In 2014, the San Francisco Board of Education voted to remove Algebra I from the eighth-grade curriculum.I am a former San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) student whose parents moved me to a private high school due to the board’s decision. Many of my peers did not have that option, and I witnessed how that decision limited their academic opportunities. By eliminating Algebra I as an eighth-grade option, SFUSD erected roadblocks preventing my classmates from reaching senior-year calculus. A Stanford study later corroborated this, revealing that Advanced Placement (AP) math enrollment immediately dropped by 15 percent, driven by declines in AP calculus participation.
Recently, the board voted 5–2 to require ethnic studies as a two-semester graduation requirement. In the days leading up to the vote, I had challenging conversations with friends. Some were passionate and eager to speak, while others felt uninformed, hesitant, or even intimidated by potential backlash. I encouraged classmates to attend the meeting, helped organize speakers, and worked closely with our team to craft our key messages. Although not everyone I spoke to came, many shared that our conversations sparked reflection on their original views. This experience demonstrated the importance of engaging peers in civic discourse, especially when their voices are often overlooked. SFUSD students deserve to be heard in decisions that shape their education, and I am proud that we made our voices heard.
The San Francisco Standard reported that SFUSD plans to allocate $2 million toward piloting this expanded curriculum. This expenditure follows SFUSD’s recent layoffs of approximately 100 administrators and significant cuts to its “nonessential” programs, including the Environmental Science Center, to address a daunting $114 million budget deficit.
Former director of the California Parent Teacher Association Carol Kocivar confirmed that this expanded ethnic studies curriculum remains unapproved by state educational bodies. Kocivar questioned the wisdom of the timing, asking, “Should [SFUSD] be spending money on a course that isn’t mandated by the state at a time when they’re struggling to balance their books?”
Currently, SFUSD freshmen already complete one mandatory ethnic studies semester. Students have raised concerns about divisive curriculum elements, including material perceived as honoring the Chinese Cultural Revolution’s Red Guards and exacerbating tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As the daughter of a Chinese immigrant whose family fled the Red Guards, I find it deeply troubling that curriculum content would glorify a movement responsible for violence and persecution. The proposed second-semester requirement expansions, built on similarly unapproved content, magnify these concerns.
As the daughter of a Chinese immigrant whose family fled the Red Guards, I find it deeply troubling that curriculum content would glorify a movement responsible for violence and persecution.
I write from a unique perspective, having experienced ethnic studies both in an eighth-grade public setting and in a ninth-grade private setting. I have seen firsthand how ethnic studies can be successfully taught in a positive, respectful, and impactful manner. The course fundamentally shaped how I view American history and our institutions. Ethnic studies, when thoughtfully executed, provide critical insights and elevate marginalized voices often overlooked in mainstream curricula.
Despite these merits, SFUSD faces urgent academic deficiencies in core subjects. Statewide assessments from the 2023–24 school year revealed alarming results. Over 70 percent of socioeconomically disadvantaged sixth graders in SFUSD failed to meet state math standards, while nearly 63 percent of this same group failed English standards. Among students whose parents did not graduate high school, nearly 75 percent fell short in English proficiency, and almost 85 percent failed in mathematics.
A 2025 independent poll found that over 73 percent of current SFUSD parents identified “improving academic performance for all students” as the district’s top priority.
In my conversations with friends and former classmates who remain SFUSD students, many expressed concern and predicted that mandating another ethnic studies semester may displace valuable electives such as AP Computer Science A. Computer science, along with other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) courses are seen as essential for competitive college admissions and career preparedness. While STEM careers are not the path for every student, shouldn’t all students receive the opportunity to pursue courses aligned with their future goals?
A high-quality public education remains society’s most powerful tool for economic mobility and social progress. At a time when many disadvantaged SFUSD students are struggling, the Board of Education should prioritize the fundamentals: reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Given SFUSD’s budgetary constraints and limited classroom time, is adding a costly, unapproved second semester of ethnic studies the best use of our district’s resources? The ethnic studies curriculum, as originally envisioned, remains a valuable and essential component of a comprehensive education. However, considering current financial challenges and reported issues with curriculum content, implementing this additional semester is misguided and ill-timed. Although I now attend private school, I remain committed to advocating for my peers in public education and will continue to fight for their academic opportunities.
Updated Aug. 18, 2025 at 1:13 p.m.