Ethnic Studies Graduation Requirement Paused

From the Office of the Superintendent
 

Dear Palo Alto Unified Community,

At my recommendation, and after confirming that the course cannot currently be deemed a formal state mandate, our Board of Education has decided to remove the proposed Ethnic Studies course from the upcoming agenda. It will not be considered at the next Board meeting and has no anticipated future date at this time. No further revisions or additional input will be gathered until the California legislature both assigns funding and clarifies any additional content requirements.

With no graduation requirement expected for the 2025–26 school year, incoming freshmen should anticipate the traditional social studies pathways without changes.

This decision stems from recent statements by Governor Newsom and other officials indicating that Ethnic Studies is not yet a mandated graduation requirement. Our concerns remain two-fold. First, the legislature has increasingly intervened in matters such as the unfunded addition/expansion of transitional kindergarten, school start times, and adding course requirements for which they are neither fully trained nor directly elected to oversee. Their early attempt at creating a statewide Ethnic Studies “model curriculum” proved so problematic that it had to be largely discarded and rewritten, resulting in a broad, ambiguous document that has led to local divisiveness across California.

Second, by framing Ethnic Studies as a high-stakes, one-semester requirement, the legislature created a political flashpoint, with some viewing it as a magical solution and others committed to fighting against the course in general. Both extremes undermine the true goal of the course: to foster insightful, well-guided discussions. Senator Josh Becker has highlighted related challenges statewide, noting that some Ethnic Studies coursework “contains a clear and dramatic violation of the law” with “obvious factual inaccuracies,” underscoring the pitfalls of rushed or loosely monitored mandates.

If you remain interested in shaping the future of Ethnic Studies, we encourage you to share your perspectives with our local state representatives, Assemblymember Marc Berman and Senator Josh Becker, both of whom are in positions of influence for the next steps in the legislature. Given the anticipated requirements that will accompany future funding and a state-level graduation mandate, your input can help ensure that any final approach to Ethnic Studies reflects the values and needs of our community.

Lastly, I want to commend our teachers who spent two years crafting a thoughtful, inclusive curriculum. Their dedication exemplifies what defines our district at its best. We also acknowledge that the creation and proposed mandate of the Ethnic Studies course led to passionate discussions among our educators, families, and the larger community. For now, we will take a break and await further guidance.  Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Don Austin
Superintendent of Schools