STUDENT LED ETHNIC STUDIES COALITION PRESENTS HIGH SCHOOL REQUIREMENT RESOLUTION

High school students present to the Sacramento City Unified School District Board on agenda item Special Presentations 7.1 an Ethnic Studies graduation requirement resolution.

(SACRAMENTO, CA) - This Thursday, the Student Advisory Council in collaboration with the Ethnic Studies Now - Sacramento Coalition would like to invite the public to come support the resolution for an ethnic studies high school graduation requirement that will be presented by the students to the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) Board.

The SCUSD board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2015 at the Serna Center, located at 5735 47th Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95824 from 5:45 pm to 7:00 pm.

Sacramento is the second most ethnically diverse city in the country but it lacks a robust ethnic studies program in its public high schools. The Student Advisory Council will propose a resolution to establish a framework and timeline for the establishment of ethnic studies as a graduation requirement. The Student Advisory Council's resolution will help bring SCUSD in line with other school districts around the state (El Rancho, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Montebello and Woodland unified school districts) that recognize the importance of a culturally relevant curriculum and have taken steps to establish ethnic studies in their schools.

"We are told we are the future, I say we are the now! This is why we will be at the board meeting this Thursday." said Saraith Aispuro, Luther Burbank High School Senior. "I believe that an ethnic studies requirement will teach me, my classmates and younger generations my background and the entire story of this great melting pot country of ours."

The Ethnic Studies Now Sacramento Coalition is a coalition of students, parents, educators and community members that is led by a group of inspiring SCUSD high school students.

For media inquiries please contact, Dyane Osorio at 916-801-0483 or email her at [email protected]

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For more information on the resolution or how you can support the students, please contact [email protected]. A petition to support an ethnic studies graduation requirement in SCUSD has garnered support from approximately 2500 individuals. The petition is available to view and sign online at www.ethnicstudiesnow.com/scusd or can be signed by texting SCUSD to (916) 623-4866.