Recent Grads Offer Their Views on What's Right and Wrong With Their SLO County Alma Maters

BY JILLIAN WIEDA and GRAHAM HAWORTH

We hear a lot about education in California these days. Politicians always seem to be bragging about their goals of improving education, school shootings spur debates about safety and the psychological well-being of kids, test results are analyzed for insights into whether students are learning anything.

The media like to quote politicians, school board members, teachers, administrators, and occasionally parents–but rarely students. Where do the students’ opinions fit into all of this? After all, graduating high school seniors have up to 13 years of educational experience fresh under their belts. They must have something to say.

So, for our annual back to school issue, we crawled out of our offices here at New Times to listen to what a few very recent high school grads had to say. A lot of them are off to college in a few weeks, so they weren't afraid to speak their minds. And it wasn't all flaming. Most thought their high schools did a good job but could be better.

Here's a look at what a handful of Y2K graduates from across SLO County had to say about their high school experiences.

Morro Bay High School

Although Kathryn Wetzel describes herself as an "average person," her classmates apparently thought otherwise. Voted best personality and best sense of humor in her senior class, Wetzel still describes high school as most students do–as not a choice.

"It was something I had to do, but I figured I might as well make the most of it," Wetzel said. "I tried to make it as fun as possible, and I had fun."

Wetzel played soccer and tennis and ran track, and was a frequent honor-roll student. The best thing about Morro Bay High School, according to Wetzel, was its location. There are, however, some disadvantages to having a high school in such a laid-back beach community, she said.

"Very few people get out of Morro Bay, they get way too comfortable," Anderson said. "It’s a good place to raise a family but I think you need to get out before you come back."

Morro Bay High students were really laid back, too.

"There are no cliques, because we’ve all grown up with each other," Anderson said. "Everyone is themselves and you just hang out with people you like."

Although she feels a good number of fellow graduates will be very successful, she said another drawback to being a student in an oceanside location was the lack of any motivation to be exposed to new places and things.

"There’s no pressure to be anything. Everyone thinks there’s nothing more to see, so many just stay, work, and surf," Wetzel said. "For me, it’s time to move on."

Leaving Morro Bay High means moving to Utah, where Wetzel will be attending Utah Valley State College in the fall.

"Morro Bay High should try to make high school more of a transition to college," Wetzel said. "We’re getting to the point where we shouldn’t be treated like little kids."

Wetzel said that Morro Bay High enforced too many trivial rules, and had hall monitors.

"They should concentrate on teaching us and not baby-sitting us. It’s way out of whack." Wetzel said. "With so many rules, some kids almost deliberately want to break them."

When students didn’t take their studies seriously, according to Wetzel, teachers were forced to take disciplinary action–but they did a good job. She said that senior year she decided to take more challenging courses than she had previously.

"I was lucky to have good teachers who pushed me," Wetzel said. "At first you freak out, then you feel like you really accomplished something and are ready for college."

Wetzel said high school is a time to learn about yourself and discover what you’re capable of.

"Start out with the attitude [you’re going] to succeed and learn as much as you can, but don’t freak yourself out," she said. "Just don’t overdo it either way."

At Morro Bay High, Wetzel never felt like just another face in the crowd.

"You don’t have to be a part of one group or be popular, people will see who you are and anyone can stand out," Wetzel said.

Still, coming from a small high school where everyone knew each other, college will take some getting used to. Utah Valley State College has over 20,000 students.

"Luckily, I think college will sift people out so you’ll be with people who want to learn and be something." Wetzel said. "It better be fun."

Even though she is ready to be out of Morro Bay High School, she thinks that’s the way it should be.

"The high school is not doing its job if you don’t experience ‘senioritis,’ " Wetzel said. "It just means you’re ready for bigger and better things. It’s up to me now. I’ve been there, done that and I’m ready for more."

Arroyo Grande High School and Paso Robles High School

Having spent half his high school years on one side of the county and half on the other, Matt Kuhns has an unusual perspective. The 2000 graduate of Arroyo Grande High spent his freshman and sophomore years at Paso Robles High.

Kuhns preferred the last two; in fact, he calls his years at AG High, "two of the best years of my life."

One of over 500 graduates, Kuhns participated in the highly regarded Arroyo drama, speech, and debate teams. He liked the fact that although there were some cliques, almost everyone got along.

"It was so big that everyone had their own thing," Kuhns said. "I liked the fact that no one really cared what you did."

He also liked AG High’s cultural diversity.

"AG High is the Five Cities and Nipomo all going to one school," Kuhns said. "You get all different social and financial backgrounds."

The school has responded to having a sizable and diverse student body by offering a wide variety of classes, giving all types of students an opportunity to fit in.

