Thanks to flexible learning options including online classes, students like Maria Rodriguez can fit their education into busy schedules
Maria Rodriguez of Compton, Calif., still remembers the day she visited a local job fair to apply for employment. While filling out an application, Rodriguez discovered that the position she wanted required a high school diploma. Unfortunately, she did not have one.
So her husband searched online and found a community college with a high school diploma program. The college even offered online classes, which fit in with her busy schedule. “But that year, they canceled the online version of the class,” Rodriguez says. “The requirement was face-to-face.” That is when her husband did a search on Google and located the Torrance Adult School. And, as it turns out, it was closer to their home than the other school.
TAS offers free basic education classes as well as high school diploma and General Educational Development, or GED, courses. Additionally, the TAS English as a Second Language course and most of the Career Technical Education courses provide students with ways to study online as well, with the exception of Allied Health courses which require in-person, hands-on learning.
“I like Torrance Adult School a lot. In this school, I feel it’s my home because all the teachers are very professional. Very kind and sweet.”
Maria Rodriguez, TAS student
“Our vision is to always provide lifelong learning for all of our students. And we always hope to meet the needs of our community,” says Baron Sia, the Career Coordinator for TAS, who adds students enjoy flexible options for attending classes, including online. “Our high school diploma and high school equivalency classes are high flex. So, students have the option of either attending in person like a traditional class, or they can live stream the classes at home,” he says. Rodriguez says counselors advised her on what classes she needed to take.
She enjoys her online classes and is currently taking an independent study course in history – meeting with her instructor in person just once a week. “We really try to push the accessibility of a lot of our classes so, that way, we break down any barriers that the students may have,” Sia explains.
To ensure students stay on track with their studies, TAS counselors assess each student’s skills and give them advice on which classes to take to graduate. In fact, students can meet with counselors one-on-one at any time to examine their current academic plan. They can decide whether they are on the right path academically or they need to make some changes in their study habits—or if a program is not a good fit for them and feel the need to try something else.
“The academic counseling comes in when the student enrolls. That way, the student can discuss what their goals are with the counselor and then the counselor can provide an academic plan that’s going to be most efficient for students to reach their goals.” Sia says. “We really try to make sure that we set the students up for success. So, we basically handhold them through the entire process, and make sure that they’re getting the quality education they need, life skills, training and the career training that they’ll need to succeed in life.”
Meanwhile, Rodriguez, who dreams of becoming an assistant teacher at a school someday, says she is making progress toward earning her high school diploma, having completed several courses last fall.
She is especially grateful for the supportive staff and knowledgeable instructors at TAS who are giving her the encouragement and the tools she needs to complete her education before moving on to college, she says. “I like Torrance Adult School a lot,” says Rodriguez. “In this school, I feel it’s my home because all the teachers I’ve met are very professional. Very kind and sweet.”
For more information about classes at Torrance Adult School, visit https://www.tusd.org/tas
Written by Gail Allyn Short
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| South Coast California | High School |
