California's Ethnic Studies Course: A Stalled Initiative
Despite years of debate and significant state funding, a mandatory high school ethnic studies course in California remains stalled.
A high school graduation requirement to teach ethnic studies classes on the history, contributions, and struggles of California's African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans was expected to be adopted by all California public schools this year.
However, the implementation of ethnic studies classes varies across the state, with some students attending these classes and others not. The curriculum also differs for those who are enrolled in ethnic studies classes.
The reason for this inconsistent implementation is largely due to the exclusion of funding for ethnic studies from the 2025 state budget by the Governor. This decision effectively killed the mandate, as Assembly Bill 101 (2021) made the initiative contingent on full funding.
The governor has not explicitly stated why full funding for ethnic studies was not included in the budget.
Author's summary: California's ethnic studies course stalls due to funding issues.