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The proposed ethnic studies curriculum at the San Ramon Valley Unified School District is set to be up for review and discussion at Tuesday’s school board meeting, with a vote on the proposed program set for next month.
The curriculum has been in the works for months in preparation for a new state law requiring ethnic studies coursework for high school students starting this fall.
The board is set to review an informational presentation on the proposed curriculum, with a majority of the material set to be available for public review and feedback online starting Wednesday ahead of the board’s planned vote on adopting the curriculum set for April 22.
“Between March 19 and April 21, community members will have the opportunity to review the proposed curriculum and provide feedback to the Educational Services team,” Debra Petish, executive director of curriculum and instruction wrote in a staff report prepared for the upcoming meeting. “This process allows for a collaborative approach, ensuring that community partners have a voice in the curriculum being implemented in our schools.”
Under a state law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, school districts throughout the state are required to begin offering ethnic studies courses in the 2025-26 academic year. Starting in the 2029-30 school year, students are set to be required to fulfill a one-semester ethnic studies requirement in order to graduate.
The proposed curriculum has been prepared in the months since the board moved last year to call for the development of the program and change the district’s policies in order to comply with the new state law, with the board voting to approve the new course in January. The new ethnic studies requirement is set to replace the existing world geography requirement.
Petish and a group of teachers “with expertise and passion for ethnic studies” were then tasked with developing the proposed curriculum, a process Petish said was “heavily informed” by a model curriculum from the state.
“The curriculum aims to provide students with a rich and meaningful understanding of diverse perspectives and histories, fostering critical thinking and cultural awareness,” Petish wrote.
“Additionally, the curriculum includes guidance for staff on best practices for teaching Ethnic Studies in a high school setting.”
“This guidance emphasizes inquiry-based learning, ensuring students engage with multiple perspectives and develop their own well-reasoned conclusions,” she continued. “It also reinforces the importance of inclusive, comprehensive instruction that encourages critical thinking and civil discourse while aligning with district policies on addressing controversial topics.”
The curriculum is set to consist of four units: Identity, Narratives and Community Stories, Systems and Power, and Social Movements and Solidarity.
Instructional materials will be available for review online following the upcoming meeting, with the exception of one book – “A Different Mirror for Young People” – which will be available for review at the district office in person.
The SRVUSD board is set to meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday (March 18). The agenda is available here.
In other business
*The board is set to discuss and consider accepting the second interim budget report.
*The board is set to consider approving a new Superintendent’s Grant Committee, in a move that was first suggested by Area 2 Trustee Shelley Clark.
“The committee would commit to two years in which they would review and submit grant applications that would benefit SRVUSD and develop a grant factsheet to assist staff with grant writing,” Superintendent CJ Cammack wrote in a staff report for the upcoming meeting. “Staff recommends this committee be a Superintendent’s Committee, through which the progress and actions of the committee can be reported back to the Board.”
Following the initial two years of operation, the proposed committee would be set for review by Cammack and the board.
*The board is set to consider approving a letter from Cammack to Rep. Mark DeSaulnier expressing the district’s support for the county’s efforts to establish funding for a double-tracking pilot program on the Iron Horse Trail.
*The board is set to consider approving a second term for one member of the district’s Facilities Oversight Committee, and to consider approving two new applicants to the committee.
