some may call it an experiment on the students, it seems to us that it is a very necessary experiment, and one with a good chance of working out positively.
While it is only natural to be afraid of the changes, one shouldn’t lose sight of what the school’s history is and what the future could be. While criticism is inevitable among parents and students, it’s important for these people to keep in mind what they are actually criticizing: a plan to improve an entire generation’s future.
Let’s take a new path and improve high school for everyone.
This editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Skyline Oracle staff and not necessarily the view of the Oaktown Teen Times. It was written by student Monica Floyd.
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