Controversy looms over San Francisco Unified School District's ethnic studies course
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- In June 2020, a massive student-led protest following the murder of George Floyd was later applauded by one of the coordinators of the ethnic studies program at San Francisco Unified.
"We are seeing, we're trying to highlight for our students that people and throughout history young folks are at the center of those movements and we want to kind of lift that up so our young people feel a sense of power to make things better in the present and the future," expressed Nikhil Laud, SFUSD ethnic studies co-coordinator in May 2021.
At the time, San Francisco Unified was moving fast to implement more racial awareness programs. School district leaders underwent intensive coaching.
Here's how the district explained it back then.
"We said every leader this year has to lead at least three conversations with their staff around race. We've never put that expectations before," said Kirstin Bijur, the former executive director of Leadership Development for the school district.
Then in March 2021, the school board voted to make ethnic ethnic studies a mandatory requirement for all high school students beginning in 2024.
Once again, San Francisco was trying to set an example for the rest of the nation.
"Having that Ethnic Studies course allows them to expand on the ideas that are already being introduced in many other subjects," said Laura Espino a SFUSD high school teacher.
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But some parents argued that things quickly began to change from teaching racial awareness to, in some cases, pushing a political agenda.
Shortly after taking office last October, the superintendent began hearing complaints from the school community.
"There were some things about our Ethnic Studies curriculum that did not align with the curriculum itself. There were teachers who took liberties to add additional context to a lesson plan," revealed SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su.
But even the material in the form of slides, was noticeably troubling.
In order to explain antisemitism, images of Jewish stereotypes were used showing a man with a big nose.
There were no positive images of Jews, only to point out that Drake, the singer, was African American and Jewish.
A teacher at Washington High School had a free Palestine poster on her classroom door.
"What we actually found was that these materials were teaching kids to be oppressors or victims and then how to resist that through particular activism and so what they were learning in the classroom, we were seeing a direct line with how students were treating each other," said Viviane Safrin, a parent.
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Safrin told us other parents are afraid to come forward.
"They are scared to be labeled. That they may be seen as intolerant when actually they do want their children to learn about complex and diverse history," added Safrin.
Even Attorney General Rob Bonta became concerned with the recent rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia, issuing a rare legal alert to all school districts:
"...care must be taken not to blame any racial, ethnic, or religious group for the actions of a government."
Bonta goes on to say,
"...schools must always strive to present factual and unbiased information whether discussing communities or countries."
Lainie Motamedi had been newly appointed, then elected San Francisco school board commissioner.
She never received a copy of Bonta's legal alert.
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In fact, Motamedi says she was never given any details of the program by then Superintendent Matt Wayne or anyone in the school district.
"We were never briefed or provided any material about what that would look like, what staff was contemplating or when it would be implemented," revealed Motamedi.
The controversy surrounding some ethnic studies programs in California reached the state capitol.
"Children are being taught to demonize Jews and being taught that Jews are violent, colonial invaders," State Senator Scott Wiener recently told a crowd in San Francisco.
In May of this year, the legislature voted unanimously to ensure that the curriculum and textbooks are free from antisemitism, holding school districts accountable.
But for some parents, making Ethnic Studies a mandatory course, limits the number of elective slots they can choose from in high school.
"While many colleges won't say it, they require four years of a language and so that's one of the electives and then most kids only have one more elective to choose from," said Scot Gensler, a parent.
For their son, that second course would have to be study skills.
MORE: CSU students required to take ethnic studies, social justice class beginning in 2023
Lucy Ho's daughter also has to take study skills as a student of special needs, she says, to improve her chances of getting into a top university.
The only option is to give up a language, in this case, Japanese.
"My daughter, she took Japanese all through elementary school, middle school and she still wants to continue it through high school," added Ho, who was concerned about showing her face on camera fearing retaliation from a parent who was calling her a "racist."
Despite these complaints, some high school teachers and families defended the program, which they say is popular among students.
In order to reach a compromise, Dr. Su announced a new ethnic studies pilot program to be approved by the board on July 29 and then tested in the next six to eight months.
"I understand it's a pilot program and that's great but you don't experiment with our children," expressed Lianne Gensler, also a parent.
"And at the end of the process, we will then bring back to the board a proposal for a permanent curriculum that will then be in place for the following school year," explained Dr. Su.
That includes a new text book approved by other school districts. Su is convinced that in these polarized times, the ethnic studies curriculum is essential to all San Francisco public high school students and this time, she assured us there will be greater oversight.
"We want to teach a curriculum that is aligned to state standards and our own board policy. So this is the plan that we are putting in place for our students next year," said Su.
