Praise for Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies Curriculum
“In creating the Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies Curriculum for use by
teachers in California and beyond, the Independent Institute has provided
something rare in today’s overheated, polarized educational landscape—a content-rich, pedagogically astute, and yes, balanced set of instructional
resources. Given the political minefield that ethnic studies
must inevitably traverse, this is a remarkable achievement. One hopes
that school district leaders and teachers will take a detailed look at this
curriculum and judge it on its merits. To dismiss it in advance due to
political differences with the institute or the curriculum’s editor, Bill
Evers, would be a mistake: This is a fine curriculum.”
—David Steiner, Executive Director, Johns Hopkins Institute for Education
Policy; former New York State Commissioner of Education
“The Independent Institute’s new curriculum successfully incorporates
viewpoint diversity. These materials are highly recommended for any
teacher who wants students to understand that history is a rigorous
and enriching debate among rival frameworks.”
—Fabio Guillermo Rojas, Virginia L. Roberts Professor of Sociology, Indiana
University; author, From Black Power to Black Studies
“California has over 1200 high schools with more than 1.6 million students and by 2029-30 graduating pupils will need to complete one semester of Ethnic Studies. Educators are already aware of the state-approved Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum and some are also cognizant of the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. Adding to these extensive resources is the Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies. Schools will benefit from the use of all three resources to meet the needs of their students and to broaden community discussions. The goal is not to provide a singularity of understanding but to create a debate about the different meanings of ethnic studies. With a variety of sources and perspectives, students will be able to decide for themselves.”
—Tom Adams, former Deputy Superintendent of the Instruction and Learning Support Branch, California Department of Education; former Director, Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division, California Department of Education; former Executive Director, Instructional Quality Commission, California Department of Education; former Trustee, Davis (Calif.) Joint Unified School District
“The Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies Curriculum enables students
to engage positively with and celebrate the diverse backgrounds
that enrich our society. Good job!!!”
—Norma Sanchez Garza, former Executive Director, National Board
for Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education; co-founder and
former Chair, Brownsville READS, Brownsville, Texas
“Ethnic studies is an important part of the American story, too important to be put in the hands of ideologues who use the subject to push a divisive agenda. Thankfully, Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies provides a balanced, nuanced alternative. Bravo.”
—David E. Bernstein, Distinguished University Professor, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, and author, Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America.
“This course will stimulate student inquiry and will offer a challenge to students as they question their understanding of race and ethnicity. It is a necessary course for students to understand the continual changes in attitudes in this area. It will also expose them to different academic approaches to the study of the subject matter, and it will provoke constructive discussions regarding the use of terms and wording as they relate to race and ethnicity. The information in this curriculum will draw serious students into wanting to read, discover, and understand the complexities of this important topic.”
—Linda Royster Beito, Professor Emerita of Political Science and Criminal Justice and former Dean of Arts and Sciences, Stillman College, Tuscaloosa, Alabama; co-author; T.R.M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer; member, 2020 criminal justice curriculum task force, Alabama State Department of Education
“America has been a multi-ethnic country since its inception. Too many curricula fail to take account of the stories of all the different groups that have come to this country—and those who were here originally. But Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies leaves no stone unturned. The stories of these groups—the discrimination they experienced, the contributions they made, the ways that they have forced us to be a more tolerant and better country—are told through the lens of vivid individual stories and primary source materials. Students offered this curriculum will recognize their own groups but will also recognize themselves in others. I cannot recommend Comparative Cultures enough.”
—Naomi Schaefer Riley, author, The New Trail of Tears: How Washington
Is Destroying American Indians; former blogger, Chronicle of
Higher Education
“This curriculum uniquely exposes students to views from across
the political spectrum and provides great support to teachers with
easy access to credible resources and evidence-based views. All-in-all it offers a balanced alternative to the other Model Curricula.”
—Raneene P. Belisle, former Executive Director, California State Board
of Education; former Member, California State Board of Education; former
Chair, California Advisory Commission on Charter Schools; former
General Counsel, Sacramento County Office of Education
“Fortunate indeed are California high school students who are asked to write a final essay for their Ethnic Studies course that draws on what they’ve learned from the thorough, balanced, and challenging but accessible “Comparative Cultures” curriculum now available to schools across the Golden State. They should be well-prepared to address the question, “How effective have civil rights measures been for different ethnic groups in the United States?” for they’ll have studied and discussed the variegated experiences of those groups, the historical context of their experiences, the factors that shaped them, and the successes (and failures) of efforts to address the challenges faced by those groups. Better still, their studies will be grounded in accurate information, essential documents, diverse perspectives, probing questions, and thorough analysis. I hope and trust that is what California lawmakers sought when they mandated an Ethnic Studies course for the state’s young people.”
