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Board rejects facing‑history consultant amid wider ethnic‑studies fight
Summary
Curriculum staff recommended adding Facing History and Ourselves as an ethnic‑studies consultant, but after weeks of public controversy and hours of testimony about Palestine, Zionism and curricular framing, trustees voted not to approve the contract.
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District board on May 7 debated whether to add Facing History and Ourselves (FHAO) as a supplemental consultant for ethnic-studies curriculum and ultimately declined to approve the contract.
Curriculum staff explained the proposal as an effort to expand professional development and provide additional curricular materials for English and social‑studies instruction. "This is being brought back from our April 16 meeting because it was not discussed then. It would round out our ethnic-studies offerings," Assistant Superintendent Claudia Moharas told the board (presentation by Claudia Moharas).
Public testimony divided sharply. Supporters said FHAO adds pedagogical resources and teacher training; critics warned that the nonprofit’s materials omit or marginalize Palestine and reflect funding sources they tied to pro‑Israel advocacy. "Facing History and Ourselves... can be interpreted as promoting a particular view of Israel and Zionism," a critical commenter argued; others said the organization offers valuable Holocaust and civic‑education materials.
Trustees questioned whether FH&CO met the state ethnic-studies framework and whether teachers had been consulted. "AB 101 requires an ethnic-studies class with specific frameworks," one trustee said. The board also discussed whether the district was relying on state‑recommended frameworks and asked staff about teacher usage and costs.
After debate the motion to approve the contract failed on a roll-call vote. District officials said the proposal could be revisited with additional teacher input and clearer guidance on how outside providers would be used alongside existing contracts (CRA and Dr. Rodriguez were discussed in the same agenda packet).
What happens next: curriculum staff said they will continue to work with teachers and the community to refine ethnic-studies implementation and that the district has remaining grant funds for curriculum development and professional learning. Trustees asked for clearer documentation of teacher usage, vendor staffing and cost-benefit analysis before any future approval.
Sources: May 7 board meeting presentation by Assistant Superintendent Claudia Moharas; public comments during agenda item 10.3; vote recorded at the meeting.
