New course updates have been implemented with the start of the 2024-25 school year. The two courses being affected are Personal Finance Management (PFM) and Driver’s Education.
This year, PFM transitioned from a full-year course to a semester class and is now a graduation requirement, going into effect with the class of 2027. Driver’s Education now allows students a choice between learning online, as it has been years prior, or now, to learn in-person.
Emmaus High School business teacher, Kelly Duffy, has been teaching PFM for 22 years. With an open mind, Duffy discusseshow these course updates to PFM will benefit Emmaus students.
“I have always been very passionate about the subject [PFM], and I think it is widely beneficial for students, regardless of what their path is after high school,” Duffy said. “These are skills that everybody needs. I’ve always known the importance of it, and I’m happy that the state finally came on board with it.”
Pennsylvania is following a trend spreading throughout the country. In December 2023, Pennsylvania became the 25th state to require all students to graduate from a personal finance course. Duffy was pleased that the state had at last mandated PFM as a graduation requirement, but felt disheartened upon discovering the course duration.
“I’m a little disappointed that now with the new state requirement, we now have to take what was a full-year course and condense it to a half-year course,” Duffy said. “The half-year course is still going to be a great course, it’s just that [at least for me], having taught it for so long, I know what we’ve had to eliminate. So, I’m disappointed that I can’t do everything that I’ve always done.”
The new graduation requirement does not impact the classes of 2025 or 2026; however, Duffy believes that the class teaches important life skills that every student should know.
It is not just the PFM course that is getting an update this year; students in the Driver’s Education course are now being given the opportunity to choose which way they learn best, whether online or remote.
Jacob Beitler, a Driver’s Education instructor of nine years, voiced his thoughts on the new update to the course.
“As an educator, [I think that all educators] firmly believe that there are multiple ways to learn. Now the students have a choice of which method they learn best from,” Beitler said.
When discussing both the online and in-person options, Beitler praised both of the methods.
“I like the face-to-face one because I can interact with the students and see them. That’s why I got into teaching to begin with. Helping others and helping them succeed,” Beitler said. “With the online version, what I think is super beneficial about it is that a lot of students might take an online class in college or be interested in one. With the online class, it’s nice that students get to try it out in high school. If they feel pretty good about it, then when they go to college, they know they can possibly handle an online class.”
No matter which version of Driver’s Education a student chooses, each teaches the same material, the method of learning being the only difference.
“I think either method, students will be successful, it’s just important to know which method works best for them,” Beitler noted.
Both updates to PFM and Driver’s Ed. were implemented to help Emmaus students grow and learn in an environment that will be more beneficial and supportive for all.
