Things got a little heated in the nearly hour-long discussion Tuesday night at the Morgan Hill Unified School District school board meeting.
The topic at hand: foreign exchange student high school diplomas.
In December, host mother Madelyn Mancini addressed the board over the issue of her then-three students that she and her husband Steve are hosting for the school year. Students Federica Bruno and Lisa Gilardi, 17, both from Italy, were trying to earn American high school diplomas when they ran into some roadblocks. Her third student, Camila Costa from Brazil, left after the first semester at Live Oak High School after she found out she could not receive a diploma.
This spurred a school board discussion on honorary diplomas – which according to California Education Code 51225.5, is all school districts are allowed to issue to foreign exchange students. Ed Code also states that “honorary high school diplomas awarded pursuant to this section shall be clearly distinguishable from the regular diplomas of graduation awarded by the district.”
Mancini however, thinks honorary just isn’t enough.
“They were under the impression that they would receive a diploma, like in Lancaster County and all those other counties,” said Mancini at the meeting Tuesday.
Antelope Valley Union High School District, located in Lancaster, confirmed by a member of their educational services staff, that their policy allows international exchange students a diploma if they have satisfactorily completed certain requirements, including the California High School Exit Exam. Murrieta Valley Unified School District in Murrieta, similarly states that foreign exchange students are eligible if they meet certain requirements.
Brooke Bailey, a past host mother also spoke to the board, saying her host son graduated with her own son some years ago from Live Oak. He, like Gilardi and Bruno, took adult night classes to finish requirements for a diploma. When Don Moody asked if the diploma was a ‘honorary’ diploma or a typical high school diploma she said both had looked the same to her.
Confusion ensued over what the California Ed Code allows, and what is possible for a district in California to do. Board member Bob Benevento said MHUSD should take the lead and be a district to offer foreign students actual California diplomas.
“I can’t believe that students who can demonstrate proficiency in a variety of subjects whether it be science, math, foreign language … should be denied a diploma,” said Benevento.
Other board trustees such as Peter Mandel raised concerns over the amount of manpower translating not only the language of a transcript, but determining if one course in another country is deemed the equivalent of a course of study in MHUSD.
“Were we to do all of that it would be a transfer-like situation. If the Ed Code even allows that,” said Mandel. “Assuming we could, I don’t know if we can afford the time and resources of every student that we could come. I know we can do (an honorary diploma), which has the full implications of a diploma.”
At one point, the two trustees spoke back and forth, one not letting the other finish their sentences. One member of the audience was heard saying “Let him talk” when the two continued to interrupt each other.
“Just to close them off and say, ‘too much paperwork’ well, I think they’re paying a fee to come here. I’d like to see our district take the lead instead of being the ‘me too.’ … We have a chance to do something that will make us exemplary,” said Benevento.
Gilardi and Bruno are both paying the district a fee of $8,245 for the school year, plus $600 per month for room and board.
Board trustee Claudia Rossi at one point agreed with Benevento, saying the district should step up to the plate.
“I enthusiastically agree with you,” Rossi said to Benevento. “Most of the work would be the effort of the students, taking the test and passing it with flying colors. This is about forming friendships at a time when there is so much lack of understanding between countries. The opportunity to make bonds with people that will go back to their countries and say how we welcomed them.”
Superintendent Wes Smith suggested the topic was more about graduation requirements.
“You’re really discussing grad requirements to all students,” said Smith. “It’s larger than just foreign exchange.”
Board President Ron Woolf closed off the hour-long discussion by asking staff for more information on what other nearby districts do, specifically those in Santa Clara County. Mandel asked if other districts in fact do award diplomas to foreign students, how they award it and how many man hours per student would it require.
After this initial discussion, the item could come up again with more information from staff at the March 6 school board meeting.
