During the 2024-2025 school year, it was not uncommon to hear student conversations regarding their AP Human Geography (AP HuG) work for the week. However, due to the implementation of Ethnic Studies as a class requirement, AP HuG is down to just 35 students. Similarly, AP Language and Composition (AP Lang.) was available to both sophomores and juniors previous to the 24-25 school year, but now only accepts junior students.

The decision to replace World Geography and AP HuG with Ethnic Studies was one that people reluctantly agreed with. This hesitation stemmed from both attachment to the course as well as the newfound lack of preparation for future AP and IB paths. AP HuG and Ethnic Studies teacher Robert Tucker comments on his initial reaction to the decision.

“Finding out that ethnic studies essentially would be replacing geography was somewhat disheartening because this is my eleventh year [teaching] AP Human Geography. When you spend ten years doing something, you work to perfect it [and] get better at it. Because I have had really great success with my students–evident in their pass rates–I was bummed at first,” Tucker said.

However disheartening the decision may have been, there was reasoning behind it. The change in curriculum by the district suggests that the Ethnic Studies course is considered more valuable compared to Geography, despite the advantages of AP HuG. Tucker acknowledges this importance, as he has grown more comfortable with teaching Ethnic Studies. 

“I understand the implementation of Ethnic Studies. After teaching it now for more than half a semester I definitely [see] the value in the course,” Tucker said. “But, spending a decade teaching a course and then having to go [to] a completely new one is a challenge. I was hoping that we would still have as many periods of AP Human Geography, but because Ethnic Studies is required, I understand students saying ‘I am going to take Ethnic Studies because it is a requirement versus AP Human Geography being an elective.’”

Many students have been driven to choose Ethnic Studies instead of AP Human Geography for several reasons. However, there are still a  select few remaining in AP HuG. Among these students is freshman Alyssa Roberts, who comments on her decision to take AP HuG.

“I think that what we learn in AP HuG is very important for freshmen to learn. AP HuG gives a bigger perspective [than Ethnic Studies.] We learn about many things like language, religion, cultures, how people affect the landscapes and how landscapes affect people. It is important to see how the rest of the world is living and how different processes have shaped human development,” Roberts said.

Missing out on the AP Human Geography curriculum will be a disadvantage for current and future classes, creating a lack of preparation for AP courses. Future AP and IB students will have much less experience moving forward, and will likely not perform as well depending on the path they take. Roberts  on this disparity between the classes.

“I think those that are not in AP HuG or any other AP [classes] as freshmen will probably be underprepared for future AP or IB paths. I think Mr. Tucker has prepared us well [by] teaching us how to take notes in the textbooks during lectures,” Roberts said.

Similarly, AP Lang. has also faced challenges–as the course is no longer available to sophomores. However, the English ten classes taken by all sophomores now are sufficient in preparation for AP and IB courses. AP Lang. teacher Nikki Monfredo explains her thoughts.

“They still have English Accelerated, and if they do take AP or IB, they will learn those skills eventually. [AP Lang.] is just getting them started a little earlier. What was convenient about it was–one–they were capable, but two–many of them are undecided about whether to take AP or IB. Both of them, in my opinion, are really worthy,” Monfredo said. “The previous pathway allowed students to do both. They could do AP Lang and still do two years of IB English. They would not be taking AP Lit, but they would get the ‘lit’ part of it with IB.”

Though students are still performing well in AP and IB paths regardless of having AP Lang. sophomore year, the class size of AP Lang. has still decreased significantly. Both AP HuG and AP Lang. have faced challenges in class sizing. Monfredo comments on the lack of AP Lang. sections in the 25-26 school year.

“I do not teach it this year–AP Lang has steadily been decreasing because IB English is growing. A lot of students take the IB route instead of the AP Lang AP Lit route. I really like AP Lang and AP Lit. and I wish I was teaching it,” Monfredo said.

Regardless of the preparation for future IB and AP courses, the new Ethnic Studies curriculum is of utmost importance for today’s freshmen to obtain. Tucker explains why the course is beneficial.

“California is very diverse and we want to make it part of Ethnic Studies. We want to be able to celebrate other cultures, but also we want to challenge racism and bigotry. With [the] current political climate we are in, it is important that students have this opportunity to take a class in order to learn about other cultures,” Tucker said. “We focus on what is called the four cores. The four cores are African Americans, Asian Pacific Islanders, Latinos/Latinas and Indigenous people. In this country we value multiculturalism, so if we are going to be able to peacefully coexist in this country as a nation, we should know about other ethnicities, their cultures and their histories.”