"Everyone had a venue to do what they wanted–there was no way for someone to get bored," Kuhns said.

Even with so many programs and activities, some students missed out.

"There were so many resources and probably half of them weren’t used," Kuhns said. "It was partially not knowing about [them], and partially not caring."

Kuhns suggested hiring more counselors to direct students, so more campus resources would be taken advantage of. "If there were fewer students per counselor, they could help more students and guide them into seeking out help themselves."

If he had any problem with the Arroyo Grande High, it came from the power that some students seemed to have over teachers .

"It seemed that the teachers got in trouble for pushing the students," Kuhns said. "The student would complain but it only makes them better in the end."

Kuhns said the teachers always prepared the students well for their exams.

"It was never ‘here’s the classwork and here’s the homework’; teachers knew each student’s capabilities and made you do the best you could. Academically, it’s one of the best high schools around.

"The teachers work so hard and get paid so minimally for what they do. They pushed us really hard. It made me rise to their expectations."

Kuhns described AG High as "pretty liberal," a place where a diversity of people respected each other’s opinions even if they disagreed.

And his two years at Paso Robles High School?

"The school was fun but more based around sports. It was smaller, with not as many things to do," Kuhns said. "There weren’t as many opportunities for students."

He admits some of the problems he had with Paso Robles High might have been his own. "It’s hard for me to say, because at that point I was changing–the teachers were trying to push me but I wasn’t trying at all."

Kuhns said there were a lot more cliques at Paso Robles High than at AG High.

"There were the popular kids and then everybody else," Kuhns said. "There were more rumors and it was more snobbish."

At Paso Robles High, Kuhns was a member of the peer communication team, which put on workshops to teach students the consequences of using drugs and other risky activities.

"I learned not to be hypocritical," Kuhns said. "You can’t tell people not to do drugs and then go home and smoke a joint."

Kuhns will be studying political science and communications at Hancock College this fall. He has high expectations for college. "I definitely feel well prepared for college, because the teachers made it feel like college before we even left," Kuhns said. "They showed us that college is going to push you to your limits."

Kuhns said he was happy with the large number of advanced placement classes offered upperclassmen and the honors classes offered to underclassmen. A highlight for him, Kuhns said, was integrated classes like history and English, in which students learned about the same historical period in two classes through readings and assignments.

Kuhns said he felt the wide variety of courses made classwork interesting. His favorites were speech, drama, theater, debate, and choir.

"My [advanced placement] government teacher was also really good because she was so knowledgeable," Kuhns said. "She would always switch sides, one day she was Republican, one day Democrat and one day moderate. You never knew what direction the discussion would take."

Kuhns hopes the challenges of college will meet his high expectations.

"I didn’t think anything was better than high school," Kuhns said. "If college is better than high school, it will be superb."

Hands On Parenting Education (HOPE)

Janell LeMay has seen a few changes in her life. Only two years ago she was the popular girl who everyone liked–the head cheerleader and social queen at her high school in Tulare. Now she lives in Grover Beach with her 19-month-old baby girl, and works a good job at the Blade Runner Day Spa in San Luis Obispo. Next to Madison, her baby, Janell is most proud of her high school diploma.

She has ambitions to be a child psychologist, and as she sits and talks, she comes across as a 20-something businesswoman who has her act together. This week Janell celebrates her 18th birthday.

"I'm very proud of myself," said LeMay, the pride manifesting itself in a beaming smile. "I feel a lot older than most girls my age."

LeMay and her family moved to the Central Coast during her junior year at high school in Tulare, in the Central Valley, shortly after she found out she was pregnant. She came here looking for a high school that would allow her to lead a double life as student and single working mom. She found the Hands On Parenting Education (HOPE) program at Lopez Continuation High School. (Despite holding its classes at Lopez, HOPE was technically an extension of Arroyo Grande High School. LeMay never set foot on the AG campus. Starting in September, HOPE will become a part of Lopez High.)

"I chose HOPE because it let me be around other high school girls who were either pregnant or already had a baby," said LeMay. HOPE also allowed her some flexibility in her schedule. Often, LeMay stopped by class only a couple of times a week to hand in completed assignments and collect new ones.

"I didn't go to school every day, but anytime I could go, I would," said LeMay. "HOPE really worked around my schedule."

HOPE was started only a year ago by 26-year-old Rachel Pompano. She moved to San Luis Obispo in July 1998 after receiving a master's degree in special education at George Washington University. Pompano had been working in the Lucia Mar School District for a year previous to starting the HOPE program, mostly teaching drug and alcohol prevention. She wanted her own classroom, though, and when the opportunity arose to create a program for teenage moms, Pompano jumped at it. HOPE was created, and Janell LeMay was one of the first students to sign up.

