“Powerful. Advantaged. Trendsetters.” This is how Palo Alto Unified School District Superintendent Don Austin describes the district he leads in three words.

Recently, proposed changes by the school board to high school class requirements and policies have led to intense debates between members of the PAUSD community. From the implementation of the Ethnic Studies class to the removal of Biology Honors earlier this year, many of these controversial discussions have been spearheaded by parents and district administrators, who have been debating the appropriate level of academic rigor in PAUSD curricula.

PAUSD is known for its academic excellence. According to Niche, PAUSD’s two high schools are ranked #9 in California. But recent changes regarding class offerings and requirements have caused the Palo Alto community to question what other values the district is trying to uphold.

Student Board representative and Palo Alto High School senior Dylan Chen urges more students to speak out for causes they believe in, so that the values of the district can better reflect students’ needs.  Chen believes that oftentimes parents speak out at board meetings with their own concerns, causing the school board to be focused on what the parents want — not the students.

“The right step starts with inclusion of more student voices and allowing students to directly voice their opinion at the board,” Chen said.

Chen’s own role as a student board representative is a way to advocate for the student perspective, as he brings a younger voice to the panel of five non-student school board members. He said it’s important for parents and board members to remember that students are the ones directly affected by these decisions. To him, the inclusion of student voices keeps important student values in classes and prevents the administration from overriding student goals.

“When they [school board members] make important decisions at the school board, they make those decisions with account of student perspectives, with knowing what the students think and knowing what the students would see in the future,” Chen said.

PAUSD School Board President Shana Segal emphasized the importance of a school district with rigorous academics.

“Our goal is to expand access and opportunity while maintaining academic excellence,” Segal wrote in an email. “We want every student to engage with a challenging, relevant curriculum that prepares them for college, career and civic life.”

The Advanced Diploma was a proposal meant to highlight student achievement, with specific requirements students needed to fulfill in order to obtain it. However, the proposal was nullified after students spoke against it at the board meeting, citing concerns about increased academic pressure and an imbalance in opportunities for students, which may outweigh the diploma’s goal to show academic excellence.

Ethnic Studies teacher and former Paly student Corbin Dodd sees the difference in the mindsets of students who are part of Paly’s academic environment.

“The academics here are really good, and that’s not the case everywhere,” Dodd said. “I’ve worked in other schools where the default is not that students are trying in their classes.”

He also talked about Paly students’ own drive to stay ambitious in their studies, which is a unique trait that not all schools have.

“I can tell you, as a teacher, that makes your job a whole lot easier when students are trying,” Dodd said. “And as a student, it’s a much more pleasant environment to be in as well, at least that’s the sense that I have from talking to students in those places.”

In his new Ethnic Studies classes, Dodd said he’s been able to learn a lot about his students on a genuine and personal level, creating a broader sense of community.

“Much of Ethnic Studies focuses on identity, especially the first unit, and since that is the very first thing that we work on with the students, it sort of doubles as a chance to get to know who’s in the room and learn students’ backgrounds,” Dodd said. “As a result, I feel like I know my students much better at this stage in the semester than I have in past years.”

Dodd said he’s glad that the new course adds to his students’ understanding of different cultures, which allows them to connect with each other on a deeper level, highlighting the inclusion part of the PAUSD Promise — the set of official values created by the district.

“We felt like the history curriculum had gaps in it, and this [Ethnic Studies] seems to be addressing that,” Dodd said. “I think that’s wonderful.”

These developments underscore the initial goal that the course aimed to achieve, which was to enhance students’ multicultural awareness.

Before Ethnic Studies was implemented, there was debate about what should be in the curriculum and what should be left out. Segal emphasized the importance of making the course available as soon as possible.

“Delaying the implementation of Ethnic Studies would [have] resulted in yet another freshman class being deprived of the critical tools to understand systemic inequities and systemic racism,” Segal wrote in an email.

Chen says that although the district’s vision looks strong, recent changes like Ethnic Studies are not always being made with everyone’s input.

“On the board, I believe that ultimately, everyone is trying to give students the best education they can get,” Chen said. “Everyone has this common goal in mind, and that is to improve student life, academics and the student experience. However, there are, as evidently we’ve seen in the past year, disagreements on how to achieve this goal. While I cannot speak for other board members, personally, I think that should start with having more student voice on the board.”

Austin said that having civilized discussion is necessary for increased student involvement at school board meetings.

“I’d like to get to a place where people can be comfortable to the point where they don’t have to think about, are they going to be attacked for voicing a dissenting opinion,” Austin said.

PAUSD has a variety of unique factors that makes it a strong school district. The district, Austin added, is strengthened by the long-term commitment of its community.

“We have opportunities here, partly due to our location, partly due to our funding mechanisms, partly due to the reputation of the school district,” Austin said. “People come here, and our best people don’t leave.”