blog
Join us in Sacramento Wednesday, June 27 at 9AM in support of AB 2772
UPDATED!
- Help us pack the room this Wednesday, June 27 at 9:00 AM in support of AB 2772 the Ethnic Studies bill that will be heard by the Senate Education Committee. AB 2772 will make Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement for all students in the State of California.
- Rally and Press Conference at 9:45am directly after the Education Committee's vote. Bring your own signs! Get creative!
- Can't go to Sacramento? Do you know someone in Sacramento who supports Ethnic Studies? Forward this email to them. You can also invite people to the Facebook event.
Victory in Oxnard Union High School District
Last night May 16th, at the Oxnard Union High School District, the board voted unanimously to pass our resolution for an Ethnic Studies graduation requirement. By 2020, every freshman in OUHSD will take a required Ethnic Studies course. Further, a senior course will be developed and a curriculum review of the current Chicano Literature course and Mexican American History and Culture course. Students will have up to FOUR courses in Ethnic Studies/Chicana/o Studies to choose from. The board also agreed to develop an Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee, as well as active teacher recruitment of those with Ethnic Studies degrees.
This is a victory we should all celebrate and be proud of, but now the work begins! Next step: If you are interested in participating for the long haul, save the date: JUNE 5th 5pm OUHSD Board Room for our first meeting to discuss how to develop the Ethnic Studies advisory committee and set an agenda/goals. The committee will be comprised of the original drafters of the resolution, but we will want input from the community!
Also, please forward this information to any media contacts. We want the good news to spread, via the local paper etc. We need to build a campaign educating the community about what is Ethnic Studies.
Hasta La Victoria Siempre!
Assistant Professor Chicana/o Studies
TEXT of AB 2016 as signed into law on September 13, 2016
MEDIA RELEASE - AB 2016 is signed into law by Gov. Brown!
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jose Lara (213) 321-5020
Sean Abajian (818) 480-2622
Javier San Roman (714) 606-7280
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 -- Governor Brown just signed AB-2016 Ethnic Studies sponsored by CA Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Salinas). AB-2016 will establish a model ethnic studies curriculum for all schools in the state of California.
This is the first of its kind in the nation, and follows the lead of multiple local districts, including; El Rancho Unified, Los Angeles, San Diego, Oakland and over 25 other local districts who have established, expanded or made ethnic studies a graduation requirement locally.
This is an historic moment for the state of California and was in part due to the work of the statewide advocacy of the Ethnic Studies Now Coalition. Starting with making Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement in El Rancho Unified, the first in the state, the Ethnic Studies Now Coalition has been working with multiple districts to bring Ethnic Studies to California Schools.
We have also been working closely with Assemblyman Luis Alejo in advocating for AB-2016.
“We are thankful to have the leadership of Assemblyman Luis Alejo who has been a champion for Ethnic Studies in the state legislature. Without his leadership this bill would have never passed. This is a win for all students in California and recognizes the diversity of today’s students.” -- Jose Lara, Coordinator, Ethnic Studies Now Coalition
This curriculum will be developed with participation from ethnic studies faculty at California universities and public school teachers who have a background in teaching ethnic studies.
AB-2016 directs the IQC to draft and submit a model curriculum to the SBE by June 30, 2019 and the SBE to adopt a model curriculum by Nov. 30, 2019.
Once adopted, school districts and charter schools that don’t already have a standards-based ethnic studies program would be encouraged to offer a course based on the model curriculum to high school students as a social sciences or English language arts elective.
According to a recent research out of Stanford University, student who took Ethnic Studies Courses in San Francisco Unified schools raised their G.P.A. by 1.4 grade points, attendance by 21 percentage points, and credits earned by 23. <http://news.stanford.edu/2016/01/12/ethnic-studies-benefits-011216/>
"To ask a student to study a world in which they cannot see themselves is to relegate them to a blindness of the soul and a crippling of the spirit. A model ethnic studies curriculum is a momentous step towards repairing the breach." -- Javier San Román, Steering Committee Member, Ethnic Studies Now Coalition
ABOUT ETHNIC STUDIES NOW COALITION (ESNC) -- ESNC is an independent, grassroots coalition formed in 2014, which has grown to 20,000+ supporters across California and beyond, including teachers, parents, students, academics, elected officials and non-profits. Using the latest in campaign technology, ESNC supporters have sent thousands of emails and letters and placed thousands of calls to elected officials in support of expanding Ethnic Studies in California. Local chapters of Ethnic Studies Now have sprung up across California helping communities pass resolutions in support of expanding ethnic studies to over 25 California school districts. For more information, visit: www.ethnicstudiesnow.com
###
September 13, 2016
Outreach to Governor's Office for AB 2016
Updates: AB 2016, passed Senate Appropriations (5-2). Now we need to start preparing for the next step which is to reach out to the Governor’s Office as the bill moves forward through Senate and back to Assembly for its final passage.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD a sample letter addressed to the Governor. Please send this letter directly to the Governor and email us a photo of the letter: [email protected]
We need to start sending these letters as soon as possible, do not wait until the bill is enrolled (i.e. passes both houses).
