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San Dieguito board keeps English 9/9 Honors with Ethnic Studies as optional graduation pathway after public debate
Summary
After input from roughly 20 public speakers and staff presentations, the San Dieguito Union High School District Board voted to continue listing English 9/9 Honors with Ethnic Studies as an optional course that can satisfy 10 units of the district's English graduation requirement; Trustee Phan Anderson voted no.
The San Dieguito Union High School District Board of Trustees voted Jan. 22 to continue listing English 9/9 Honors with Ethnic Studies as an optional high-school offering that satisfies 10 units toward the district's English graduation requirement.
District staff presented the course recommendation, and more than 20 community members and students spoke during public comment about the curriculum before the vote. Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Bryan Marcus and Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Brieahna Weatherford described the course as an optional pathway designed to meet district graduation requirements.
Supporters included students and parents who told the board the curriculum provided inclusive perspectives and rigorous coursework appropriate for honors credit. Opponents and some commenters raised concerns about curricular content and called for additional review. The meeting record lists speakers on both sides of the issue, including students Syon Mishra and Taarika Sethee and community members such as Bob Ayers and Melissa Fischel.
Trustee Rimga Viskanta moved the recommendation and Trustee Jodie Williams seconded. The motion carried with Trustees Viskanta, Williams, Jane Lea Smith and Michael Allman voting yes; Trustee Phan Anderson voted no. Preferential student board members recorded a unanimous yes vote.
The board's action keeps the course optional and available to students who choose the honors pathway; the district did not adopt new curriculum language or remove alternative English options at this meeting. The board did not indicate further immediate changes to graduation requirements beyond continuing to list the course as an option.
