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District rolls out ethnic studies curriculum, adds professional development and opt‑out guidance
Summary
San Ramon Valley Unified presented its ethnic studies rollout: course and curriculum approved, summer professional development held, curriculum adjustments made in response to community feedback, and staff will gather anonymous student feedback and provide opt‑out procedures aligned with recent legal guidance.
San Ramon Valley Unified's board received an update on ethnic studies implementation for 2025–26, including curriculum refinements, professional development and steps to collect student and community feedback.
Executive Director Deb Pettish said the district adopted the ethnic studies course and curriculum in May and has started professional development with teachers who will deliver the instruction. Pettish noted Assembly Bill 101 established ethnic studies as a graduation requirement for the class of 2030, but that the state did not include dedicated funding for implementation in the most recent state budget. Pettish said staff nevertheless proceeded with planning and PD and have made targeted curriculum changes after community input, citing additions such as Jewish American experiences and explicit lessons addressing antisemitism.
Dr. Hong (curriculum lead) said teachers who will teach the course participated in summer PD emphasizing community‑building, inclusive classroom practices and boundaries for sharing personal information. "Students are not required to share personal information," Dr. Hong said, describing changes to materials and the removal of some resources based on community feedback.
Staff told the board they will collect anonymous student feedback via Google forms and have processes to accept non‑district courses (NDCs) for students who choose to satisfy the requirement outside district instruction; counselors will manage schedule changes and course‑change requests. Board members asked how recent Supreme Court guidance on religious opt‑outs (Moore v. Taylor context discussed) might affect implementation; staff said the district is developing an opt‑out procedure that will require families to state religious objections and will consult legal guidance before finalizing an operational policy.
Staff will continue PD through the year, collect feedback from students, parents and teachers, and return with an implementation update in spring 2026.
