Last week, I visited La Cuesta High School — a continuation school and part of Santa Barbara Unified’s alternative education program. If you didn’t know about La Cuesta, you are not alone; I almost went to the wrong school. Luckily, I had to drop off some books earlier in the week and found the correct address. The continuation program provides support for students age 16 or older who are at risk of not graduating high school. With an average teacher to student ratio of one teacher for about 15 students, each student is paired with a mentor and is given a second chance to succeed and graduate high school.
The visit was a bit rushed. The school itself is much smaller than most high schools or junior high schools. The room had a podium but no microphone. My visit was on a Thursday, a shorter day for all students. Had I known this ahead of time, I would have tried to give my presentation without a microphone. Also, trying to get anyone’s attention an hour before they know they are about to go home is challenging. When the students sat down, many seemed shut down or tired and or hungry. A few were quietly finishing their snacks. I was a little nervous because they seemed like a tough crowd at first. But they were very attentive and they responded positively when I asked them if they wanted to hear a song I wrote, based on the poem they had been studying, “How Fire Is a Story, Waiting.” They were very shy about asking questions, most of the questions came from the teachers. As I was reading and talking about my poetry, I could feel the energy shift and the students became more engaged. I was happy to see that two of the students stopped to shake my hand on their way out.
Instructional Support Specialist Lauren Gleason has been at La Cuesta for four years. She was previously at Alta Vista for 12 years. Alta Vista is an alternative high school that students can choose to attend. Local poet and teacher James Claffey brought some of his Alta Vista students to hear my presentation.