Oak Grove expands ethnic‑studies rollout to elementary grades, trains teachers and plans in‑district trainers

Assistant Superintendent Anna updated the board on the district's ethnic‑studies implementation and teacher training during an information item Dec. 12.

Anna recapped the origin of the work (board resolutions and a steering committee) and described three cohorts: cohort 1 (middle‑school introductory course pilots and unit development), cohort 2 (middle‑school history/social‑science teachers developing cornerstone lessons), and cohort 3 (current K–3 teachers receiving foundational training and beginning corner‑stone lesson development for primary grades). The district is contracting with consultants for foundational training and is simultaneously training district staff (a train‑the‑trainer approach) so the program can be sustained in‑house after funding ends.

Anna shared early student survey findings from pilot classes: 85% of students reported enjoying learning about different cultures; 83% reported learning about fairness, social‑justice and diverse perspectives; 79% reported increased understanding of social‑justice issues; and 88% reported feeling happy and included in their ethnic‑studies class. The district plans to survey students again in January to continue evaluating effectiveness.

Board members asked how lessons developed by cohorts will be scaled and how to avoid misrepresentations in classrooms (one trustee shared a parent report that a child came away with an inaccurate idea about indigenous peoples). Anna said the plan is to provide curated supplemental curricular materials, continue instructional rounds and build teacher capacity through the train‑the‑trainer model so lessons can be shared and taught with fidelity.

What to watch: cohort 3 work this year (K–3) and the district's train‑the‑trainer rollout, plus January student surveys and planned training for grades 4–6 next year.