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Carlsbad Unified to form ad hoc advisory committee to guide ethnic‑studies course development
Summary
Staff recommended forming an ad hoc advisory committee of parents, students and staff to provide capacity-building and feedback on a high‑school ethnic‑studies course to be offered in 2025–26; trustees urged including community members with lived experience from the four core communities in the state model and asked staff to solicit broad interest.
Carlsbad Unified staff recommended forming an ad hoc advisory committee to provide community feedback and capacity-building as the district develops a high‑school ethnic‑studies course required under state law.
Doctor Brockett told the board that Assembly Bill 101 (the state law requiring ethnic studies as part of graduation) requires districts to offer a course beginning in the 2025–26 school year and to adopt updated graduation requirements by 2026–27 for the Class of 2030. He said staff's recommended approach pairs a working group of teachers and instructional staff who draft the course with an ad hoc advisory committee of parents, students and staff that would meet three times in fall and winter to receive capacity-building and provide informed feedback.
Public commenter Allison (Allison) Emery thanked the district for involving the community and urged staff to provide clear, concise materials that explain differences among ethnic-studies approaches so committee applicants and the broader public understand what the course will and will not include. "There's a lot floating around that believe the constructive or inclusive ethnic studies and the liberal critical ethnic studies are one and the same," she said, urging clarity.
Trustees broadly supported the idea of including community members who have lived experience and historical perspective in early curriculum development; Trustee Williamson asked that the ad hoc committee include elders and others whose life experiences would add historical depth. Trustees asked staff to solicit interest through regular district channels and to return with a recommendation on committee size, meeting times and recruitment materials. Doctor Brockett said the committee would be modeled on the district's prior "forward together" advisory group and that staff would ensure applicants understand state curricular requirements and which elements are nonnegotiable.
The matter was discussed as an information item; trustees indicated some level of support and directed staff to return with a plan for recruitment and committee design for future board consideration.
