Before the first week of school, the Menlo Park-based advocacy group SUHSD Students First sent out a newsletter containing claims about how to opt-out from M-A’s freshman Ethnic Studies class. While the email stated that students have a legal right to opt out, the class remains a District-enforced graduation requirement, and all requests to be exempted have been denied.
The District made Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement starting with the freshman class of 2022, preceding California Bill AB 101, which enacted Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement for all California high schools starting the 2025-26 school year. In the following two years, the class has been the subject of multiple controversies and has sparked lawsuits within the District. Due to this, the course is undergoing curriculum revisions for the current school year.
Students First’s email, sent out before school began, informed parents that they had a right to email administrators from schools District-wide to request an opt-out. Their email template included the following:
“I hereby exercise my right to Opt-Out my student, [student name] from the Ethnic Studies course in 2025/26 course pursuant to my understanding of California Ed. Code, SUHSD board policy, state law, federal law, and at least one recent US Supreme Court decision.”
For some classes, students can find alternate ways to complete a given credit category. For instance, M-A offers a variety of art classes to fulfill the one-year required art credit and allows students to take online classes to fulfill requirements for multiple other subjects. However, opting out of a graduation requirement is never an option. “Our board policy does not provide for opt-outs from entire courses which are required for graduation,” Principal Karl Losekoot said. “There are no other graduation-required courses that we allow students or families to opt out of.”
Unlike most other required courses at M-A, there are no alternate methods to receive the credits for Ethnic Studies offered by the school—although an online version of the class is available for transfer students and those who failed the class.
However, even that limited alternative has faced criticism. “[The summer course] included required personal identity disclosures (gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and class, etc.), assignments framing students as ‘oppressors’ or ‘victims,’ and materials portraying violent resistance as necessary and inevitable – with little attention to the histories and contributions of underrepresented groups,” Students First wrote in their email.
“Constructive alternatives exist, such as Constructive Ethnic Studies (see calethstudies.org), that focus on bridge-building, celebrating cultural achievements, confronting racism, and exposing students to multiple perspectives. Hate, discrimination, retaliation, intolerance, and bullying should not be tolerated by SUHSD leadership,” a spokesperson for Students First said. The spokesperson would not disclose their identity to prevent retaliation against their child.
The combination of the current work-in-progress curriculum and the lack of viable alternatives for students has also led to concerns from parents of students with 504s and IEPs. “Parents and accommodations teams have no way to review the curriculum to judge whether the class is appropriate or whether it risks violating their FERPA rights,” the spokesperson said.
According to an email sent to an M-A parent by Principal Losekoot, parents are able to schedule a 30-minute viewing session at the District Office to view the current curriculum by contacting Rosa Miralles or be mailed the unit materials for a fee.
“We offered the families who requested an opt-out option the opportunity to view the curriculum if they would like, and we have communicated that the course is currently being revised through a formal District process,” Losekoot said.
California Ed. Code section 51225.3 instructs districts to provide alternate ways to complete graduation requirements. However, state guidance clarifies the flexibility built into this section. “The Education Code is permissive…school districts have the authority to determine whether, and how, to exempt students from their local requirements,” an analysis by the California State Assembly Education Committee stated.
“While the law [AB 101] was passed, it remains an unfunded mandate, likely because of the widespread opposition to the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum and its guidelines,” Students First said. Unfunded mandates at the state level defer the decision to the local government, meaning that the District ultimately decides whether students are required to take the course.
Although the course’s curriculum is being revised, the class remains a graduation requirement for the 2025-26 school year.
“My hope is that students and families continue to engage in the course with thoughtful and constructive feedback,” Losekoot said.
The District will discuss graduation requirements for the 2026-27 school year at an upcoming Board meeting. Community members can voice their opinions on the Ethnic Studies curriculum and requirement status during the public comment at any Board meeting.
