Meet the S.F. school board candidates: Should ethnic studies have been reformed?

The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) approved a new ethnic studies curriculum, 'Voices: An Ethnic Studies Survey,' in 2025, marking the end of a long-standing debate over the previous course. The old curriculum, offered as an elective from 2010 to 2024 and later made a graduation requirement, faced criticism from groups like Parents Defending Education, who argued its content on racism, sexuality, and gender identity was inappropriate for high school classrooms. Despite the backlash, an 85% majority of surveyed students reported benefiting from the course, and Stanford University studies showed higher graduation rates and grades among participants. However, SFUSD scrapped the original curriculum after pressure from groups like the Friends of the Lowell Foundation, which called the new version 'unvetted' and 'illegal' in a letter to the school board. The district plans to permanently adopt the revised curriculum after a pilot year. San Francisco school board candidates were asked whether the reforms were necessary. Phil Kim, the current school board president and deputy director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, supported the new curriculum but stressed the need for strong implementation, including professional development for educators and clear communication with families. Kim, who holds a PhD in Education from UC Berkeley, emphasized Ethnic Studies' role in helping students understand their communities and history. Virginia Cheung, a nonprofit executive and parent of a SFUSD student, argued that Ethnic Studies should continue evolving rather than being scrapped. Her stance reflects broader debates over curriculum content, with critics demanding changes while supporters highlight the program’s academic and social benefits. The district’s decision follows years of tension between educational goals and parental concerns over classroom material.