BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
Parents are asking the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District to have freshmen take World History instead of Ethnic Studies, which they complained is divisive and doesn’t prepare students for life after high school.
“You are hurting our kids’ chances to get into college,” said parent Tal Shalon, one of 600 parents to sign a petition supporting World History over Ethnic Studies.
The school district has gone further and faster than neighboring districts by requiring Ethnic Studies as a year-long course starting two years ago with the class of 2027.
For comparison, the Palo Alto Unified School District will require one semester of Ethnic Studies, starting in the fall with the graduating class of 2029.
In Mountain View and Los Altos, the district made room for Ethnic Studies by no longer requiring World History.
Parents argued on Monday that Ethnic Studies has become a “platform for political activism” that promotes racial division rather than unity,” parent Hillary Frank said.
“Students feel uncomfortable in class, are pressured to adopt certain beliefs and witness discussions that create more resentment and division than understanding,” she said, urging the board to make Ethnic Studies a one-semester elective.
Parent Jenny Polyakov said World History covered important topics like Rousseau’s principles of freedom, Asia’s vast empires, the Indian Renaissance and African colonization.
“Removing this curriculum will cause major educational gaps, in my personal opinion, leaving kids vulnerable to TikToks, Instagram or any misinformation,” Polyakov said.
Former Los Altos Mayor Jan Pepper said her kids learned how different societies function and the importance of world leaders from taking World History.
Parents were backed up by board members Alex Levich and Vadim Katz, who were elected in November.
“The way we have set up our history requirements are not on par with what others are doing and are not putting our students in a competitive position,” Levich said on Monday.
Katz said students have told him that teachers are imposing their opinion in the class. Students “know very well what they’re supposed to write about in their essays in Ethnic Studies. This is so wrong. It could be fixed,” Katz said.
But Superintendent Eric Volta said it’s too late to make changes for next year, because the deadline to layoff teachers passed on March 15.
The board can revisit Ethnic Studies starting at their next meeting on April 21 and make a decision by January, Volta said.
Incoming freshmen have already created their four-year plans, board member Thida Cornes said.
“This train has left the station. Students have already taken Ethnic Studies, have already signed up for Ethnic Studies,” Cornes said.
The state Legislature passed a law three years ago to mandate Ethnic Studies starting with the 2025-26 school year.
But Assembly Bill 101 said the requirement was “only upon an appropriation of funds by the Legislature,” and Gov. Newsom didn’t include funding in his budget proposed on Jan. 10.
Assembly Bill 1468, co-authored by Peninsula state Sen. Josh Becker, is making its way through the Legislature to put more guardrails on Ethnic Studies, Volta said.
Parent Ilana Cohen said 80% of the class materials are YouTube videos.
“If there was a textbook it’d (all) be so much easier,” board member Catherine Vonnegut said.
A solid history class should, as a byproduct, teach students everything useful an ethnic studies class would have to offer. The activism and oppressor/oppressed dogma have nothing to do with preparing young people for college or life.