California students need more support than ever. Scaling back programs would be a mistake

In September, I started teaching eighth-grade history to more than 90 students each day. This is my first year as a teacher.

My road to the classroom was actually paved by my mother, a dedicated educator for 40 years. Witnessing the challenges and rewards of her profession firsthand, I gravitated to serving our youth.

But for a long time I felt teaching wasn’t for me because so much of what I heard was negative. It seemed like school communities were in a constant state of need. I wanted to serve students but wasn’t sure how.

In 2020, the opportunity emerged within a year of upheaval: COVID-19 struck during my senior year at Sacramento State. I needed a job, so I connected with the Bay Area Youth Agency Consortium AmeriCorps, which is part of California’s Student Success Coach Learning Network.

The SSC network was built on a proven model of providing school communities with so-called “near-peer coaches” for students, creating an outlet close to their age for emotional and academic support. Coaches are placed in school communities throughout California, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to contribute meaningfully to students’ lives.

It felt like the next step.

When I arrived at Summit Tamalpais Middle School as a student success coach, I felt so welcomed. My contributions were valued. Whether students were looking for academic help or to regulate their emotions, it seemed like I was making a difference in just one year.

Now, in my third year as a part this school community and my first as a teacher, I am deeply concerned about the state’s budget deficit and what it may mean for California students. I worry that programs like the SSC will lose funding, or that California students are going to have to learn to live without some of these vital resources that were introduced during the pandemic.

As someone who has gone from student to coach to teacher within the span of four years, my hope is that we continue to support and champion this initiative for the betterment of every student in California.

I have seen firsthand how mentorship and coaching can change lives. One example is a student I worked with named Amber, who used physical toughness as a shield and would get into fights and skip classes. Once we started talking, we instantly connected.

Despite her tough facade, I realized that this young woman didn’t feel worthy of attention or support. I took it upon myself to reach her. I wanted her to see that she had people rooting for her, so I attended classes with her and explained complex topics in pieces she could understand.

The more I worked with her, the more I saw her improve. The fighting fizzled out.

At one point, I took a personal day only to discover that Amber skipped school that day. “You weren’t here, so I didn’t come to school,” she explained.

If you don’t take school seriously, you’ll never proceed to the next, more exciting chapter in your life, I told her. You can dream. There are people like me who believe in you and want you to succeed.

The honesty clicked – for both of us.

For me, it became clear this is what I was meant to do. Now, I’m in the process of getting credentialed. I’ve gone from being a coach to leading the classroom, and I have the Bay Area youth consortium and SSC Learning Network to thank.

This program is not just a “nice-to-have,” it’s a crucial component of California’s educational ecosystem. As our state leaders navigate through a deficit, funding for students, educational initiatives and mentorship programs must remain intact. We cannot afford to lose the gains we have made in school communities, particularly for the students like Amber, who need us more than ever.

Financial support for this story was provided by the Smidt Foundation and The James Irvine Foundation.