Join Us for the August 13th QC Meeting!

The Instructional Quality Commission of the California Department of Education (CDE) is meeting on Thursday, August 13th, to determine the direction of Ethnic Studies in California. Last week, the CDE released their proposed revisions to the curriculum and they are devoid of the foundational values and pedagogy of Ethnic Studies. Furthermore, Arab American and Pacific Islander content has been removed! This is not acceptable.

Join us August 13th at 10 am to provide live public comment!

Click HERE to watch the live webcast. 

Recommendations from the IQC for public comment:

  • Prior to making public comment, speakers who are watching the meeting via live webcast should make sure the volume on their computer is muted to avoid echoing or feedback sounds during the call.
  • Each speaker will be allotted one minute of public comment.
  • The CDE will not provide translations, but will provide an extra minute to those who need it.
  • Speakers may only give comments for themselves and may not cede their time to another individual.

How to Provide Public Comment:

You can give public comment during the meeting by dialing the phone number below and providing the participant access code. The operator will notify you when it is your turn to talk. Public comment will be limited to one minute per person—time your comments beforehand. We recommend that, if you plan to provide public comment, you view the live-stream of the meeting to watch where things have progressed in the agenda. 

Here are the number and access code. They will also be announced at the start of public comment:

Phone number: 712-432-0075

Access code: 651905#

Coalition Demands:

  • Reconvene the original committee of writers and experts to revise the original Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC). Ethnic Studies scholars and teachers are the experts on Ethnic Studies curriculum and pedagogy. Arab American scholars and teachers are the experts on Arab American curriculum and pedagogy.
  • Pass an ESMC that includes Pacific Islander and Arab American studies course outlines and includes Palestine in Arab American studies.
  • Maintain the Ethnic Studies framework—with disciplinary knowledge, language, and pedagogy. Don’t dilute it or convert it to a different field (i.e., multicultural studies, diversity studies, or area studies).
  • Work within clearcut structures for accountability, transparency, and consensus-building. Center those structures on Ethnic Studies practitioners of communities of color and Native peoples throughout the entire model curriculum process, up to ratification.