Modesto City Schools phases out world religions class next year. What will they take instead?
Students who graduated in the last 25 years from Modesto high schools most likely took a world religions class as freshmen.
That requirement ends with this school year.
In May 2023, the Modesto City Schools Board of Education voted to change the requirement to make way for a high school ethnic studies course the state will require starting with the Class of 2030.
“We’re the first public school district in the nation, and I would argue probably the world, to offer or to require a world religions course for graduation, and I believe we’re still the only one,” said Sherry McIntyre, a social studies teacher at Johansen High.
McIntyre is one of two teachers who have taught the course since 2000. She was told the course will be an elective credit class for students. She is doubtful about student interest because sophomores, juniors and seniors — who usually are able to take more elective classes — already took the class.
“By the time it comes around to where there were enough kids who never took it, several years from now, by then the class would just disappear,” she said. “That’s my prediction.”
Janeen Zambo, Modesto City Schools’ history and social science curriculum coordinator, said beginning in the fall of 2025, districts statewide must offer courses based on the California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. Zambo said this will emphasize cultural understanding, self-empowerment and critical analysis of historical and social structures. The course will be a graduation requirement for students entering their freshman year in the fall of 2026.
“This approach will ensure our students meet the graduation requirement and benefit from a curriculum that advances cross-cultural understanding and prepares them for college and career,” she said. “Additionally, core topics in geography and religion are embedded across history/social science standards from grades 4-12, maintaining continuity in those subject areas.”
What is the world religions class?
“It’s nice when students get to their sophomore year and their junior year, and they start studying world religions in world history and U.S. history, they already know all of it,” McIntyre said. “The teachers in their sophomore and junior years don’t have the burden of stopping history and teaching about world religions.”
The course covers 10 religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Daoism, Shintoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism.
McIntyre recalls when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred, she was thankful a class like this was in place because she said it made a difference by teaching students about different religions, respect and kindness.
The first half of the course focuses on geography and the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The second half goes over the 10 major religions and their elements.
“We just figured when the class was developed that we would spend a few weeks on geography,” she said. “It’s good for a lot of reasons, but it will build that rapport and that classroom respect, so that when we get into world religions, that’s done already.”
The course has been referenced by books, academic papers and California Resolution 154, where the legislature praised the class. McIntyre also was featured in a TED Talk to discuss the class.
At this time, she does not know what course she will teach next year.
“There were tears. It was heartbreaking because it’s one of the jewels in our crown in Modesto,” McIntyre said.
This story was originally published November 11, 2024 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Modesto City Schools phases out world religions class next year. What will they take instead?."
