BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
At a long and tense meeting, the Palo Alto school board voted tonight (Jan. 23) to keep Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement to the cheers of teachers who worked for two years on the class.
The board was split 3-2 against the proposal during most of the meeting, then flipped in the last hour. Board members Shounak Dharap, Shauna Segal and Josh Salcman voted for the class.
New board members Salcman, Rowena Chiu and Alison Kamhi said they support Ethnic Studies as a concept, and they were impressed by students who talked about their positive experience in a pilot course last semester.
But community members are still afraid and confused about what Ethnic Studies entails, and the district needs to improve its process, Salcman said.
Salcman was poised to vote to delay Ethnic Studies, but he voted in favor after board member Shounak Dharap said the district would talk in March about “progress indicators” to measure the success of the course.
Dharap also reassured Salcman that board members who are liaisons to schools would play a more active role.
Kamhi said she heard concerns about how minority groups are presented and about the course’s attitudes toward political violence.
“I believe we have to be very transparent about what we are teaching, provide opportunity for meaningful feedback and not push through classes that make people and communities, including communities of color, feel unsafe, targeted or disrespected,” Kamhi said.
Benjamin Bolanos, a social science teacher at Palo Alto High School, said board members were getting it wrong.
“This is the first time I’ve met you guys,” he said. “You’ve never come to our classrooms to talk about this stuff. Unbelievable.”
Dharap and Segal were also frustrated that a new board majority was talking about overturning their previous decision to mandate Ethnic Studies, starting with the next class of incoming freshmen.
“A policy is a promise,” Dharap said, referring to the previous board’s vote.
“Teachers — you did it right,” Segal said.
Dharap and Segal tried to change their colleagues’ minds and took a 15-minute break to think about the vote.
The confusion was heightened because Superintendent Don Austin included a document of “curriculum and sample lessons” from the Ethnic Studies course.
But teachers said the document was a draft from a year ago, and Austin said he didn’t believe the document should be released.
It was also unclear how students in the pilot were selected.
Emotions ran high at the meeting.
“I have felt very unsafe in this meeting,” Chiu said at one point.
“We should slow down for just a second, even take just a little breath,” Austin said.
The board room was at capacity and an overflow crowd waited outside.
Teachers, students and administrators were overwhelmingly in favor of Ethnic Studies.
“This is the right thing to do. This reflects our stated values as a community — a community dedicated to inclusion, diversity, respect,” said Meb Steiner, president of the employee’s union.
Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Guillermo Lopez attempted to head off the opposition at the start of the meeting.
Palo Alto is not following the “liberated” model curriculum that was put forward in 2019 and then discarded by the state, Lopez said.
The “liberated” curriculum was criticized for its political focus on race and consciousness that seemed intent on alienating kids from institutions by presenting non-white people as victims and white people as oppressors, Lopez said.
But Palo Alto is adapting its class from the “inclusive” model curriculum put forward by the state in 2021, Lopez said.
Students learn about California ethnic groups’ histories, cultures, contributions and struggles, Lopez said.
The class would focus on four ethnic groups — African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans and Latinos.
Two instructional leads and two social science teachers piloted the course last semester and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students, Lopez said.
Three students from the pilot talked about how they liked the class because the projects felt connected to the real world and their own experiences.
“These kids are making me cry,” parent Linda Henigan said.
Austin also spoke in favor of Ethnic Studies.
“It represents our belief in the power of knowledge to connect and uplift,” Austin said.
But some parents, including a group waiting with frustration outside the district office, weren’t convinced that Ethnic Studies should be required.
“I don’t want our kids to be testers, to see if they’re divided,” parent Siming Li said.
Signs in the crowd reflected a divide — one group had signs that said “Ethnic Studies Now” and the other had signs that said “Trust and Transparency.”
Sarith Honigstein, part of a group called Palo Alto Parents’ Alliance, said 70% of the course is about power, oppression, and resistance, with a focus on violent resistance.
The class is like a far-left, college-level “race and resistance studies” course, Honigstein said after reviewing an outline published this week.
