Twin Rivers trustees hear hours-long debate over Edgenuity credit-recovery program

The Twin Rivers Unified School District board on Tuesday heard an extensive presentation and hours of public testimony about Edgenuity, the district—s online platform used largely for credit recovery, and debated whether the district is relying too heavily on an automated curriculum.

District officials said the platform is used at multiple high schools primarily to help students retake and complete courses they previously failed, and noted recent changes intended to curb academic dishonesty. "We implemented proctoring and attendance requirements and restricted post‑tests to on‑site testing," said Travis Burke, the district—s executive director of special projects and equity, describing recent technical and protocol changes. He added that the platform provides analytics and an updated interface (EdgeX) intended to improve teacher monitoring.

The presentation included site-level perspectives from counselors and teachers who credited Edgenuity with helping students graduate. "Edgenuity has really helped me a lot because I had to make up a couple classes," one student said. CTE teacher Dennis Weaver told the board: "There are smart kids who will game the system, but we find the ways to fix the system. This year the students cannot utilize this system unless they're in a classroom with me or that teacher." Several counselors and principals said the platform offers a practical option for students with work or family obligations.

But several teachers and trustees raised sharp concerns about whether the program has been used as curriculum rather than only for credit recovery, and whether its broad use masks problems in classroom instruction. "I truly believe our graduation rates are not accurate because of Edgenuity," Trustee Baker said, emphasizing the need for verification. Other trustees called for concrete metrics: how many students are full‑time on Edgenuity versus completing a single make‑up course, grade distributions, and college enrollment outcomes for students who used the platform.

Public speakers and some classroom teachers recounted past instances of misuse and urged more oversight; trustees asked the administration to include teachers who raised concerns in any follow‑up work. District staff said they would provide additional data and recommended benchmarks and monitoring plans for the fall. Superintendent Dr. Martinez, at one point defending staff and the program, said: "As long as I—m superintendent of this district, I will fight day in and day out for our kids," and apologized for a later heated tone while reiterating that staff have been responsive to concerns and that changes were implemented.

The board did not take formal action to end or expand Edgenuity but requested further metrics and a plan for benchmarks and monitoring that include input from teachers who reported problems.