California stepped up its take on racial issues as the state adopts ethnic studies in its curriculum. The California State Board of Education has approved the ethnic studies that will be implemented statewide and will be included in the high school curriculum of their students.

Highlighting the importance of teaching discrimination and oppression, the curriculum was approved by board members with unanimous votes of 11-0, according to an Associated Press report. The board members are hoping that their movement will become the basis of other states to follow.

Ethnic Studies in California

Ethnic Studies that will be included in the high school curriculum had three years, three public vetting periods, and 10,000 comments in the making before it was approved to be adopted, according to an EdSource report.

Events like white supremacy, police killing Blacks, and violent attacks on Asian Americans have highlighted the need for ethnic studies courses. The draft document of the course also noted that ethnic studies would "address the causes of racism and other forms of bigotry," which can be found within the American culture and government policies.

"We are reminded daily that racism is not only a legacy of the past," said Linda Darling-Hammond, Board of Direction President. Darling-Hammond also noted that people must understand the history of racism is sought to be ended. Darling-Hammond also led President Joe Biden's education transition team.

The Department of Education Officials in California noted that the course would be the first statewide ethnic studies model curriculum in the United States.

"We need to learn the authentic history of what is going on in our country," said Lori Meyers, a first-grade teacher. Meyers emphasized that understanding each other is essential and that authentic history is not being taught at the moment.

It can be remembered that the California Education Department also proposed a curriculum that includes chanting of the Aztec God's name. The proposal is also aiming to build unity among students and eliminate racial discrimination.

The California Department of Education and the Instructional Quality Commission might have a chance to better refine what and how ethnic studies should have been taught to schools if they were given more time.

California Ethnic Studies Inclusion

The ethnic studies model curriculum has 900 pages and has garnered critics and revisions. The said course will tackle the struggles and contributions of "historically marginalized people" who are not usually taught or mentioned in the history courses existing in the United States. The model focused on four groups such as African American, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans.

The Preface of the Model Curriculum from the California Department of Education noted that the model curriculum was written to encompass information regarding the foundational disciplines in ethnic studies. In addition, the model will allow local educational agencies to be flexible and adapt the curriculum to the demographics and diversity of the classroom. Moreover, the course material is composed of 33 lesson plans.

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