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Teachers and parents urge review of dual‑enrollment agreement; board pulls item for May meeting
Summary
Teachers, the teachers' association and parents raised concerns that dual‑enrollment courses with the community college may duplicate high‑school offerings, lack clear dispute procedures, and enable students to avoid on‑campus courses. The board removed the dual‑enrollment consent item and directed staff to prepare a fuller report for the May meeting.
Multiple speakers at the Tehachapi Unified board meeting on April 14 urged trustees to pause and review the district's dual‑enrollment pathway with the local community college.
Val Bowman, president of the teachers' association (TAT), told trustees that teachers were notified of a roughly 12% increase in health‑benefit premiums for 2026–27 and said the looming costs increase the stakes of bargaining. Bowman also raised concerns about dual enrollment, saying classroom teachers lack clarity and administrative support when disputes arise and that some courses may duplicate high‑school offerings.
"The community college cannot grant credit for a course that substantially duplicates instruction already available at the student's high school," Bowman said, and added that dual‑enrollment teachers sometimes 'sit in this gray area where TUSD says it’s a Sarakoso problem and Sarakoso says those are high‑school students.'
Roger Oxford, a teacher at the high school, asked the board to remove both the dual‑enrollment renewal and an Edmentum contract from the consent agenda because of limited evaluation and unclear policies for plagiarism and grade review: "I urge the board to remove both of these items from the consent agenda and give them the dedicated consideration that they and our students deserve."
Ned Mayo, a teacher and parent, said dual enrollment can be a positive option but warned it is sometimes being used by students to avoid on‑campus classes, weakening school culture and risking lower‑rigor course choices. He asked the district, board and TAT to craft a 'thoughtout, guided, structured system' to govern the pathway.
In response, trustees agreed to remove the dual‑enrollment consent item (item 6) and one other consent item from tonight's vote and asked staff to prepare materials for the May meeting. The board recorded approval of the consent agenda with items 5 and 6 removed; the district will coordinate with the community college and present options and documentation at the May 12 meeting.
