CARLSBAD — A proposed ethnic studies elective course drew both praise and criticism during a Carlsbad Unified School District board meeting Wednesday, as administrators outlined plans for a new high school class that will meet state requirements beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.
The course, presented by Assistant Superintendent Robert Nye and Director of Secondary Education Bryan Brockett, would be offered as a year-long elective to students in grades 9 through 12. The proposal marks the first step in a two-meeting public process required by Assembly Bill 101, which mandates that all California high school districts offer at least one ethnic studies course by next year.
“We’re not making a recommendation on a graduation requirement or a required course for graduation tonight,” Brockett said. “We’re merely talking about an elective course for students who are interested in taking ethnic studies.”
The curriculum is modeled after the California Department of Education’s ethnic studies framework, focusing on underrepresented histories, identity, civil discourse and media representation. Brockett said the course emphasizes the four core disciplines of ethnic studies and incorporates feedback from both an internal working group and an external advisory committee of parents and community members.
He also addressed concerns from some residents, stating the course outline does not incorporate topics tied to the more controversial “liberated ethnic studies” model, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We recognize that throughout we weren’t going to capture every group or every component of ethnic studies that could possibly be included,” Brockett said. “This unit allows students to think about things that are pertinent to them, to give them an opportunity to explore areas that are of interest.”
So far, the course has garnered sufficient student interest to be offered at Sage Creek High School, where one section will be available next year. Carlsbad High School did not receive enough student sign-ups to run the course.
During public comment, community members voiced a range of perspectives.
Scott Davison, executive director of the Carlsbad Education Alliance and a member of the district’s Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee, criticized the course and its underlying curriculum.
“It might be straight from the model curriculum, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s based on liberated ethnic studies and critical race theory,” Davison said. “Parents are told that ethnic studies is about learning the history of underrepresented groups, but it’s really about pushing an alternative narrative that America was – and still is – institutionally racist.”
Carlsbad Unified has maintained that critical race theory (CRT) is not part of its instruction. According to the Association of California School Administrators, CRT is “a high-level legal concept that holds that racism can impact multiple societal areas, ranging from housing, education and everything in between.”
The organization describes ethnic studies as “the interdisciplinary study of people of color,” while CRT is used to “analyze policies to determine if racism played a role in their development.” ACSA states that “the complex legal aspects of Critical Race Theory make it impossible for the theory to be taught in California public schools,” and notes that CRT should not be confused with educational equity initiatives.
Still, Davison believes the proposed elective course is divisive and employs the same concepts found in CRT, such as systemic racism and intersectionality.
“It is disappointing to see the board ignore the feedback from the many civil rights groups, community members and even its own Advisory Committee to push forward with a divisive Ethnic Studies course that focuses on the Critical Race Theory concepts of systemic racism and intersectionality,” Davison said. “These lessons divide students based on stereotypes about race, ethnicity and privilege, when the Legislature intended Ethnic Studies to help students appreciate the contributions of multiple cultures.
Jennifer Zamora, a parent and fellow advisory committee member, voiced strong support for the elective.
“This course is not about division, it’s about inclusion,” Zamora said. “It empowers students with a more complete understanding of our collective history.”
The proposal comes after the school board approved a modified version of an ethnic studies course within Carlsbad High School’s Film Academy in March 2023. Following vigorous public debate from both sides of the partisan aisle, the course description and framework were revised to remove references to “institutional racism” and “White Eurocentric dominant culture.”
As required by the state Education Code, the latest proposed elective course must be discussed at a public board meeting before it can be approved at a subsequent meeting. The Carlsbad Unified School Board is scheduled to revisit the item for possible approval on June 18.
