Prioritize Core Academics and Fiscal Responsibility in SFUSD
San Francisco students deserve a rigorous, well-rounded education. SFUSD's two-semester Ethnic Studies graduation requirement restricts student choice, diverts millions in local funds during a budget crisis, and prioritizes a local mandate over core instruction.
SFUSD is one of the only districts in California requiring a two-semester Ethnic Studies course to graduate. This course is not a current California graduation requirement, and the district receives no state funding for its mandate - yet spends millions per year in local funds during a severe budget crisis. These dollars should support students in meeting state standards in math and reading, and protect access to advanced math and science, world languages, and other college-preparatory courses. The academic need is urgent: only 46% of our students are proficient in Math and only 53% are proficient in English Language Arts. With outcomes like these, every instructional minute and every dollar must be spent on core subjects.
SFUSD's year-long mandate is an outlier in California. Many districts, including Santa Ana Unified and Mountain View Los Altos, have walked back their Ethnic Studies mandates, returning the course to an elective, reducing it to one semester, or pausing it altogether. SFUSD's bespoke two-semester requirement also disproportionately affects students who rely on flexible pathways, including students with IEPs, English learners, and those in credit recovery.
SFUSD students take Ethnic Studies before foundational U.S. and World History courses, prioritizing a local mandate over core history instruction. Students are asked to analyze complex historical themes before learning the broader historical frameworks that provide essential context. This sequencing undermines meaningful learning and weakens preparation for advanced coursework.
The district's rushed rollout of the "Voices" pilot curriculum compounds the problem. The review process was compressed, community input was minimal, and what passed for vetting was little more than a rubber stamp. The result is a curriculum that follows the same pattern as SFUSD's homegrown curriculum - the one that had to be removed after significant controversy. Rather than the balanced, inquiry-based approach the California legislature envisioned, "Voices" continues to present a narrow, ideologically driven framework that reduces complex history to a binary lens.
We urge SFUSD to course-correct now. In the midst of a structural deficit, every dollar and every instructional minute must align with core academic priorities:
• Revise the current "Voices" pilot curriculum to align with SFUSD's own values, state standards, and criteria for culturally responsive teaching.
• Follow standard practice: pilot multiple Ethnic Studies curricula before adopting any single model districtwide - with adequate time for implementation, evaluation, and community review.
• Reduce the two-semester Ethnic Studies mandate to one semester.
• Sequence Ethnic Studies as an 11th or 12th grade course, after students complete foundational history courses like U.S. History and World History, so students have the context to engage critically with the material.
• Direct resources to support student achievement in math and reading.
• Safeguard access to advanced coursework and the academic pathways students depend on for college and career readiness.
Add your name to urge SFUSD to prioritize the needs of our high school students