Students and staff fear Grossmont High School’s dance program will collapse if the Grossmont Union High School District Board moves forward with plans to lay off its only credentialed dance teacher and replaces her with a PE teacher. 

An online petition from students describes first-year teacher Caryn Ipapo-Glass as “the heart of GHS’ dance program.” Grossmont has the largest dance program in the district, with 244 students enrolled in Ipapo-Glass’ classes. 

“In our district alone, our dance program is the biggest one there is, and it means so much to so many students. It has for so many years,” said GHS senior Diya Sreekumar, who organized students to send letters to the board asking them to rescind the pink slip issued to Ipapo-Glass on March 15. 

Sreekumar was initially nervous about a replacement for Marta Keeney-Jiacoletti, who retired last year year after building Grossmont’s dance program from the group up since 1999. Upon meeting the new dance instructor, Sreekumar was immediately struck by Ipapo-Glass’ diligence, passion and support of students.  

The dance program to date had been large but insular. She found ways for students to connect with dancers at other schools and perform more often. Grossmont took part in a hip-hop night at Helix High School for the first time. Afterwards, Ipapo-Glass successfully got permission to found a dance team so students could have a structured path to perform and gain experience similar to being enrolled at a private studio.

“We went from the highest of highs, having performed at [Helix High School] hip hop night, got the green light to start this dance team, to just maybe not even having a program next year. And the kids are just devastated,” Ipapo-Glass said. Teaching every day while managing students’ fears and sadness while she herself does not know the future of her job has been one of the hardest things she has ever done.

Without permanent status granted to those who have held a position for three years, Ipapo-Glass is technically not listed among credentialed staff losing their jobs in the district. She has the least seniority so is being bumped in order for a vice principal with a PE credential to return to the classroom after being laid off. 

California added a single-subject dance credential in 2016 with the Theatre and Dance Act (TADA) after it was eliminated in 1970 to streamline credentials. Before, it was included as a small part of the PE credentials but many public schools hired out-of-state teachers with dance credentials as California was one of the only states without a dance-focused certification. Those with PE credentials from before the change are allowed to still teach dance. 

Ipapo-Glass is in the first crop of public school dance teachers in San Diego with the new credential. At 40, she decided to get the credential so that all students would have access to a quality arts education. 

Ipapo-Glass had decades of experience in the private sector, which she says has prepared her to teach students how to compose dance concerts, audition, and choreograph dances that a PE teacher who went through a single unit on dance lessons would not have. 

“It’s amazing that she chose to teach at a public school,” said GHS senior Maggie Kelly. She is organizing students to picket outside the district office before the next board meeting to save Ipapo-Glass’s job. “If she loses her job next year, the Grossmont High School dance program is pretty much just going to fall apart… Because you have a credential to teach PE does not mean that you have the qualifications to teach dance and build a dance program,” Kelly said. 

Ipapo-Glass is frustrated that she was contracted as a dance teacher but is being terminated as a PE teacher. “It’s almost nullifying the dance credential. It almost doesn’t make sense to have it… if it’s not being acknowledged as its own entity,” she said. 

Ipapo-Glass does not believe she would be as emotional about the situation if she knew someone qualified would be taking over, saying she would gladly step aside for the betterment of the program. Even if she ultimately keeps her job this year, it is daunting to her that as a new teacher she might face consecutive years of lay-off notices, making planning for the future “impossible.” Instead of organizing a concert or doing lesson plans, her free time is eaten up with meetings. 

Amid a teacher shortage, California’s system of sending pink slips in March then finalizing terminations in May has been criticized as demoralizing, nerve-wracking, and disruptive of classrooms. 

“You’re being told what you’re doing in the classroom doesn’t matter. The expertise you have doesn’t matter… Successful outcomes of your students don’t matter. This is a numbers game,” she said. 

Ipapo-Glass does not wonder why test scores are lower in the U.S. than other nations and the education system is struggling. “You have teachers jumping through hoops of fire to be here and they’re doing a good job, and the system is making it almost impossible to remain in the classroom.”