As seniors seek to wrap up their final year of high school, many are surprised to discover that they are at risk of not receiving a diploma due to missing a graduation requirement.
Implemented last year, California Bill AB 1719 requires students to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in order to graduate. Yet many students were unaware of this requirement due to lack of communication from administration.
Given the significant confusion surrounding this development, The Campanile thinks the graduation requirements regarding CPR training should be more widely publicized in order to prevent student confusion and stress about their ability to graduate.
Although there was a misconception among students that the CPR training was a part of the Living Skills curriculum, Paly offers separate classes not a part of Living Skills. Additionally, students who are currently CPR certified are allowed to provide documentation of their certification in order to fulfill the requirement instead of attending these classes.
According to Living Skills teacher Leticia Burton, information concerning CPR training sessions was provided to her students through Schoology. However, the only general announcement to the greater student body has been through InFocus.
Considering that teachers sometimes either don’t play or continue teaching through InFocus, and that students who have fifth period prep are unable to view the broadcast, this method of imparting such important information excludes a significant number of students.
In order to ensure that all students are aware of the CPR training requirement and the classes offered classes to complete it, this information should be broadcasted through more public and available means. For example, teachers or advisors should be required to discuss this requirement with their students, as well as posting it on Schoology.
Additionally, there should be more training sessions available to students. Paly has only offered two CPR training sessions this semester and will offer two more next semester, which will be held in the Haymarket Theatre.
With only four classes offered for the entire year, and with many students missing the first two because of lack of publicity, the administration should host additional sessions to ensure that all students have an opportunity to fulfill graduation requirement.
Although The Campanile acknowledges the efforts of Living Skills teachers to inform students about the CPR requirement, administrators should work to publicize the requirement more widely in order to prevent misinformation and ignorance.