—Chester E. Finn, Jr., former professor of education and public policy, Vanderbilt University; former chairman, National Assessment Governing Board (which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress [NAEP]); former Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for Research and Improvement; former member of the Maryland State Board of Education; Volker Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Distinguished Senior Fellow and President Emeritus, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
“A superb alternative that’s a beacon of fairness, balance, and exposure to diverse viewpoints on the sensitive topics inherent in ethnic history. ...
This curriculum bursts with off-the-shelf lesson plans and an abundance of hyperlinked websites and short videos. The guided use of AI is an unexpected bonus. ...
This curriculum captures the rich pluralism of America. Going beyond echo chambers and ideological bubbles, this curriculum challenges students to think outside their unexamined beliefs and provides a platform for civil discourse. It encourages respectful discussion when tackling controversial topics, instilling hope for a more inclusive and understanding future. ...
If you are a teacher seeking a truly model curriculum, look no further—this is it.”
—Jonathan Bean, Professor of History, Southern Illinois University; Editor, Race and Liberty in America: The Essential Reader (2009); author, Big Government and Affirmative Action (2001); author, “Samuel Fuller” and “Charles Wallace,” in African American National Biography, ed. Henry Louis Gates and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham (2008): former Member of the Illinois State Advisory Panel for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Legal Details and Statutory Language
- Text of AB 101 (See below)
- Assembly Floor Analysis
- Info re Model Curriculum: Here and Here
- Minutes of March 18, 2021 SBE meeting (docx file) (item 9)
- Item 9 (docx file)
- Item 9 attachment (docx file)
SECTION 1. Section 51225.3 of the Education Code, as amended by Section 17 of Chapter 865 of the Statutes of 2018, is amended to read:
51225.3. (a)(1)...
(G) (i) Commencing with pupils graduating in the 2029–30 school year, including for pupils enrolled in a charter school, a one-semester course in ethnic studies. A local educational agency, including a charter school, may require a full-year course in ethnic studies at its discretion. Commencing with the 2025–26 school year, a local educational agency, including a charter school, with pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, shall offer at least a one-semester course in ethnic studies.
(ii) Subject to the course offerings of a local educational agency, including a charter school, a pupil may fulfill the requirement of clause (i) through the completion of any of the following types of courses:
(I) A course based on the model curriculum developed pursuant to Section 51226.7.
(II) An existing ethnic studies course.
(III) An ethnic studies course taught as part of a course that has been approved as meeting the A–G requirements of the University of California and the California State University.
(IV) A locally developed ethnic studies course approved by the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school. The proposed course shall first be presented at a public meeting of the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school, and shall not be approved until a subsequent public meeting of the governing board or governing body at which the public has had the opportunity to express its views on the proposed course.
(iii) A course that does not use ethnic studies content as the primary content through which the subject is taught shall not be used to satisfy the requirement of clause (i).
(iv) A pupil completing a course described in clause (ii) shall also accrue credit for coursework in the subject that the course is offered, including, if applicable, credit towards satisfying a course required for a diploma of graduation from high school pursuant to this section.
(v) Curriculum, instruction, and instructional materials for a course described in clause (ii) shall meet all of the following requirements:
(I) Be appropriate for use with pupils of all races, religions, nationalities, genders, sexual orientations, and diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, pupils with disabilities, and English learners.
(II) Not reflect or promote, directly or indirectly, any bias, bigotry, or discrimination against any person or group of persons on the basis of any category protected by Section 220.
(III) Not teach or promote religious doctrine.
(vi) It is the intent of the Legislature that local educational agencies, including charter schools, consider that, pursuant to Section 51226.7, the Instructional Quality Commission undertook a lengthy, thorough, deliberative, and inclusive process before submitting a model curriculum in ethnic studies to the state board. To the extent that local educational agencies, including charter schools, choose to locally develop an ethnic studies program for approval by their governing board or governing body, it is the intent of the Legislature that local educational agencies not use the portions of the draft model curriculum that were not adopted by the Instructional Quality Commission due to concerns related to bias, bigotry, and discrimination.
(vii) The amendments made to this section by the act adding this subparagraph shall not be construed to alter any other requirement of this section for pupils enrolled in a charter school.