In 2021, California passed Assembly Bill 101 (AB 101), which requires high school students to complete one semester of Ethnic Studies to graduate, effective with the Class of 2030. Public high schools are required to offer the course starting in the 2025–26 school year.
The state provided a “model curriculum” grounded in the “Liberated Ethnic Studies” framework — a controversial approach that emphasizes systems of oppression and social justice activism.
Instead of objectively teaching the history of race in America, this framework often divides people into categories of “oppressors” and “victims” based on their race or ethnicity, advancing a specific ideology.
In the San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD), the administration proposed embedding a full semester of Ethnic Studies into the 9th-grade English curriculum. This bypassed more appropriate options, such as integrating the content into history or offering a stand-alone course for upperclassmen.
This raised serious concerns. Ninth-grade English is foundational and has been honed over decades to build critical thinking, reading comprehension, and writing skills. Yet under AB 101, any course meeting the Ethnic Studies mandate must devote the majority of instructional time to that content.
This means stripping out core English material to make room for Ethnic Studies content. Many educators and parents viewed this as detrimental to students’ academic development.
I objected to this proposal. When I requested a Board vote on whether to integrate Ethnic Studies into the English curriculum, the then Board President refused. The majority of the Board remained silent, allowing the plan to proceed without formal approval.
To her credit, the Superintendent agreed to a public process to review the curriculum, which led to modest improvements. Still, the course remained rooted in the divisive framework underlying the state’s model curriculum.
I proposed making the course optional. Families who preferred traditional English could fulfill the Ethnic Studies requirement later, through independent study, a community college course, or another alternative.
This approach seemed especially reasonable, since students transferring into the district later in high school would need such options anyway. The administration rejected the idea, citing cost and scheduling complications, and again the Board declined to vote.
Then, somewhat unexpectedly, the Governor’s proposed budget failed to allocate funding for implementing AB 101. Since the law requires state funding to take effect, this puts the mandate on hold. SDUHSD now had a clear path forward: pause the program and return to the proven English curriculum.
Instead, a small but vocal group pushed to keep Ethnic Studies as a local graduation requirement. Some districts, like Palo Alto, even imposed the mandate despite the law being inactive, prompting significant public backlash.
Fortunately, when the issue returned to our Board, the administration proposed a practical compromise: make the Ethnic Studies-English course optional. Suddenly, cost and scheduling concerns were apparently no longer an issue!
While I would have preferred shelving the course entirely, I supported the optional model. Under this plan, no student is forced into the new curriculum. Parents can choose what they feel is best for their child.
After discussion — and reluctant support from some of our Board members — we voted to make the integrated course optional.
Last week, the incoming freshman class finalized their course selections. The results speak volumes. Across our four high schools, only 12% of students selected the integrated English/Ethnic Studies course. At Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon, interest was so low that a single section may not be viable. Canyon Crest had enough interest for one section, while San Dieguito Academy had possibly three.
Parents have spoken. Most prefer the traditional English curriculum that has served students well for decades.
This isn’t necessarily over. If the state funds AB 101 in the future, the requirement will resume. Until then, we should respect parents’ choices, prioritize educational excellence, and protect core academic subjects from ideological overreach.
Let parents choose. Let students learn without political coercion. That’s what real educational equity looks like.
Michael Allman is a trustee of the San Dieguito Union High School District.
