Courses in ethnic studies underway ahead of new law
Marin public high schools are moving ahead with ethnic studies courses in advance of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s potential approval of a bill that would make the program a graduation requirement.
“We’re really excited about this topic,” Tyler Graff, executive director of secondary education for San Rafael City Schools, said Friday.” We’re eager to see where things go.”
Novato Unified School District superintendent Jan La Torre-Derby said the district’s high schools are offering a semester-long program this year with plans to expand it later on.
“Our board adopted a fullyear ethnic studies curriculum in April,” La Torre-Derby said. “We will be using that in the future.”
Tara Taupier, superintendent of the Tamalpais Union High School District, said the district already offers an ethnic studies course as an elective, but is working to expand it.
“We’re working with the county collaborative on developing curriculum to be shared across the high schools,” Taupier said. “Our racial justice task force will be looking at the implementation of the ethnic studies curriculum this year.”
Former Tam Union assistant superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong, who had headed the racial justice task force, left the district in July after one year on the job. Taupier
said Armstrong left to accept a position in Santa Rosa.
The state Legislature on Sept. 3 approved amendments to Assembly Bill 101, regarding high school graduation requirements. The amended bill adds a requirement that high school seniors must complete at least a semester-long course in ethnic studies in order to graduate by the end of the 2029-30 school year.
High schools must have the program in place by 202526, the bill states. According to the bill description, high schools may use the model curriculum approved by the California State Board of Education in March, or another course as approved by a local school district.
The Marin Board of Education in June adopted a resolution backing the concept of ethnic studies and supporting the state’s model curriculum.
The state’s model includes sections on African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans and Indigenous Americans — and additional lesson plans on Americans with Jewish, Armenian, Arab and Sikh ethnic backgrounds.
Alex Stack, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, confirmed Friday that the amended AB 101 was on Newsom’s desk for his signature. He declined any comment on whether Newsom would sign the amended bill.
The deadline for any action on bills for the current legislative session is Oct. 10, Stack said.
Graff, meanwhile, said that
while San Rafael City Schools are currently offering a semester-long ethnic studies course, discussions are taking place on whether to create a longer program in order to be able to cover all the ethnic groups represented in the school community.
“We are convening a committee of teachers, parents and students to help decide if we will move forward with a fullyear course,” Graff said Friday.
“Furthermore, because we believe the content is so important, a group of teachers are collaborating to expand the current semester course material using the model curriculum from the state and the framework developed by Marin County Office of Education to potentially cover a year-long course.”