Archie Williams used to be spunky; it was unique. From underclassman Small Learning Communities (SLCs) to upperclassman specialty programs, Archie Williams offered a one-of-a-kind approach to high school learning that differed from all other public schools in Marin. But over the past few years, many of these community-based styles of learning have been slowly dismantled one by one. And even more so over the past month, there have been talks of minimizing one of the upperclassmen programs, TEAM, to only seniors. The dismantling of these programs is devastating to the Archie Williams community. These programs introduce students to life-changing experiences and a unique style of education.
In 1992, Sir Francis Drake High School implemented SLCs, which were cohort-based divisions of underclassmen assigned to the same English, social studies, and science teachers. This approach to underclassman learning allows students to form strong bonds while adjusting to a new high school environment. SLCs also promote the crossing between different subjects and force different classes to interact with each other. However, in many SLCs, the interaction between English and social studies classes was much stronger than any ties to the science classes. This issue led the school to detach science from SLCs in 2024.
This was the school’s first move to mess with Archie Williams’ spunk. What were once highly complex communities of underclassmen through three classes are now weaker cohorts with just two classes.
But this was just a minimization of underclassmen communities. Upperclassmen specialty programs remained… for a year. In 2024, the Archie Williams Communications Academy (ComAcad), a film and media-focused program, received a small number of applicants. There were so few applicants, in fact, that the program had to shut down in 2025.
While the school administration directly removed science from SLCs, ComAcad’s demise came far more from a collective lack of interest. But why? Why was such a historically well-recognized program experiencing such a downfall in interest? It’s a difficult question to answer, and depending on who you ask around the school, you’ll get different explanations. Regardless of the reason, the fact remains that the loss of ComAcad resulted in the loss of yet another essential Falcon community.
On March 5, 2026, Principal Jacob Gran announced via email that the TEAM Academy, a backpacking academy that promotes alternative, outdoor learning, would be restricted to rising seniors for the 2026-27 school year. The TEAM Program was a junior-year program at Tamiscal High School for 30 years. In 2022, Diana Goldberg pioneered the TEAM Academy, a specialized program for upperclassmen at Archie Williams.
Minimizing TEAM to a senior-only program has recently caused upheaval among students. After so many program cuts in the past few years, students are now beginning to fight back. Recent district board meetings have been jam-packed with students advocating to keep TEAM a two-year program.
If this goes through, if the administration minimizes TEAM, what more will Archie Williams have to its name? How stable will SEA-DISC, the last of the upperclassman speciality programs, be in the long run? Between SLCs, ComAcad, and TEAM, Archie Williams is losing elements that originally made it unique. Over the past few years, Archie Williams has downsized or dismantled two diverse pathways, and the school is threatening another. Don’t turn your eye now. Now is the time when Archie Williams takes a stand. Students will not go gentle. Students will fight for what they believe in.
