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About TUT - Tam Union Together
We are a concerned group of local parents, educators and other community members in the Tamalpais Union High School District ("Tam District" or "TUHSD"). We support Ethnic Studies in our schools that teaches diverse perspectives and promotes understanding, empathy and unity within our community. However, we are deeply concerned about the direction the TUHSD District Office has taken in developing it's Ethnic Studies class called "Community and Consciousness" which was rolled out in January 2025.
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​Why Does This Matter?
Course fall short. After a thorough review by parents, community members, and curriculum experts, we believe the Community & Consciousness course falls short of its intended goals. The curriculum is overly contentious and does not adequately serve students, teachers, or families.
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​The curriculum’s design creates inherent obstacles to effective teaching. We value and support the district’s Social Studies teachers and believe in the importance of a fair, balanced, and robust Ethnic Studies. Although we trust teachers will approach the course with care and professionalism, the curriculum makes it unnecessarily challenging for teachers to deliver the course with the thoughtfulness and sensitivity students deserve.
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Does not meet legal requirements. We are concerned that the course does not meet legal requirements outlined by the California Attorney General. Both the California and U.S. Constitutions require curriculum decisions to be based on legitimate educational purposes—not to promote or prescribe particular political or ideological viewpoints.
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Key concerns include:
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Content that is developmentally inappropriate for 9th graders and better suited for upper grades
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Lack of foundational historical context prior to instruction
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Limited depth and uneven coverage of ethnic group histories
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Use of binary identity frameworks that risk dividing students
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A shift from academic inquiry toward activism
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Overall, the course lacks academic rigor, balance, and nuance. It teaches students what to think rather than how to think—undermining the promise of meaningful, inclusive Ethnic Studies.
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​NOTE: This letter© dated November 1, 2025 sent to the Superintendent and Board of Trustees from current Tam District parents details problematic content throughout the curriculum.
Let's Get TUHSD's Ethnic Studies Right!
Tam Union High School District can be the district that gets Ethnic Studies right. But not if it continues down the path it is on with its Community and Consciousness course.
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With declining district CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) scores, we need a renewed commitment to academic rigor and excellence. All students can succeed with high-quality curriculum and the inspired teaching our educators are known for.
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A fresh approach is needed, including a substantial redesign of the Community & Consciousness curriculum. Simply reconvening the original redesign committee risks repeating the same challenges. Greater transparency and meaningful parent input are essential.
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We are urging TUHSD to:
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Eliminate the current requirement that all 9th graders take Community & Consciousness and make this course an upper class elective, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
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Offer Financial Literacy. Offer 9th grade students the district's new Financial Literacy course in its place which, unlike Ethnic Studies, is a funded mandate, and will be a state graduation requirement in the Fall of 2027.
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Substantially redesign the Community & Consciousness curriculum to be a politically balanced and standards-based course.
We look forward to working constructively and collaboratively with the District, because we all share the same goal for our students to:
Thrive academically and emotionally, with empathy, understanding, kindness, and compassion for all people.
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Now is the time to speak out to get TUHSD on the right path for Ethnic Studies.
Please join us by filling out this petition this and forwarding it to others to sign. Your names will NOT be shared publicly with the District. If you are a current parent of a 9th grade student taking Community and Consciousness this semester, or a current 8th grade parent of an incoming TUHSD student in fall 2026, please indicate that below.
Contact us with any concerns that arise regarding classroom instruction at info@tamuniontogether.org. Again, your identity will be kept strictly confidential.​​
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