SACRAMENTO, Calif — The California Department of Education (CDE) will be releasing its latest recommendations to expand on the state’s ethnic studies curriculum for schools across the state.
In a video conference Friday morning, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum recommendations will expand resources that reflect California’s diversity.
The guidelines build on the four foundational disciplines of ethnic studies, which are African American studies, Asian American studies, Chicano Latino studies, and Native American studies.
“The CDE’s latest recommendations represent a bold approach, a balanced and inclusive model that presents multiple ideas and narratives. The recommended draft addresses any previous concerns or criticisms related to language that can be perceived as any form of bias, hatred or bigotry,” Thurmond said.
Resources for Asian American studies will now include Filipina/o/x studies, Pacific Islander studies, Southeast Asian studies, and material covering Japanese Americans, Korean Americans, and Lao Americans. The state also wants to strengthen existing lessons on Native American and African American studies. The revised curriculum will also include an expanded appendix on Arab Americans, Armenian Americans, Sikh Americans, and Jewish Americans.
“We recognize that there are many other groups that have experienced oppression whose stories are worthy of being told and that need to be told,” Thurmond said.
In addition to the recommendations, CDE recently awarded 11 schools with mini grants to combat hate, bigotry, racism, and other forms of bias or prejudice in schools as part of the Education to End Hate initiative. The initiative was launched in September to confront incidents of hate, bigotry, and racism rising across the state and nation, including anti-Semitic behavior, bullying of Asian American students, Islamophobia, LGBTQ discrimination, and violence directed at historically marginalized and oppressed peoples, CDE said.
Grant recipients:
Eureka City Schools - $20,000
Lucia Mar Unified School District - $14,600
Madera Unified School District - $19,999
Mountain Empire Unified School District - $15,000
Ojai Unified School District - $20,000
Petaluma City Schools District - $20,000
San Lorenzo Unified School District - $20,000
Union Elementary School District - $20,000
Willits Elementary Charter School $6,200
Wright Elementary School District - $20,000
The Instructional Quality Commission will review the recommendations during its Nov. 18-19 meeting. The State Board of Education is required to take final action on the model curriculum by March 31, 2021.
California is required by law to develop a model curriculum in ethnic studies to be utilized as a guide and outline for schools as they consider implementing ethnic studies courses.
Read more from ABC10
The school district changed the rules to allow students to attend school if they have symptoms from pre-existing conditions, not COVID-19.