Lawmakers again consider requiring ethnic studies for a high school diploma

Last September, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation that would make taking an ethnic studies course a high school graduation requirement. In his veto message, Newsom said he was troubled by the draft versions of the ethnic studies model curriculum and would direct his staff to work with State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond to ensure the curriculum “achieves balance, fairness and is inclusive of all communities.”

With the state board’s final adoption last month of the model curriculum, the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday took the first step to sending a nearly identical bill back to Newsom. Assembly Bill 101, once again authored by Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, would require all districts and charter schools to offer at least a one-semester ethnic studies course starting in 2025-26 and to make it a graduation requirement starting with the Class of 2030.

The model curriculum, which school districts will have the discretion to use or ignore, had a contentious path, with multiple revisions, before the state board adopted it.

Critics and supporters still disagree whether it’s fair and balanced. And Newsom hasn’t indicated yet whether he would sign the new bill. But Thurmond, whose staff oversaw the model curriculum’s creation, endorsed it, and Darling-Hammond voted for it without expressing reservations. Newsom is proposing $7 million in next year’s state budget for training teachers in ethnic studies — an indication he’s ready to move on.

Comments and testimony at the hearing reflected continuing disagreements.

Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, said ethnic studies is important “in this era of looking at reconciliation and racial justice and the diversity of our students.” Referring to rising incidents of hate, McCarty said, “I can’t help to think that more understanding of culture and diversity and communities of color by young high school kids is only going to help the situation.”

Speaking to Medina, Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, said, “I don’t have any doubt that your goal is to promote healing and understanding and empowerment.” But the adopted curriculum, he said, “does the opposite. And the reason we know that is because you’ve had various groups who have come forward and said, ‘We feel targeted by this. We feel like this curriculum is casting us in our history and our culture and our beliefs and our community in a negative light.’”

The bill was passed on a 5-2 vote, with McCarty in favor and Kiley against, and will head next to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. As a mandated cost, the state would have to reimburse districts for implementing the course. An Assembly analysis did not estimate the cost.