STOCKTON -- Johnny Trinh is the ethnic studies teacher at Cesar Chavez High School on the north side of Stockton.
With almost a decade of teaching under his belt, he knows the importance of the class he teaches.
"I think a lot of people assume that we're just teaching them like all the bad things that have happened to people of color and queer folks and women throughout time," Trinh explained. "It's not just that. We teach hope like people fought back and won, and they still face struggles, but they push through."
It's not just what he teaches that is necessary, but also who he is teaching.
"We're really trying to promote that we need to empathize for each other, regardless of race, regardless of gender and sexuality, that they should learn to understand each other's position," Trinh said.
Tuesday, the Stockton Unified School District Board of Education considered adding more courses to their growing Ethnic Studies curriculum.
One is an integrated English course, which means the district could take their state-required course, English 10, and pair it with what students are passionate about -- Ethnic Studies.
They'll also consider adding Asian American studies.
"I think something that's unique about Stockton is our diversity, and something that is unique here is that we're not just doing broad ethnic studies courses. We're actually doing very specific ethnic studies courses based on our student populations," said Michelle Rodriquez, the district's superintendent of schools. "What we're finding is that students are highly successful within those classes and that they're wanting more of them."
Stockton is considered one of the most diverse cities in the country, and students within the school district represent just that, making these courses all the more important for representation, adding to their ethnic study agenda, and the overall future of the city.
For the district and teachers, these courses are much bigger than what's just in the textbooks.
"I think they've just been taught this message of just how bad Stockton is all the time," Trinh continued. "We're trying to promote the positivity, that despite all the struggles they go through, that they can achieve more and but also that there's a history of this. They're not the first ones that have to try to achieve more despite circumstances."
"If we can get children to love a couple of periods within their day, then we know that they're going to come to school more frequently," Rodriguez added. "We know that they're going to be more successful and therefore graduate and also just be more prepared for our community."
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Stockton Unified considers adding more ethnic study courses )
Also on site :
- 'Law & Order's Mariska Hargitay Celebrates Landmark Accomplishment
- Will the US-China tariff deal avert a possible global trade war?
- Grammy-Winning Icon, 75, Is Unrecognizable in Throwback Birthday Post