Compton ESN

Ethnic Studies NOW Petition - Compton 

We, the undersigned, support the creation of an A-G approved Ethnic Studies course as a high school graduation requirement in each of the high schools in Compton, CA.

Using demographic data provided by the California Department of Education for the 2014-15 K-12 academic school year, our students are 79 % Hispanic/Latino, 19 % African American, .1% American Indian/Alaskan Native, .05 % Asian, .68 % Pacific Islander, .06 % Filipino, and .33 % White. The time is NOW for our ethnically diverse youth to see their hi/stories as worthy of study and inquiry. We believe in the power of a curriculum that can present a genealogy of common struggles and successes. The best education includes narratives often missing from a Euro-centric curriculum that marginalizes diverse histories, cultures, and perspectives. Ethnic Studies recognizes that our students are valuable and worthy of an education that teaches them a complex, well-rounded, and critical history of the United States.

Currently recorded in the US Census Bureau for the years 2010-2014, the high school graduation rate for the city of Compton is a mere 60.1%. Furthermore, only 6.4% of our population, between the same time period, obtained a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Research demonstrates that Ethnic Studies curriculums can help close the achievement gap, reduce student truancy, increase student enrollment, reduce “drop-out” rates, and increase graduation rates. Ethnic Studies requires and prompts students to be critical thinkers in not only identifying complex social problems, but also to collaborate in real world problem solving and solution posing. Ethnic Studies allows our students the opportunity to become active agents of social change in their community by promoting civic engagement and leadership.

Currently, there are no formally established Ethnic Studies programs, in which all students have access, in any of our Compton high school’s. Further, we advocate for the establishment of Ethnic Studies curriculums at all levels of education: elementary, middle, and high schools. It is time that all Compton students have access to Ethnic Studies courses that, not only, make their K-12 education culturally relevant and embraces their lived experiences of being a part of a diversely rich community, but, also, motivates young people to connect in meaningful ways that lead to self-actualization.

Several neighboring school districts and throughout the state are actively implementing Ethnic Studies programs into their high school curriculum, including the largest district in the state of California, Los Angeles Unified School District. Compton has the opportunity to be at the forefront of this state-wide educational movement and join districts such as El Rancho Unified, Montebello Unified, San Francisco Unified, Sacramento Unified, San Diego Unified, Coachella Valley Unified, among many more.

Upon the passage of this resolution, we support the effort to establish a mandatory Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee that would aid in the development and implementation of this curriculum.

We demand that this committee to be a representative body that is inclusive of all stakeholders: parents, students, residents, teachers, workers- regardless of legal status, language, sexuality and/or any other identities that could or may be seen as a barrier for participation.

At the end of it all, this initiative is about self-love and dismantling the legacy of white supremacy that continues to perpetuate violence against ourselves, each other, and our community. We believe that when students begin to think critically about their own race, gender, ethnicity and location- students will be empowered to become agents of social justice.

By transforming our education, we are transforming our lives, and in effect transforming our city.

Who's signing

Judy Riemenschneider Arteaga
Henry Garcia
Eunice Ho
Brenda Barragan
Rachel Mascolo
Beatriz Paez
Andrea Garcia
Aslin Paxtor
Matt Ospina
Edgar Preciado
291 SIGNATURES
250 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Sandra Sunshine Williams
    signed 2017-12-19 19:48:01 -0800
  • Judy Riemenschneider Arteaga
    signed 2017-12-19 19:47:18 -0800
  • Henry Garcia
    signed 2017-12-19 19:21:12 -0800
    Henry Garcia
  • Angel Ibarra
    posted about this on Facebook 2017-12-19 19:01:25 -0800
    Sign the petition: Compton ESN
  • Roberto Rodriguez
    signed via 2017-12-19 18:59:06 -0800
  • Ron Gochez
    posted about this on Facebook 2017-12-19 18:52:18 -0800
    Sign the petition: Compton ESN
  • Ron Gochez
    @rongochez tweeted link to this page. 2017-12-19 18:52:17 -0800
  • Ron Gochez
    signed 2017-12-19 18:51:21 -0800
  • Elias Serna
    signed 2017-12-19 18:24:48 -0800
    I teach Chicana/o Literature and Ethnic Studies at high schools and Cal State Universities, most recently at the Long Beach Ethnic Studies Initiative in conjunction with CSULB and LBUSD. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified also recently committed to building an Ethnic Studies program hiring teachers and program builders. A plethora of education studies indicate that well organized, culturally-relevant Ethnic Studies programs with community-teacher involvement are successful in improving g.p.a.’s, attendance, engagement with learning, community/civic engagement and college-going rates. The Compton ESN group includes impressive & qualified teachers, community and scholars that can make this happen in Compton. Best wishes on a historical calling.
  • Eunice Ho
    signed 2017-12-19 16:39:46 -0800
  • Brenda Barragan
    signed 2017-12-19 16:26:26 -0800
    Brenda E Barragan
  • Dennis Lopez
    signed 2017-12-19 16:02:53 -0800
    Dennis Lopez
  • Rachel Mascolo
    signed 2017-12-19 15:23:43 -0800
  • Mary Danico
    signed 2017-12-19 15:22:26 -0800
  • Beatriz Paez
    signed 2017-12-19 15:06:31 -0800
    Beatriz Paez
  • Ayesha Brooks
    signed 2017-12-19 11:13:25 -0800
  • Michelle Rincón
    signed 2017-12-19 05:31:34 -0800
  • Erick Carbajal
    signed 2017-12-12 18:25:13 -0800
  • Erika Gutierrez
    signed 2017-12-03 15:20:49 -0800
  • Andrea Garcia
    signed 2017-11-28 17:03:23 -0800
  • Ana Arvizu
    signed 2017-11-20 02:17:47 -0800
  • Yesenia Fraire
    signed 2017-10-18 12:31:26 -0700
  • Esteban Mendoza
    signed 2017-10-04 13:30:30 -0700
  • Aslin Paxtor
    signed 2017-10-04 13:28:18 -0700
  • Janna Shadduck-Hernandez
    signed 2017-10-04 13:22:36 -0700
  • Matt Ospina
    signed 2017-10-04 13:18:01 -0700
  • haoran li
    signed 2017-10-04 13:14:21 -0700
  • Liliana Perez
    signed 2017-10-04 12:27:17 -0700
  • Zitlahlyc Heredia
    signed 2017-10-04 12:25:33 -0700
  • Edgar Preciado
    signed via 2017-09-29 19:47:32 -0700

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