Updating Our History-Social Studies Curriculum for SFUSD Students

Dear SFUSD Community,

I am writing to share an important update about our ongoing work to deliver world-class education at the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Our educators, families, and community members have consistently shared how important it is that students have engaging, rigorous, and inclusive learning experiences.

For the first time in 20 years, SFUSD will be bringing forward a new History-Social Studies curriculum. This is a major milestone, which will positively shape the future of History-Social Studies instruction in SFUSD.  

Our current materials, last adopted in 2006, no longer fully reflect the needs of today’s students or the values of our district. Through a multi-year review process, SFUSD carefully evaluated and selected new instructional materials.

This process was grounded in research and guided by a diverse committee of educators, parents, and community members. Together, they focused on key priorities including inquiry-based learning, literacy development, diverse perspectives, equitable access, and culturally responsive teaching.

As a result of this work, we are recommending the following:

• Elementary School (Grades K-5): We will pilot InquirEd, an inquiry-based curriculum that emphasizes student voice, critical thinking, literacy development, and culturally responsive teaching.
• Middle School (Grades 6-8): After careful review, we will continue using our current program, History Alive, while making targeted improvements to strengthen its impact for students.
• High School (Grades 9-12): We are recommending McGraw Hill for World, U.S. History and US Government courses, along with the Voices curriculum for Ethnic Studies. These materials stood out for their academic rigor, inclusivity, and strong support for student engagement and critical thinking, which resulted from our community-centered process that started in summer 2025. 

This work builds on our recent progress in strengthening math and English Language Arts (ELA) instruction across the district. Together, these efforts reflect our shared commitment to ensuring every SFUSD student has access to a high-quality, relevant, and engaging education.

As a next step, the Board of Education will consider and vote on the proposed curriculum at its regular meeting on April 28, 2026. 

This is more than an update to instructional materials—it is an investment in our students’ futures. We are committed to providing learning experiences that prepare students to think critically, understand multiple perspectives, and actively participate in their communities and our world.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Maria Su
SFUSD Superintendent