District Spending $150K on Ethnic Studies Training

Castro Valley Unified Board of Trustees voted last Thursday to spend $150,000 as part of a broad training program for its Ethnic Studies teachers in anticipation of the upcoming state graduation requirement for public schools.

Every public high school student in California will be required to take a semester of Ethnic Studies starting with those graduating in the 2029-30 school year. The requirement that took effect on January 1 and was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom has its roots in California Assembly Bill 101.

In its unanimous (5-0) vote, the Board said the training will help teachers create a new course that is specific to the needs of Castro Valley students and the surrounding community. The goal is for students to understand the perspectives of major underrepresented racial groups in the United States including African Americans, Chicanx/Latinx, Asian Americans, and Indigenous groups.

Teacher training is set to begin on March 4.

“This training process will span more than a year and will involve all teachers of the new class,” CVUSD Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Jason Reimann told the Forum. “Depending on projected enrollment, the number of sections and the number of teachers who are interested in teaching ethnic studies, the number of teachers who will be a part of the group may vary.”

The overall cost includes materials and supplies, as well as teacher compensation for work time beyond the contracted hours and work year, Dr. Reimann added.

Much of the cost ($82,560) will go to a contract with Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (LESMC), which specializes in Ethnic Studies courses and training programs for school districts and universities. LESMC has similar teacher-training contracts with Hayward Unified and Salinas Unified schools. The training includes a specific session for white teachers to help them engage in ethnic studies work and, “teaching through an understanding and reflection on their privilege, power, and positionality.”

LESMC is only one part of CVUSD’s overarching training plan, Dr. Reimann said. Ethnic Studies is currently being piloted as an 8th Grade course at Canyon Middle School with input from author, educator, and activist Tyson Amir and his Freedom Soul Media Education Initiatives group. The course is expected to be expanded to include 6th grade as well and offered at Creekside Middle School for the 2022-23 school year.

Not everyone is pleased with the decision to contract LESMC. Members of the local Jewish community claim LESMC’s lessons about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are biased, anti-Israel, and disparaging of the mainstream Jewish community. Prior to its vote, the Board of Trustees took in comments for more than 30 minutes from local rabbis, parents, students, and community members who asked the Board to reconsider its contract with LESMC.

“In our national environment of rising antisemitism, many Jewish students have been attacked and bullied for their identity, and for expressing any connection, real or perceived, to Israel,” Deborah Yager, a 32-year Castro Valley resident, and former CVHS teacher, told the Forum. “Contracting with Liberated Ethnic Studies would bring pain to the Castro Valley Jewish Community.”

The Board said even with the inclusion of Palestine as a topic that it is sensitive to and inclusive of all cultures and groups, and that it stands against hate in all forms.

“The Board and district leaders have worked intentionally over the last several years to create safe and inclusive learning environments,” CVUSD Board President Dot Theodore told the Forum. “There is always room to improve. LESMC will guide our staff on how to develop a curriculum that teaches the history of our experiences in America and promotes thoughtful lessons and conversations. With all of the heartfelt comments we heard, the Board is walking this road with eyes wide open.”