Kari Kokka

  • signed Petition AB 2772 Ethnic Studies 2018-03-23 02:47:08 -0700

    Petition AB 2772 Ethnic Studies

    Please CLICK HERE to send an email today to the Senate Education Committee asking them to support AB 2772 Ethnic Studies for California high schools. 

    CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE LETTER OF SUPPORT. PLEASE SEND A SIGNED COPY TO [email protected] and we will deliver it for you. 


     

    1,464 signatures

    I support AB 2772 which will add a course of ethnic studies to be a high school graduation requirement beginning the school year of 2023-2024.

    California has one of the largest and most diverse student populations in the nation. Ethnic minorities account for over 71 percent of the student population, with more than 90 languages spoken in District schools.

    Given California’s annual increase in diversity, it is important that students build knowledge of the various racial and ethnic groups in our state. Incorporating ethnic studies courses into standard high school curriculum is a means to accomplish this. Ethnic studies, promotes respect and understanding among races, supports student success and teaches critical thinking skills. Additionally the course provides students with the opportunity to learn about their respective culture in the context of California’s history.

    Requiring ethnic studies to be taught in high schools is an integral part of cultivating a classroom environment that is accepting of diversity. It is vital for young people to learn about their history, it is also important for them to feel like they can contribute to their communities in positive ways. AB 2772 will help close the achievement gap by reducing student truancy and student enrollment, reduce drop-out rates, and better prepare Californian youth to be college prepared and career ready.

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  • signed PETITION SFSU College Of Ethnic Studies 2016-02-24 21:07:02 -0800
    Dear President Wong and Vice Provost Rosser,


    I’m writing to you both to implore you to please keep College of Ethnic Studies at SFSU. I am a Japanese American woman whose career trajectory was sparked by the injustices experienced by my family. My parents attended and graduated from SFSU, and I grew up in East Side San Jose, where I witnessed many inequities at Independence High School. These experiences in school coupled with the internment experiences of both sides of my family are what fuel my commitment to equity in education. I organize a math ed and social justice conference, and I am earning my doctorate from Harvard at the moment, studying social justice mathematics in middle school classes. I was also a math teacher in Title I public schools for 11 years. Without knowledge of my own history I would not have the fire in my belly and knowledge of self to love myself to do this work. I urge you to please preserve the amazing, historic College of Ethnic Studies that serves as a model to so many other universities.


    Thank you,

    Kari Kokka

    PETITION SFSU College Of Ethnic Studies

    5,071 signatures

    to: President Leslie E. Wong and Provost Vice President of Academic Affairs Sue Rosser

    WE THE UNDERSIGNED WOULD LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM, WITH RECOMMENDATION(S):

    The proposed cuts to 40 percent of the COES budget will wipe out COES support for faculty hiring, research, and modest student resources that have survived a decade of systematic gutting.

    These cuts will also impact students enrollment in COES classes and student’s ability to graduate in a timely manner. With a full and expanded budget allocation, not only will this enrich the community of San Francisco State University, but we hope to set an example for public schools, colleges, and universities in all of the United States.


    IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE COLLEGE OF ETHNIC STUDIES.

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  • signed sign the Petition 2014-09-30 07:42:48 -0700

    sign the Petition

    *update* we reached 250 signatures on Sept 17; 500 on Sept 29; 750 on Sept 30; 1000 on Oct 2; 1500 on Oct 18. Our current goal is 2500 signatures.

    2,422 signatures

    ETHNIC STUDIES NOW!

    We, the undersigned, support the effort to make the successful completion of an A-G approved Ethnic Studies course a high school graduation requirement in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

    According to the data from the California Department of Education, LAUSD only offers Ethnic Studies courses at 19 out of 94 of its senior high schools. Because of this limited access, only 691 out of a total of 152,507 high school students in LAUSD are taking Ethnic Studies courses, despite the fact that over 90% of LAUSD is comprised of students of color whose shared experiences are marginalized and forgotten in the mainstream curriculum. 

    It is time that all LAUSD students have access to Ethnic Studies courses -- courses that speak to students who have felt invisible and marginalized, to inspire and motivate them in their education, so that they learn their own history, engage actively in their own learning, and connect in meaningful ways to the larger community. Research has shown that a well-developed and well-thought-out Ethnic Studies curriculum has positive academic outcomes for students.

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