The PAUSE Campaign

After 7+ months of declined meetings and unanswered Public Records Act requests - as well as three community “input sessions” during which most community-submitted questions were unanswered - PA² launched the PAUSE campaign.
The PAUSE letter - submitted to the PAUSD board on May 21, 2024 with 1300+ signatures - asks PAUSD to “pause” on Ethnic Studies course development until these board policies are followed:  

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1. Set Ethnic Studies Course Standards First

• PAUSD Board Policy 6000 requires that - for all core classes - the Board "establish standards of student achievement...that are aligned with ...the expectations of parents/guardians and the community."

• PAUSD Board Policy 6011 requires that these district standards"be developed through a process that involves staff, students, parents/guardians and community members."

• We urge PAUSD's board of trustees to comply with these policies and establish academic standards - with community input - for its Ethnic Studies course first.

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2. Get Community Input on the Ethnic Studies Curriculum and Materials

• PAUSD Board Policy 6141 requires that "The Superintendent or designee shall establish a process  for curriculum development, selection, and/or adaptation which...shall provide opportunities for input from students, parents/guardians, representatives of local businesses and postsecondary institutions, and other community members."

• PAUSD Board Policy 6161.1 requires that "the Superintendent or designee shall establish a process by which instructional materials shall be reviewed for recommendation to the Board [that] shall involve teachers in a substantial manner and shall also encourage the participation of parents/guardians and community members.

• The CA Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum states that it is "important that all steps related to the development of a local curriculum, including the selection of materials, are transparent and involve all stakeholders in the community." It provides that "community partnership and accountability are central" so urges school districts to include the public in their Ethnic Studies course development to "ensure that the particular histories, aspirations, struggles, and achievements of the communities present in classrooms are reflected in the course."

• We urge PAUSD's board of trustees to comply with these policies - as well as follow the CA Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum - and involve the Palo Alto community in the Ethnic Studies course development process.

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3. Pause Ethnic Studies Course Development Until the Above Two Requirements are Met

• We welcome PAUSD’s desire to update and revise its Ethnic Studies course content to ensure that it remains meaningful and relevant for our children.

• However, we expect PAUSD to follow its policies that require standards and community involvement. 

• This is especially crucial for Ethnic Studies - a course that elsewhere has been the center of enormous controversy, legal actions, and scrutiny by a U.S. Congress oversight committee.