Thanks to a lot of sweat and hard work, LeMay managed to graduate three months early. Although she wants to go to college to study child psychology, she’s taking the next year off to work and save money–and to be a mom for Madison. She says she's excited about starting her life with baby Madison.

"I want to be there for all the 'first time' moments," said LeMay. "Twenty years from now, when Madison asks me where I was when she took her first step or when she said her first sentence, I want to say that I was standing right next to her, not at work or school."

Despite giving HOPE a raving review, LeMay did mention one suggestion for improving it. She said a lot of girls find it hard to get to school. Very few of them have cars, and some aren't old enough to drive anyway. None of them want to take their babies on the bus either; there aren't any seat belts, and the moms are concerned for their babies' safety. LeMay suggested some kind of special HOPE bus for the student moms and their babies.

Although sometimes she regrets having missed out on a "normal" high school life, LeMay wouldn't trade Madison for anything. Now that she's graduated from high school, she has some words of advice for teen moms trying to get their diploma.

"Take all the help you can get," she said. "Don't be stubborn. When I first got pregnant, I thought that I would do the whole thing by myself. I refused help sometimes. But you can't do everything. Listen to other people, and take help whenever it's offered."

San Luis Obispo High School

In the classic John Hughes movie "The Breakfast Club" high school is reduced to its basic elements: the jock, the delinquent, the beauty queen, the nerd, the outcast. High school can’t really be like that, can it? Well, according to a couple of San Luis Obispo High School grads, art does imitate life.

Todd McQuade and Holly Stevenson are both Y2K graduates from SLO High. While they had few complaints about the teachers and the quality of education at SLO High, they did have quite a bit to say about the school’s social atmosphere.

"It’s like a movie," said Stevenson. "Kids here have a reputation of being stuck-up, and I guess that’s partly true. There’s a lot of cliques here."

Part of the reason for the cliquish atmosphere may be the high school’s location at the economic and urban center of the county. There’s always been money in San Luis Obispo, but there’s never been much diversity.

"SLO High is more privileged and less diverse than other high schools around here, but with the population of the town, that’s where you have to draw from," said McQuade. "It’s probably the most stereotypical high school in the area."

Stevenson made it a point to be part of a number of groups on campus; she was a member of the swim team her entire high school career, and was also involved with the volleyball team and the cheerleading squad. Being involved with more than one crowd enabled her to have friends in different groups.

"I didn’t just hang out with one group of people," said Stevenson. "Why would you want to hang out with the same people all the time? It gets boring."

McQuade has a slightly different take on things. He described himself as "totally uninvolved" with most school activities outside of academics, although he did write for the school paper, and he did some peer counseling. McQuade, who is spending this summer studying dance in the wilds of South America, said he would have liked to see more classes in the arts offered at SLO High.

One thing McQuade said he realized is that high school is only the beginning of a long road of life.

"I learned that high school is all about jumping through hoops," said McQuade. "If there’s any advice I have, it’s just to survive–because there really is something at the end."

For a lot of students at SLO High, graduation is something that just kind of happens without a whole lot of work, according to McQuade. He said that students in general are working just enough to get through to the end. Stevenson echoed this apathy.

Perhaps the one thing SLO High needs the most are teachers who can motivate as well as educate. "In high school, everyone tries to get around everything they do," she said. "I just wanted to get through it all."

McQuade is off to the University of California at Berkeley in the fall. "For me, graduation is a launching point and I’m so much more excited [about] the next step. From here on, I can make the choices."

Stevenson also sees value in leaving for college after graduation. Having lived in San Luis Obispo her whole life, she’s ready for something new.

"Everyone stays here in SLO forever," said Stevenson. "It seems like half the school goes to Cuesta. It’s important to meet new people. When I go to college, I won’t know anybody at first, and that’s good."

Still, Stevenson knows the beauty of San Luis Obispo; this place has been home for so long, it’s natural to want to return here somewhere down the road. "I’ll probably come back someday," she said. "I’d rather start a family here than in Los Angeles."

Pacific Beach Continuation High School

Tracy Anderson only spent one year at Pacific Beach High School; she graduated this year. In fact, she finished early and received a $750 scholarship from a local service organization. She said that at Pacific Beach, she felt special.

Pacific Beach is a small school, and in a class of only 24 graduates everyone is special. Unfortunately, when people think of a continuation school, they envision halls full of problem kids. That’s not necessarily how it works.

Formerly a student at San Luis Obispo High School, Anderson made the switch when her parents felt she was getting lost in the crowd.

"At SLO High, you have to be on the pep squad, a sports team, the chess club ,or a Christian club to be accepted as a student," said Anderson. "If not, you’re just another kid in the class, and you have to be noticed to be taken care of."

Calling the SLO High "really preppy," Anderson said that the high school was more concerned with the students’ attendance than the students themselves.