“It is now clear why the district steadfastly refused to provide anyone a meaningful opportunity for input and review,” she said. “The curriculum — designed to be taught to 14-year-old freshmen kids — contains extreme elements.”
Shame shame shame
The board was ambushed
Only the ethnic studies supporters were allowed in the room
This was a hijacked board meeting
It shows how NOT to decide on delicate important matters of a divided community
I don’t know why there is such fear about this class. My son took it, and it was basically a history class in the context of Native Americans, African Americans, Blacks, Latinos. My son learned a lot Aztecs and Mayan history and politics that he wouldn’t have ordinarily learned.
The fear is because teachers are refusing to share the content of their lessons and to allow public and board oversight over it. There have been many cases of racist content in this type of lessons and well as promotion of highly controversial frameworks (CRT, oppressor / oppressed). I don’t think anyone opposes learning about the history of our region and factual historical information. The fact that some (a small minority) of radicals are trying to use this class for other purposes is the problem.
That is the problem, it is being used for other purposes – namely, to indoctrinate students to fit a political preference.
How is it racist to use the word “oppressed”? Seriously please explain.
There are many ways to approach teaching Ethnic Studies, and I fully support an inclusive and balanced curriculum. However, the proposed shift toward a more radicalized version of Ethnic Studies is deeply concerning. What your son was taught sounds incredible, but unfortunately, that’s not the experience my kids will have under this new curriculum.
This is obviously untrue. Plenty of people against ethnic studies spoke during open forum and held up signs, so obviously they were let into the room. Also, the board called the meeting, how could they have been ambushed? Perhaps you need some education around critical thinking
No doubt. I’ve seen it before, too many times. The teachers and the administration stacked the public meeting.
The worst part was bringing the students to speak on behalf of a political issue. Shame indeed.
Shame indeed. This meeting was a pure setup. The worst is using the students for political purposes.
The course materials talk about how students will learn about their “oppressors.” Gee, I wonder who they will call an “oppressor”? This is indoctrination, not education.
The passion exhibited by the students and teachers was inspiring. I am not sure how a board member could have voted against the ethnic studies course based on what was presented at this meeting, but I still give Josh credit for having the courage to change his vote. Clearly, Rowena and Alison had made up their minds before the meeting took place. I also would like to give Shana credit for having the courage to support teachers and students knowing that it would upset the majority of her supporters. That takes courage, and she showed what true leadership looks like. This was a great lesson for the students who were there. This shows their actions can make a difference, and the system isn’t rigged against them. It was truly an inspiring.
This was not the case at the last board meeting, where students advocated for a Biology Honors course, only for the board to vote against it and cancel the program. Under the guise of promoting equity, we are lowering academic standards. It’s a slippery slope.
If you listened to the new biology course proposal carefully developed by our seasoned biology teachers, the new bio
class is a hybrid of the non-honors and honors. The teachers are able to differentiate within the class. For the students wishing for more rigor, the teachers will be able to provide deeper more advanced opportunities while also prepping anyone who wishes to pursue AP or honors STEM classes later. It’s not lowering standards, it just an innovative way to teach the class in order to add additional benefits all students. PAUSD never weighed BH in the first place and UC’s don’t consider Bio Honors as a true honors class so it’s a good year to do something like this. I trust the teachers when they say that 10th-12th STEM courses will continue to have H and AP options. These teachers know what they are doing. Some parents complain that the teachers are not transparent, but then proceed to not listen to their presentations about the course.
Not quite. In the presentation, they made it clear that the new 9th grade biology course (unlike the regular bio format) is a hybrid of bio honors and non-bio honors. Unlike regular bio, this new class will have differentiation within the class giving those passionate about bio rigorous opportunities, while giving others time and preparation to figure out if they would be a good fit for future AP or honors stem classes or not. Each student gets what they need within the class. These teachers know what they are doing as seasoned experts and want excellence for their students or they would not be refining their approaches with innovated strategies.
Exactly. What a disaster.
[Comment removed — Terms of Use violation. Poster is using different names on the same thread. Please, no sock puppets.]
