Concerns Raised About Pittsburgh Public Schools’ New Ethnic Studies Course

The North American Values Institute (NAVI) is closely examining Pittsburgh Public Schools’ (PPS) new ethnic studies curriculum for high school seniors. As an educational watchdog, NAVI asserts that the course is more focused on political activism than on historical education.

NAVI Pennsylvania Director Steve Rosenberg expressed concern about the curriculum, explaining that it should aim to teach about revolutions instead of encouraging participation in them. Rosenberg’s remarks followed an analysis of PPS documents obtained through right-to-know requests, which revealed the school’s approach to the course topics and the absence of opposing viewpoints in the classroom materials.

“We provided the organization unit overview — not full curriculum. Some of the documents included are individual course syllabi created by teachers,” said Dr. Ann Fillmore, executive director K-12 Literacy, Humanities and Library Services for PPS.

Fillmore clarified that some teacher syllabi are specifically for a College in High School (CHS) dual-enrollment course affiliated with LaRoche University, not written by the district. For the 2026-2027 school year, she noted that the district’s unit overviews have been revised.

The course is structured into five units:

• Unit 1: Developing Our Identities: Using Language and History to Create Community
• Unit 2: The Journey of Cultural Legacies: Exploring, Honoring, and Embracing Diverse Histories
• Unit 3: Barriers and Bridges: Navigating Systems of Power
• Unit 4: From the System to the Self: How Society Shapes Identity, Opportunity, and Power
• Unit 5: Making an Impact

The initial units focus on identity formation, cultural heritage, and historical migration, while concerns raised by NAVI center around Units 3 to 5.

In Unit 3, students explore power systems and learn strategies to challenge and restructure them for equity. Unit 4 investigates the social systems that impact access to opportunities and encourages students to propose change strategies. Lastly, Unit 5 involves students creating and implementing action plans addressing race and diversity issues within their communities.

Fillmore refuted NAVI’s view of the course as fostering activism, describing the curriculum as a means of teaching civic reasoning. The framework encourages students to develop their own ideas and engage in research-based learning.

Addressing concerns about Jewish identity and antisemitism within the course, Fillmore stated the curriculum covers Jewish history and culture comprehensively, highlighting the challenges faced by Jewish Americans and their preservation of cultural identity.

Despite Fillmore’s rebuttals, NAVI claims the curriculum lacks counterpoints, which may prevent students from expressing alternative viewpoints, fearing potential academic repercussions.

Rosenberg encourages parents to review the course materials thoroughly and engage in dialogue regarding the content taught to their children.

Rachel Wolf is a media and culture reporter for Fox News Digital.