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Monday, April 12, 2010

San Francisco State ethnic studies offer for 9th graders is pulled before it could begin

San Francisco State ethnic studies offer for 9th graders is pulled before it could begin

San Francisco State ethnic studies offer for 9th graders is pulled before it could begin

April 10, 11:51 PMSF Education ExaminerMelanie Graysmith



At a meeting back in February where San Francisco school board members considered and approved a plan to increase ethnic studies courses in schools, the dean of the ethnic studies program at San Francisco State University made an offer that seemingly no one could refuse. He stated that any ninth grader who took one of the new courses would receive six university credits. It sounded good but there was a problem. As reported in The San Francisco Chronicle (Wed, April 7), the university's president knew nothing about the offer, and on top of that lack of communication, the president along with many others on the SFSU campus did not think highly of the premature proposal, considering it inappropriate.

The original intention was to offer course credit through a California State University program namedStep to College which helps underrepresented gain access to a college education. But as it turns out, only 11th and 12th graders are eligible for that program. The offer of university credit has now been set on hold as details of any formal arrangement with the SF school district regarding ethnic studies in