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Trustees approve local ethnic-studies course aligned to California model curriculum after public comment
Summary
After public comment urging broader representation, the Windsor Unified board voted to approve a locally developed ethnic-studies course aligned to the state’s model curriculum (the four core focal areas) and removed an added Islamic/Middle Eastern emphasis from the submitted outline; staff will submit the course to UC Doorways for A–G review.
The Windsor Unified School District Board of Trustees on Jan. 22 approved a locally developed ethnic-studies course outline and directed staff to submit the document to UC Doorways for A–G consideration, after a public comment period that raised concerns about which groups were included in the course.
The discussion began with community commenters who urged the board to include Jewish and Arab perspectives when adopting ethnic-studies materials. One public commenter described demographic counts and cautioned that omitting groups risks erasure. Board and staff members responded that the district’s submitted course aligns to the California model curriculum’s four recognized focal areas for high school ethnic studies — Native American Studies; African American Studies; Chicano/Latino Studies; and Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies — and that this alignment reflected legal and review standards for A–G recognition.
Assistant Superintendent Brian Williams (presenting district materials) and staff explained the practical step the district needed to take: approve a course outline that conforms to the state’s model curriculum and then submit that outline to the UC Doorways review process. During discussion trustees and staff noted the model curriculum is a state product and the district’s action was to adopt a locally developed course consistent with that model before seeking A–G approval.
Why it matters: Ethnic-studies course adoption can shape which histories and perspectives appear in high-school curricula and determines whether a course will be acceptable for UC/CSU admissions credits if Doorways approves it. Public commenters cautioned the board about community sensitivities and urged careful local review ahead of formal adoption; the board moved to approve the model-aligned outline and to post the final uploaded document.
Next steps: Staff will upload the final, corrected course document to the board agenda package and submit the course to UC Doorways for A–G review. Board members said they would continue to hear community input while the coursework and materials are refined.
