Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum Update topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Arcadia High to add graphic novels and contemporary works to English 10; district says cost is lower than anthology option
Summary
Arcadia Unified presented an English 10 supplemental materials update that will add three graphic novels, The Glass Castle and The Nickel Boys to English 10 instruction; staff said the move modernizes content, preserves rigor and costs less than the anthology textbook option.
District staff presented an English 10 supplemental materials update May 12 explaining that Arcadia High English teachers reviewed traditional anthology textbooks and opted to supplement the course with five new works: three graphic novels, the memoir The Glass Castle and the novel The Nickel Boys. Staff emphasized the selection was intended to modernize texts while maintaining rigor and not to replace canonical works such as Shakespeare.
A teacher involved in the adoption said, "This isn't like replacing Shakespeare, it's just updating and modernizing what they're able to offer." The presenter noted that using these titles instead of an anthology would cost less than half per student and that the purchased books would be library-bound to last as long as textbooks.
Student representative Kylene Lynn spoke to classroom engagement and reported positive reactions to The Glass Castle from peers who had read it in honors-level classes. Board members generally supported bringing the materials back on consent for final approval and asked whether implementation would begin next year; staff confirmed the materials will be implemented in the coming school year.
