FAIR network attorney, Lauren Janov summarized the status of the ethnic studies mandate in a recent op-ed published in the journal EdSource. When the California legislature passed AB101, the bill mandating that high schools offer an ethnic studies course starting in Fall 2025, they added a hugely consequential sentence — the ethnic studies graduation requirement will become “operative only upon an appropriation of funds” in separate legislation. The Senate Appropriation Committee estimated that the ethnic studies requirement would cost taxpayers $276 million per year, which competed with other more urgent priorities. The net result was that the 2025-26 state budget did not appropriate funds for ethnic studies, which means that the mandate has lapsed.
In the meantime, many school districts developed ethnic studies courses in anticipation of the mandate, and its associated funding. Approximately ¼ of all California high schools now offer ethnic studies with the overwhelming majority offering the most ideological version referred to as liberated ethnic studies. As summarized in a recent article in Politico, these classes have been extremely divisive with much of the controversy occurring in the San Francisco Bay Area. Some of the most heated exchanges have occurred at board meetings of the Palo Alto, San Mateo and Tampalpais Union School districts.
The lack of a state mandate does not mean that ethnic studies requirements will go away. Some schools are backing away from the requirement while others are doubling down with the support of activists including many teachers. A recent example occurred in San Francisco where parents were sent a notice that their ninth graders would be automatically enrolled in a full year ethnic studies course. This notice was sent out over the objection of the school board president.
FAIR has a number of resources that will be helpful for parents concerned about ethnic studies mandates. The most basic is a 2-page handout explaining ethnic studies for someone new to the issue. This handout includes information on what to look for in an ethnic studies course. For those wanting more detail, we have an analysis of the California ethnic studies model curriculum as well as analyses/letters that have been used in other school districts. Although each school district has created its own curriculum, there are common patterns that we can help you identify.
