U.S. Rep. Derek Tran holds up a Westminster High School Lions T-shirt while posing with English teacher Kimberly Moore and students during a visit to the school’s gymnasium. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Rep. Derek Tran’s office) 
Teacher Kimberly Moore stands with U.S. Rep. Derek Tran during his visit to Westminster High School, part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Rep. Derek Tran’s office) 
U.S. Rep. Derek Tran speaks to students from a podium inside the Westminster High School gym. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Rep. Tran’s office)
Quick look: Westminster High School students met with U.S. Rep. Derek Tran after writing letters to him as part of a classroom assignment tied to the Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum. The visit, which highlighted student voice and civic engagement, was later featured by the California State University system, which developed the curriculum.
An English assignment tied to a college-preparatory curriculum gave Westminster High School students an opportunity to engage directly with their local representative.
On May 12, about 150 students met with U.S. Rep. Derek Tran after writing letters to him about the juvenile justice system as part of an Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum unit. The visit was later highlighted in a feature by the California State University system, which developed the curriculum to help middle and high school students build college-ready literacy skills.
Implemented in about 1,000 high schools across California, the ERWC is an A-G approved English curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, rhetorical reading and writing, and real-world application. At Westminster High, English teacher Kimberly Moore has taught the curriculum for 10 years and currently leads five course sections for juniors and seniors.
“It is more like a college course where there’s argumentation, reading nonfiction articles and dealing with more relevant real-world issues,” Moore said in the CSU article.
For a unit on juvenile justice, Moore modified the final assignment, which typically calls for an open letter, by having students write directly to their congressional representative. Tran, who became the first Vietnamese American to represent California in Congress after his 2024 win, accepted the invitation to visit the high school.
“On our campus, it’s a huge Vietnamese population, and I think it’s so important for our students to see representation,” Moore said. “I want them to have that same hope for themselves.”
Students from both English and government classes participated in the visit, asking questions about school safety, criminal justice and Tran’s new role in Washington, D.C.
The assignment and its outcome also drew praise from OCDE staff who support the curriculum at the county level.
“Kim Moore has been training teachers in ERWC for about 10 years,” said Dr. Denise Harshman, OCDE’s coordinator of advancing learning. “With high school seniors who are finding their voice and civic duty, Kim adapted the culminating task to give students an opportunity to express their beliefs and concerns from an educated point of view. She was impressed with the insight and depth to the questions students posed to the congressman.”
Moore also supports ERWC as a teacher leader and trainer through the Orange County Department of Education, which offers workshops and professional development for educators implementing the CSU-designed course.
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- Nine outstanding school employees from Orange County have been named the 2025 Classified School Employees of the Year, with three also earning statewide honors for their exceptional contributions to student success and school communities.
- The Anaheim Union High School District became the first district in Orange County to begin hosting graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2025, with 10 commencements scheduled through this week.
- California’s plan to require ethnic studies as a high school graduation requirement is in question after the governor’s revised budget omitted funding needed to implement the mandate. Some schools were already preparing to offer the course starting in 2025–26.
- Two student-led chapters and one advisor were honored at the OC Friday Night Live Partnership’s annual ceremony for advancing youth leadership and substance use prevention across Orange County schools.
- More than a dozen education and industry partners gathered at Mile Square Regional Park on May 22 for a hands-on event hosted by Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen and County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean to connect students and families with free career training programs and pathways into high-demand fields.
- Earlier in the week, Dr. Bean was featured on Good Day LA to share his personal journey during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
- Spotlight Schools shared its coverage of the six 2026 Orange County Teachers of the Year, who were recognized on May 1 for their commitment to students, innovation and school community impact.
- The Capistrano Unified School District has broken ground on Rienda School, a $78.5 million transitional kindergarten through eighth-grade campus in Rancho Mission Viejo. Set to open in fall 2027, Rienda will serve up to 1,600 students with a focus on STEAM education.
- The Capistrano Unified School District board voted 4-2-1 to adopt a symbolic resolution opposing the participation of transgender athletes in girls’ sports.
- The Santa Ana Unified School District this week approved 262 layoffs amid ongoing budget shortfalls driven by declining enrollment, as California recorded its seventh consecutive year of public school losses and an increase in low-income and homeless students.
- Santa Ana Unified hosted a virtual town hall on Thursday to address safety concerns at Santa Ana High School following the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old student outside the campus.
- The Orange County Department of Education recognized five school-based Peer Assistance Leadership programs and two advisors in May for creating and maintaining positive, inclusive and supportive school environments.
- Orange Unified is evaluating whether to declare nearly eight acres of land behind La Veta Elementary as surplus, a move that could allow for future sale or development.
- Students from the Anaheim Elementary School District participated in a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest game of Red Light, Green Light at Yorba Regional Park on May 21 as part of the district’s Anaheim Succeeds! enrichment programs.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.