Action Alert by Nov 25: LGBT History in CA State History/Social Studies

Action Alert! Please take action prior to November 25, 2014

(Direct link to this memo is online here)

Please comment via the California State Department of Education field survey regarding LGBT history in the state History/Social Draft Framework draft. Make your voice heard regarding the importance of LGBT history!

1. Review the Field Survey linked here.
2. Specifically, comment on Chapter 3 (Course Descriptions for Kindergarten through Grade Five), Chapter 4 (Course Descriptions for Grades Six through Eight), and Chapter 5 (Course Descriptions for Grades Nine through Twelve).
3. Sample comment:  “Incorporate specific LGBT history content and updates as presented in the report “Making the Framework Fair…” edited by Don Romesburg, Leila J. Rupp and David M. Donahue dated August 26, 2014.”
4. Complete the survey here.  (http://surveys2.cde.ca.gov/s.asp?k=141114546680).

Further background, information and related links can be found below.

Background

In 2011, SB48, the FAIR Act was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. In summary, the law added LGBT history language to California Education Code #60040 requiring that any new California curriculum must include “a study of the role and contributions of both men and women, Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups, to the economic, political, and social development of California and the United States of America, with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society.”

In 2014, the California Department of Education, as required by law, continued the process of updating the California State History/Social Science K-12 curriculum framework (the entire framework is over 100 pages long). This process includes a comment period regarding the draft framework language. Details of the process can be found at this link (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/cf/).

The Committee on LGBT History based at Sonoma State University, under the leadership of Dr. Don Romesburg, reviewed the proposed draft History/Social Studies framework. This team produced the document, “Making the Framework FAIR: California History-Social Science Framework Proposed LGBT Revisions Related to the FAIR Education Act” that provides detailed recommendations on ways to incorporate LGBT history into the new History/Social Studies framework. More information about the report can be read here (http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2014/09/ssu-professor-helps-bring-lgbt-history-to-light.html)

A review of the Draft History/Social Science Framework indicates how LGBT history is generally discussed in the current draft framework.

See specific documents linked below:

• Field Survey Content:
• LGBT history references from the draft version of the California Department of Education History/Social Science Framework:
• Making the Framework FAIR (Romesburg et al., 2014):

The Safe Schools Project of Santa Cruz County, a program of the Queer Youth Task Force, is proud to work in collaboration with local, statewide and national organizations in support of this call to action.

Thank you!