Ethnic Studies Teacher Avery Beebe thinks the new Ethnic Studies class is very important and believes it’s good that students are learning more mature and serious topics. Some of these topics include race, ethnicity, religion, and even people indigenous to California.

“I think this class is really helpful because not only can students ask those questions, but we can actually spend time and resources and energy to have those conversations and have those conversations in a way where students feel safe and they feel supported,” Beebe said.

Beebe has experienced this kind of mature course as a Social Science teacher, so she was prepared for the topics and questions they would be discussing in this class.

Sophomore Trinity Abbott feels that younger students should be able to learn about the more mature topics.

“Just being younger doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t be able to have this information,” Abbott said. 

So far the Ethnic Studies class has had nothing but a positive impact on the students taking it. They have formed a community in this course and they all feel supported by each other.

“I think as a class, we all really want to learn and we all support each other,” Abbott said.

Both Beebe and her students hope that the class will get expanded in the future. While it’s not confirmed that this will happen, it has been on the minds of many.

“I do think it’s on the minds of a lot of people in terms of looking at teachers who are currently teaching, that are interested as well as when there’s new openings in Social Science departments to add more that would be comfortable and have training for Ethnic Studies,” Beebe said.

“I think the class should be furthered,” Abbott said,” There’s not enough ethnic classes around.”

Not only would expanding the class be beneficial for allowing more students to take it, but it would also fix the issue of the large class sizes.

“I’m torn because it’s a class I’m so passionate about and I think so many kids should take it.” Beebe said.” But yeah even in my other classes too, a lot of teachers, and we’re struggling with the class sizes.”

There have been some signs of the course growing around the district. One example being at Antelope, they lost a teacher and then quickly gained a teacher. While it hasn’t been brought up yet, it is possible that Roseville could see either current teachers changing to teach Ethnic Studies or the school bringing in new teachers.