Students and families pushing PVUSD to change their decision on ethnic studies contract
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV)- On Wednesday night, parents and students demanded the Pajaro Valley Unfired School District Board of Trustees to overturn a 2023 decision on not renewing a contract with a program in charge of installing ethnic studies curriculum.
The contract was in place with Community Responsive Edcuation.
"We been coming weeks and weeks asking to put CRE back in the agenda to vote on it and they are just ignoring us," said Beatriz Barraza.
In Sept. 2023, the Board of Trustees rejected the curriculum and claimed the program had anti-Semitic material according to a review by Jewish community and educators.
Chris Webb who is a teacher at Renaissance High School said that he wants to proof that the material has anti-Semitic material.
"I would like to see evidence, if there is really an issue with the curriculum well let's then see evidence for that," Webb said.
Activists and students voiced their concerns despite the ethnic studies topic not being on the consent agenda.
However, people like Gilbert Stein were in favor of the contract not being renewed.
"When they rejected the curriculum put together by the same people in CRE, they noted it was strictly bigoted and that type of the curriculum should not see the light of day," Stein said. "The board has a lot more of present issues than dealing with something that was decided six months ago."
Board of Trustee members said that other Santa Cruz County districts have refused to use the CRE program along with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education.
Dr. Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales who is the director of the CRE wrote a letter of the board members saying.
The statements of certain members of PVUSD directly defame my character and integrity. The basis for their decision was based on unsubstantiated claims of anti-Semitism.
Dr. Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales said in a letter.
Interim Superintendent Murry Scheckman supported the idea of using the district's pedagogy of educators who are specialists in ethnic studies.
PVUSD sent a statement to KION about this story
"PVUSD has been providing ethnic studies for the current school year without a CRE contract. This means that staff do not have credentialed, ethnic studies professional support to offer equitable course choices to students. Ethnic studies has been offered at schools this year and is based on support/coaching staff received from last year's ethnic studies professionals."
Pajaro Valley Unified School District said in a statement
