On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) Board met to discuss the mid-year update as semester two commences.
Numerous TUHSD parents addressed their desires and concerns regarding the new Ethnic Studies class that recently became required for all freshman students to take. As a result of the current conflicts in the Middle East, whether or not schools in the TUHSD should teach this class has been an ongoing debate. Parents and teachers have concerns about the school’s ability to learn about different cultures in a non-biased way that uplifts every student’s ethnic and cultural history. Board member Cynthia Roenisch explained that the ethnic studies class would replace world cultures and geography which is the current social studies class required for freshmen.
In addition to this, new information regarding the California Assessment of Students Performance and Progress (CAASPP) declared that English language arts and math scores have both grown along with the participation rate of students who are taking the CAASPP tests. Although these numbers have increased, the board still encourages students to take the CAASPP test and is working to improve student’s readiness for the tests.
Dean of Students Tyrone Robinson touched on students’ overall attendance, which has been improving. Procedures have been updated to improve these numbers. Class period absences are substantially higher than last semester, and the administration is working to understand why students miss single class periods more than full school days. To battle the increasing absence rates, a new private intervention space has been created for students who need a break while encouraging them to stay on campus. The new space allows students feeling anxious to deal with these struggles in school.

“We had this idea last year [where] we wanted [a] intervention space [for] students with high anxiety. [It is] any area for them to go for 15 to 20 minutes [instead of going] out to their cars. I can’t say anything bad about [the intervention space]. I love it [and I] am really proud of it,” Robinson said.
Dr. Barnaby Payne gave the mid-year update, highlighting that the failure rate at Redwood is partially less than two percent as a result of one-on-one check-ins for students who need more guidance. These sessions have had effective results, but the administration is still working on specific strategies to improve the support system for struggling students.
“Redwood has been instrumental in our ability to identify when students are struggling,” Payne said. “[We] customize interventions to determine whether a student is struggling academically, behaviorally and emotionally.”
Providing after-school tutoring opportunities with teachers has been reported to be successful, making a big difference for students academically.
The next regular TUHSD Board meeting will be held on Feb. 11, 2025, at 6 p.m.