Dr. Nolan Cabrera's Ethnic Studies presentation to LAUSD
May 3, 2016 Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Nolan Cabrera was invited by the Ethnic Studies Now Coalition to speak to the LAUSD Board of Education's Curriculum, Instruction & Educational Equity Committee Meeting. LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation. Dr. Cabrera is a tenured professor at the University of Arizona and flew in for the day from Tucson, AZ to be at the meeting.
May 04, 2016
April 12 Rally @ LAUSD Board Meeting
March 17, 2016
To the Student Body, Faculty and Staff of San Francisco State University, and community members,
We received this email today from SFSU student leaders:
To the Student Body, Faculty and Staff of San Francisco State University, and community members,
We would like to express our collective disappointment with President Leslie Wong and his official response to our set of demands made last week in a public meeting here at San Francisco State University. In effect, President Wong has chosen to evade responsibility by addressing none of our demands. President Wong has continued to manipulate the issues at hand by blaming the College of Ethnic Studies’ inability to “fundraise” and completely avoiding the issue of under funding that our college faces. We, the students in Ethnic Studies, are completely dissatisfied with President Wong’s lack of leadership. We feel that Wong and his administration have blatantly disregarded the needs of students on this campus. We do not need more rhetorical support for Ethnic Studies; we have demanded and we expect material support according to our very reasonable but non negotiable demands.
As a result, we are left with no choice but to intensify our pressure, which is now emboldened by the unprecedented amount of support from our community and educational institutions around the country. President Wong and his Administration are playing a dangerous game. When Ethnic Studies is under attack, students and the larger community committed to our goals will continue to stand up and FIGHT BACK. President Wong, the students remain united. We will be loud. We will be heard. We will win. We are requesting a town hall meeting with President Wong and Provost Rosser on April 5th along with Chancellor White. In this meeting, we will discuss our Ten - demands and hold them accountable.
To continue to put pressure on the administration we have decided to start with disrupting normal business flow throughout this current week (March 2nd - 4th, 2016).
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ACTION!
Calling
Emailing
Showing up during normal business hours 8am – 5 pm throughout the whole week by requesting a town hall meeting with President Wong and/or Provost Sue Rosser.
Request full transparency and documentation of the Academic Affairs budget. (Phone call script and email template can be found below).
Contacts/Locations for their offices:
Contact for President Leslie Wong’s Office
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (415) 338-138
1600 Holloway Avenue,
Administration Building, Room 562
San Francisco, CA 94132
Contact for Provost Sue Rosser’s Office
E-mail: [email protected] (link sends e-mail)
Phone: (415) 338-1141
Fax: (415) 338-2514
Address:
1600 Holloway Ave
Administration building, Room 455
San Francisco, CA 94132
IN PERSON ACTIONS
The general student body have decided to walk up by waves:
THIS WEDNESDAY 12PM, 2PM, and 4PM.
THURSDAY & FRIDAY: 10PM, 12PM, 2PM, and 4PM
We will be meeting in front of the Ethnic Studies & Psychology Building 10 minutes prior to prep everyone and will make our way there. If you come late, feel free to meet us at the Administration Building.
PHONE CALLS
“Hello, my name is __________ and I am from ________. I would like to schedule a town hall meeting with *WHOEVER YOU’RE CALLING* on April 5th. I would like to have a town hall meeting with him/her in regards to full transparency of the Academic Affairs Budget. “
**Wait for response**
(They may ask for your email information and name again, it’s okay if they do)
“Could you please let him/her know that the concerns of the students and the community needs to be addressed so we hope that this will be taken seriously. “
FOR STUDENTS
“Dear President Wong/Provost Sue Rosser,
I hope this email finds you well, I am writing to request a town hall meeting with the students of San Francisco State University on April 5th during Chancellor White’s visit to campus to discuss our 10 demands and how we can resolve these issues within the context of Chancellor White’s CSU Wide Ethnic Studies Task Force recommendations. Please let me know if you, and other campus administrators will join together with us to come to a resolution on this issue that is crucial to our success and future roles as leaders throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world. “
FOR THE COMMUNITY
“Dear President Wong/Provost Sue Rosser,
I hope this email finds you well, I am writing to request a town hall meeting with the students of San Francisco State University on April 5th during Chancellor White’s visit to campus to discuss our 10 demands and how we can resolve these issues within the context of Chancellor White’s CSU Wide Ethnic Studies Task Force recommendations. Please let me know if you, and other campus administrators will join together with students to come to a resolution on this issue that is crucial to our success and future roles as leaders throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world. “
Please feel free follow us through facebook for more updates: https://www.facebook.com/ethnicstudies4freedomandourfuture/
Demands made by students
https://www.facebook.com/ethnicstudies4freedomandourfuture/posts/1523059411330667
President Wong’s response to the Student Demands
With love & solidarity
The Students of San Francisco State University
March 02, 2016