Education Victory in Sweetwater District

This week, the Equality Alliance and our education allies celebrated a major victory! Over the last several years, the Equality Alliance has led a coalition effort to get school districts in the county to provide all students with the career and college prep curriculum known as the "A-G" course sequence. The A-G courses are rigorous courses that prepare students to pursue a degree at a community college or a university, which 7 out of 10 jobs now require. Currently, only 4 out 10 high school graduates in the county complete the 15 courses that make up the A-G sequence, and access to the courses varies significantly among high schools. But that is changing.  On Monday, the Sweetwater Union High School District voted 5-0 to align the district's graduation requirements with the A-G course sequence. We congratulate the school board on its leadership and commitment to prepare all students for the 21st century! The new requirements will go into effect beginning with the Class of 2016, this year's 8th graders. Students who have individual learning plans due to special learning challenges will be exempted on a case by case basis. Sweetwater is the second school district in the county, after San Diego Unified, to adopt the A-G course sequence into its graduation requirements. San Diego Unified did so this past spring. Together these two districts are setting a new standard for area students and have taken a significant step to close the achievement gap and better meet the workforce needs of the region and state. Read coverage of the Sweetwater vote in the Union Tribune. Learn more about our effort to prepare all students for the 21st century at our website, www.educatesandiego.org.