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Students and parents urge Redwood City school board to restore advanced English classes at Kennedy Middle School
Summary
Students, parents and community members told the Redwood City School District board they want advanced English (ELA) coursework reinstated at Kennedy Middle School so high-achieving and multilingual learners can stay challenged and prepared for rigorous high-school courses.
At the April 2, 2025 meeting of the Redwood City School District Governing Board, a string of students and parents urged the board to reinstate advanced English (ELA) coursework at Kennedy Middle School so academically advanced and multilingual students can be challenged without leaving their neighborhood school.
Multiple fifth- and eighth-grade students spoke during the public-comment period. "I'm an online fifth grader... I really want to advocate for the advanced English learning at Kennedy Middle School," said Azil, who described how more challenging curriculum helps students aiming for careers such as piloting. Nia Seabberger, who said she was born in China and speaks Chinese at home, told trustees that limited family capacity to support English-language homework makes in-district advanced instruction critical: she warned that without it "there is a high chance that these students will not be able to have the skills that they need."
Other students and parents echoed those themes. Maple said a 672 I-Ready scale score placed them at the 92nd percentile nationally for eighth grade and argued the district risks losing students to private schools if Kennedy lacks advanced options. Alexis Velasquez, who said I-Ready results indicate readiness for eighth-grade instruction, asked the board to permit "anyone into these classes who feels up for the challenge." Greta, a Mandarin-immersion student at Orion, highlighted that many immersion families speak limited English at home and said advanced classes would let students keep language goals while facing suitable academic rigor.
Parent Luis Velasquez framed the debate around equity and opportunity. "Equity doesn't mean pulling people down, but elevating people up," he said, urging the board to reinstate advanced ELA at Kennedy so "kids like them are told to wait their turn." Community member Megan asked the district to expand advanced coursework districtwide and cited administrators she said could scale programs; she estimated reinstating advanced ELA at Kennedy would fill two classes per grade.
Board members did not take immediate action on a policy change at the meeting. The comments were received during oral communications and were followed later by unrelated agenda items, including the McKinley school presentation and a separate vote to authorize a feasibility study on a parcel-tax measure. Several trustees later praised the student speakers during the McKinley discussion and asked staff for data breakdowns that would inform program decisions.
The next steps for advanced-course offerings were not specified on the record; speakers urged the board to consider options that would allow interested students to enroll and to provide the resources needed to identify and sustain advanced coursework.