Pacific Beach High School, on the other hand, in part because of its small class size, is big on accountability. There are fewer cracks for students to fall through.

"Pacific Beach helps kids who couldn’t get help in other schools" Anderson said. "That school has so much more to it."

Pacific Beach High School schedules students for half-days, either morning or afternoon sessions, and grades are given every six weeks. The schedule allows students who work or who have family obligations to attend classes during set hours, without being punished for bad attendance.

"At San Luis High, they don’t respect students as people who have jobs and families," Anderson said. "They look at you as an adolescent who should focus on education." Detentions and tutoring are held after school at SLO High, which is not possible for students who have jobs or family business to take care of, Anderson said.

"I had to be at home after school to take care of my premature brother so my mom could go to work," Anderson said. "They didn’t understand that I had family obligations, my parents had to work."

Students at SLO High lose class points for absences even if they are getting their work done, Anderson said.

"Teachers look at it as the student doesn’t like their class, or just doesn’t understand, and they take it personally," Anderson said.

"Teachers think of you as just another kid to fail their class and it was really upsetting that none of the teachers would put in the effort."

Pacific Beach High School keeps its numbers low to allow more interaction and personal attention, Anderson said.

"Pacific Beach High School takes care of every student and helps everyone as much they can," Anderson said. "It looks at every student, not the student body."

With about 80 students in the entire school, Pacific Beach teachers can offer more one-on-one attention to students, she said.

"SLO High should stop paying so much attention to all the clubs and sports and give more to the students," Anderson said.

Sometimes small class sizes have disadvantages.

"I would have liked a debate class but there weren’t enough people to do that," Anderson said of Pacific Beach. "In the theater class there weren’t enough people signed up so everyone had to play multiple parts. Once I played Lady Macbeth, was an extra in one scene, and did costuming and make-up. I was also the co-editor of the yearbook and there were only three people working on it."

Anderson said that more teachers are needed to increase the number of classes Pacific Beach offers each term.

"Some teachers had so many classes and they couldn’t teach every class all the time, so students sometimes had to wait to get the credits," Anderson said.

The classes that were offered prepared her for college by enforcing strict homework rules, refusing to accept assignments turned in late, no half-credit–and by teaching such skills as note-taking and studying in groups.

"We were in an easier environment because there weren’t as many kids; but having such strict rules, we always did our homework," Anderson said.

The only major problem she found at Pacific Beach was the low budget.

"We had as much as we could get on the budget we had," Anderson said. "It was never really enough because we were always running out of materials."

According to Anderson, when the art department ran out of paints halfway through the year, one of the teachers bought the students more. She said the school didn’t have enough computer paper, so handouts were printed on colored paper to cut costs.

"Some books we could only use in class or teachers would photocopy certain pages for us," Anderson said. "Our librarian had a small budget so we’d get a lot of used books."

At Pacific Beach High School’s graduation ceremony, teachers gave a two- to three-minute speech about each student.

"It made the graduation seem more personal, it made you remember it more," Anderson said. "If students couldn’t afford a cap and gown, the teacher would buy it for you."

"Teachers at Pacific Beach didn’t look at us as teens, they looked at us as adults," Anderson said. "The students there feel so respected that they don’t need to rebel. Teachers give you the power and no one abuses it because we respect our teachers," Anderson said. "They didn’t go straight to your parents and get you in trouble; if there was a concern, they talked to you first."

Anderson felt there weren’t enough scholarships available to students at SLO High or Pacific Beach. (According to SLO High, a packet listing 35—40 local scholarships is made available to seniors at both schools each year, but only about 80 seniors apply for them.)

"SLO High doesn’t push you toward college. It just focuses on the kids who seem like college material," Anderson said.

Anderson will attend college–she’s already enrolled at Cuesta, where she’ll major in child development. Although she was scared to leave her high school friends, the change of social scene was welcomed.

"At SLO High, there was a lot of hatred amongst students," Anderson said. "There were a lot of cliques, but just because you dress a certain way doesn’t mean that’s how you are 24/7. At Pacific Beach, if there was ever a problem we just talked it out. There were a lot of apologies, not grudges. Nobody ever hated anyone at that school."

After just one year at Pacific Beach, Anderson was taking school seriously. "The school itself was so high-spirited there was nothing I’d change," Anderson said. "We got to meet everyone, it was great because everyone was friends and knew each other’s names."

According to Anderson, although the two high schools were very different, they both taught her valuable lessons. "Never judge anyone by how they hold themselves up; a lot of people just put on a face for others because they’re scared," Anderson said. "Get to know them before you judge them, then you know who they really are. That’s a big thing I learned from both schools." Æ

Jillian Wieda and Graham Haworth are New Times interns .