What's happening: Tamalpais High School's performing arts program is losing sections next year as TUHSD reduces staffing across its visual and performing arts department. Ben Cleaveland, a 1984 Tam graduate who has co-directed the school's Conservatory Theatre Ensemble (CTE) since 2019 and was named Marin County Teacher of the Year in 2022, is leaving the drama program, he confirmed to the Briefing. Principal Sam Pasarow confirmed in an email to the Briefing that visual and performing arts sections have been reduced for the upcoming school year but declined to comment on individual faculty assignments.
Why it matters: CTE is one of the larger public school theater programs in Marin County. According to the program's own website, roughly 250 students enroll in 10 drama classes each year and produce 55 nights of live theater. The program accepts all students with no auditions. Dorte Bot, a Tam alumna whose youngest son is currently in the program, said larger class sizes are coming. "Drama will still be offered and will always accept everyone who wants to join," she said. "But the class sizes will need to be significantly bigger to accommodate everyone, which means that the quality of the classes may suffer." Bot, who graduated from Tam in 1984, said the program has long been a welcoming environment for students with disabilities, including those with individualized education plans and 504 accommodations.
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