The North American Values Institute has accused Pittsburgh Public Schools of using a new senior ethnic studies course to encourage political activism. School officials deny the claim, arguing the curriculum focuses on civic reasoning and inquiry-based learning.
Steve Rosenberg's Warning Against Recruiting Students for Revolutions
Steve Rosenberg, the Pennsylvania Director for the North American Values Institute (NAVI), claims that the new ethnic studies course for high school seniors functions more as a manual for political activism than a history lesson. According to the report, Rosenberg believes the course materials lack opposing viewpoints and are designed to push students toward specific political goals.. He summarized his position by stating, "Teach kids about revolutions, don't recruit them to be in one."
This dispute highlights a growing national tension regarding the role of the classroom in social change. While some educators view the integration of current social struggles as essential for engagement, watchdog groups like the North American Values Institute see it as a breach of educational neutrality. The conflict in Pittsburgh mirrors similar curriculum battles across the United States, where the line between "civic duty" and "political indoctrination" is increasingly contested.
Unit 5's Requirement for Community Action Plans
The core of the controversy lies in the course's progression toward direct action. As reported, Unit 5 of the Pittsburgh Public Schools curriculum explicitly instructs students to put their learning into practice by developing an action plan. This plan requires students to identify a clear problem and goal, and then communicate solutions to community issues specifically related to race and diversity.
Earlier sections of the course set the stage for this activism. unit 3 asks students to explore how systems of power are built and how they can "challenge, resist and restructure" those systems to achieve equity. The learning outcomes for this unit include explaining how specific groups receive privilege and how those systems create inequities, which Steve Rosenberg argues goes beyond historical study into the realm of political training.
The LaRoche University Dual-Enrollment Distinction
Pittsburgh Public Schools has attempted to distance the district's official curriculum from some of the more controversial documents. Dr.. Ann Fillmore, the executive director of K-12 Literacy, Humanities and Library Services, stated that the district provided only a unit overview, not the full curriculum. She clarified that some of the documents obtained via right-to-know requests were individual syllabi created by teachers or were part of a College in High School dual-enrollment course affiliated with LaRoche University.
By attributing some of the materials to LaRoche University, the district suggests that the most provocative elements may not be centrally mandated. However, this creates a confusing landscape for parents and regulators, as it implies a gap between the official district-approved unit overviews and the actual materials being presented to students in the classroom.
The Debate Over Eric Goldstein’s 'The Price of Whiteness'
Specific course readings have also become flashpoints in this ideological struggle. The syllabus for the LaRoche University-affiliated course includes Eric Goldstein's book, The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race, and American Identity. steve Rosenberg argued that filtering Jewish identity through the lens of privilege theories misrepresents the actual history and lived experience of the Jewish community.
Dr. Ann Fillmore defended the overall approach by citing the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) C3 Framework. She argued that the course is designed to promote "civic reasoning" by helping students investigate community issues through research and evaluate potential responses, rather than training them for specific political outcomes.
The 2026-2027 Revision Timeline for Unit Overviews
While the current dispute rages, Pittsburgh Public Schools has already signaled that changes are coming. The district noted that its revised unit overviews are being prepared for the 2026-2027 school year. It remains to be seen whether these revisions will soften the "action" requirements of Unit 5 or further solidify the district's commitment to inquiry-based learning.
Several critical questions remain unanswered. The report does not specify how many teachers are utilizing non-district syllabi, nor does it clarify if the district intends to audit the LaRoche University dual-enrollment materials. Furthermore, because the district only provided unit overviews rather than the full curriculum, the exact nature of the "research" students are asked to conduct remains opaque.
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