The following is a letter sent to PUSD School Board members and Superintendent Jennifer Hawn
Following last week’s PHS parent club meeting and our discussion about Piedmont High’s course offerings, I wanted to reach out with some feedback and ideas. First, thank you for continuing this important conversation, beginning with the recent Board Workshop, Dr. Hawn’s comments and thoughts in her bi-weekly Pulse updates, and for inviting feedback from the parent community.
I’m excited by the opportunity for PUSD to evaluate the current PHS course catalog, particularly regarding the options available to freshmen and sophomores.
At present, there is a clear gap in differentiation opportunities for underclassmen — particularly in the humanities. Students may accelerate in math starting in 6th grade (via compression math) and can access advanced science courses as sophomores (via AP Computer Science), yet there are no advanced humanities options at PHS until junior year. Why is that, and is that fair?
With this in mind, I would like to revisit two ideas that have been circulated in the recent past:
- Offer AP European History for 10th graders. Since all sophomores are already required to take World History, opening 1–2 AP European History sections alongside these would provide a strong academic choice for students without necessarily increasing the total number of AP participants and causing scheduling issues. Many 10th graders currently take AP Computer Science simply because it is the only AP option available to them, not necessarily out of deep interest. I understand AP European History was once offered at PHS—could we consider reinstating it?
- Add Honors English sections for 10th grade (and possibly 9th grade). Students seeking more of a challenge in non-STEM classes would be engaged with more rigorous coursework earlier in their high school career, giving motivated students the opportunity to develop advanced analytical and writing skills in greater depth. It would also ideally build a stronger foundation in preparation for 11th and 12th grade advanced English courses.
I know that expanding the number of AP and Honors classes at PHS is a hot topic and generates a lot of debate. That said, these changes would bring balance to the academic program, across the four years, bringing the humanities pathways into alignment with the math and science ones, ensuring that students with strengths in humanities aren’t left without advanced options during their crucial early high school years.
I’m grateful for your openness to community input and look forward to continued progress on this front.