Josh Salcman is a TREATOR.
He campaigned saying he would vote against Ethnic Studies.
He must RESIGN.
[Comment removed — Terms of Use violation. Poster is using different names on the same thread. Please, no sock puppets.]
[Comment removed — Terms of Use violation. Poster is using different names on the same thread. Please, no sock puppets.]
An ethnic studies course conceived in militancy, taught by militants, and bullied and manipulated to approval militantly can only breed more militancy, bullying and manipulation. “Agree, or else…” This is how Palo Alto now plans to increase “ethnic understanding and inclusion” in our schools and community. The mob won, and now everyone else will pay the price.
After being deceived by the Superintendent (under the guise of legal advice), and posting outdated and irrelevant brainstorming documents rather than the curriculum to be voted on, the Board decided to double down on ethnic studies as a graduation requirement—by axing a semester of world history. Their ‘data-driven’ decision was based on survey results from a whopping 20 students, handpicked by teachers for a guinea pig experiment. This came right after biology was de-landed, and math and reading scores are nosediving nationwide. So, in exchange for critical science (biology is the basis of living organisms), and US history education, they’ve decided thousands of kids need to learn how to judge their peers based on race, not by their character. This ‘Kangaroo Board’ clearly thinks dividing us is the best way to unite us.
I’m really glad the teachers and students voices were heard and respected, it seems lots of parents were scared and worried as there has been some fear mongering going on but people that spent the time to look at the course thought it was well put together, and how can we complain that our kids will learn about or the class will focus on, four ethnic groups — African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans and Latinos. This is like people who want to ban books in schools. Let the teachers teach, the children will be better rounded individuals for it.
[Comment removed — Terms of Use violation. Poster is using different names on the same thread. Please, no sock puppets.]
SHAME on the Board. They must RESIGN in disgrace.
They just voted for more RACIST, oppressive propaganda.
They are promoting HATRED, violence and anti-American values.
The Ethnic Studies content, that my daughter was subjected to is absolutely APPALLING. It is so appalling that the authors deliberately HIDE it from public review. They know what’s in it!
RESIGN if you can’t figure out what EDUCATION truly means!!
Yes I’m talking to you:
Josh Salcman,
Rowena Chiu,
Alison Kamhi.
SHAME SHAME SHAME on the 3 of you.
That’s an extraordinary claim. Do you have extraordinary evidence?
Yes I do.
Do your research online, all the “Liberated Ethnic Studies” are pure POISON.
One course from Menlo-Atherton that was published was beyond horrendous indoctrination. I still have copies of it.
Wrong names sorry:
Shounak Dharap, Shauna Segal and Josh Salcman are the treators.
[Comment removed — Terms of Use violation. Poster is using different names on the same thread. Please, no sock puppets.]
The board was not “hijacked”– everyone had a chance to speak digitally or in-person. Supporters showed up /early/ and organized, and whether or not you agree with the decision, the board was broadly opposed just days ago, and the vote itself came down to a single switch at the last moment.
This wasn’t an ambush. It was just organization– and, of course, the support of the majority of the student body, who the board represents as /trustees/. They are not your elected officials, but our trustees!
OK how about you pay the taxes from now on?
The voters should just throw the entire board out and start all over again. I’m very glad that I and my kids are out of this terrible school district. I was disappointed that the superintendent put in a good word for this class.
This meeting was a disgrace! There was blatant racism on display when the board president allowed the crowd to shout down the only minority woman board member, and it was embarrassing that the district did not even know its own processes about the ethnic studies pilot. Not only that, the room was packed with one side, with the majority of the other side outside not allowed to come in by one of the administrators who was manning the door.
The way the student board members treated Rowena Chiu was over-the-top. So rude.
It is incredibly disingenuous to say this is fear mongering…Look at what has happened at Menlo Atherton High school and what has been taught and the lawsuits that are now happening because of it. This is about indoctrinating future activists, and it is based on CRT.
Parents, unfortunately, have zero power against the teachers union. These meetings are simply political theater.
