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Longtime educator urges Spanish as priority second language, practical senior coursework
Summary
Steve Whiteman used public comment to praise board transparency, urge teaching Spanish as the district's primary second language and recommend offering practical senior‑year coursework (financial literacy, career readiness) and alternative classes for non‑college bound students.
In public comment, Steve Whiteman — introduced to the board as a longtime educator and author — praised the district’s transparency and urged the school to prioritize Spanish as the primary foreign language to better serve students' future job prospects. He said Spanish is the pragmatic choice for many local students and families and advocated for offering alternative senior‑year coursework focused on financial literacy and practical skills for students not pursuing college.
Whiteman suggested reinstating a senior seminar or required practical course and proposed schoolwide competitions and mentorship programs to build community ties and student engagement. Board members thanked him and discussed the value of career‑technical options and knowledge competitions in schools; trustees asked staff to keep CTE and language program offerings in mind during curricular planning.
