San Diego Unified School District officials, students, and their colt mascot rang in the new school year at Crawford High School in the El Cerritos community Monday morning.
The August 12th date might seem earlier than usual. According to Dr. Erin Richison, SDUSD Area Superintendent of High Schools, this is a decision three years in the making. By moving up the academic calendar to start earlier, the district hopes to support students who are dual-enrolled in high school and at neighboring colleges. The calendar will continue to include 180 school days, but now provide more instructional time before spring assessments, including SAT and Advanced Placement exams.
This is just one way Crawford High School plans to prepare its students to transition out of high school. This new school year comes with new career pathway programs and a new guaranteed enrollment agreement with California State University San Marcos.
The new admission agreement, similar to Sweetwater Union High School District’s with San Diego State University, guarantees admission for eligible high school graduates and will provide college prep opportunities starting in middle school. For the diverse community Crawford High serves, the admission will be a game-changer for students.
“A lot of immigrant families find that Crawford is home to their student. They feel very welcome and included that they belong here. But a part of that, and because 40 different countries are represented… 35 languages, 72 dialects, some things do get lost in translation, as it relates to how to apply for college, how to pay for college,” said Dr. Reashon Villery, principal at Crawford High School.
“We want our students to know that not only can you get accepted into college and have automatic acceptance, but also just a variety of options with financial aid.”
Crawford’s students will also have an array of programs to join this year. The newest additions are Emergency Medical Technician pathway and a swim class for students, along with the existing law academy, automotive class, and health career pathway with Rady Children’s Hospital.
Through the EMT pathway, students can chose an alternative to a traditional four-year education after high school and still gain access to medical careers. The goal is that by the end of high school, students will either gain a certificate or enough college credit to get started in an EMT career.
The swim class, aside from teaching students water safety and offering a new activity, holds the opportunity to become a junior lifeguard after the 24-week class.
At the leading edge of high school programs is the Crawford Academy of Law, which has been established since 2011. Through a state grant, students in their sophomore through senior years can learn about careers in the legal field and gain work experience from courts and law firms.
One of the course’s highlights is the classroom lined with wooden podiums with a judge and jury stand, which simulates a real courtroom. Since the first time since the pandemic began, students will work with the newly reinstated San Diego Teen Court to be trained in restorative justice using real cases with youth offenders. Students will receive mentoring from a judge or an attorney who will supervise as students take charge in questioning and decisions, says program coordinator Ray Beattie.
Aside from the hands-on experience, students benefit from the Crawford Academy of Law Foundation, which gives scholarship money to those who participate in mock trials, complete the attorney program, and are aspiring leaders. According to Beattie, the foundation awarded around $20,000 in scholarships to sophomores, juniors, and seniors at the Academy Awards in May.
Crawford High School principal Reashon Villery said that she is proud to be part of the high school’s vision.
“There are a lot of great programs here at Crawford, in addition to the sports, in addition to all of the wonderful clubs, I just feel honored to be blessed to be leading such a beautiful school community,” said Villery.