[Comment removed — Terms of Use violation. Poster is using different names on the same thread. Please, no sock puppets.]
This material is fine as an elective course. The students who participated in the pilot and spoke in its favor were clearly ones who elected to take it. If I were a student I would be appalled if I were required to take it. Why would a student who is leaning towards STEM be required to take a course about oppression as a condition for graduating, instead of focusing on what they’re interested in, and what would actually help them get ahead in life?
The more random classes are required, the fewer targeted classes can be taken, at the cost of education quality and student well being.
And this class is anything but random. Its curriculum is divisive and disturbing.
This course is not additional. No one will be deprived of any opportunity to take a STEM class because of ethnic studies, which replaces a semester of social studies.
Most colleges, including UCs and state colleges, categorize it as an elective.
This ethnic studies requirement reminds me of the 1619 Project that the New York Times has been pushing for years as a great piece of scholarship. It was written by one of their reporters who has an M.A. degree in journalism but a very large number of top American history scholars have said this reporter doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I wouldn’t be surprised if the social studies departments at Paly and Gunn use the 1619 Project as part of their curriculum as if it were gospel.
And we pay taxes for this [expletive deleted]? Instead of learning real history? What kind of adults we grow full of info that is biased and wrong and serving politicians?
It was clear that PAUSD is a mess. The teachers had no idea how the students were picked for the pilot. The specific material taught in this class was not clear. It felt like Salcman got a bit bullied to vote in favor. There was no muddle ground vote offered to defer and then reconsider. This course is further diluting the quality of education. Instead of offering additional meaningful courses like bio honors or multivariable calculus, the board chose to mandate a divisive course that is of no educational benefit to most. It should have at best been an elective. Palo Alto should recall this board.
Switch to a private school if you can afford it. Let this school district stew in its juices. Push for vouchers.
Want to bet that when the school board took that 15 minute break before the vote and retreated to their safe room that they discussed with one another how they would vote? That would be a violation of the Brown Act. But they figured they could get away with it — who would tell on them? For the three newbie members, this is how corruption begins. Happy with what you’re become? Would you be proud of this if it became public? How would you explain your law-breaking to your kids? You’re probably thinking, “Let’s hooe the DA never finds out.”
After watching that meeting, I can see Salcman getting bullied by the four other ladies on the board. He seems like such a soy-boy. And Rowena seemed freaked out by the angry crowd, as if Harvey Weinstein was in the audience. So, yeah, I’m sure some threats were made in the panic room.
This is really disgusting.
Are the teachers all unanimous on this?
Yes
Yes.
Who cares? I attended Palo Alto schools from 1955 to 1968. Back then the whole district was just fine with the U.S. government drafting all male graduates and sending them to Viet Nam to be killed in a stuoid war. Today, though, everybody embraces every single woke idea that comes down the pike. It’s like they never get it right.
No doubt. I’ve seen it before, too many times. The teachers and the administration stacked the public.
The worst part was bringing the students to speak on behalf of a political issue. Shame indeed.
Is Honors Biology racist?
This was the first board meeting I’ve watched and I was shocked at how rude the two students were to the board members. They were confrontational and aggressive. Why did they get so much air time? They are 17-year old students! Doesn’t the board run this district?
They treated Rowena Chiu as if they were prosecuting attorneys and she was being deposed. I’m not hiring those kids to work at my company, thank you very much.
I thought we were past “peak woke”. Apparently not at PAUSD.
Everyone should read the article or listen to the interview by Marc Andreessen that was published in the New York Times. It is shocking what we teach kids in schools. The left has just gone too far, and they are shooting themselves in the foot.
@Anon Res
No, the teachers are not unanimous.
So now teachers will get their wish and will be able to freely indoctrinate our kids in revisionist history, such as Nikole Hanna-Jones’ laughable 1619 Project. Among other falsehoods she claims the American Revolution was fought primarily to preserve slavery. While most schools have dropped the 1619 Project because of its numerous errors, I guess it will live on in the Palo Alto schools.