The Los Angeles Board of Education has voted to expand Ethnic Studies courses to all students in the Los Angeles Unified School District and establish the completion of one Ethnic Studies course as a high school graduation requirement.
“Culturally meaningful and relevant curricula lead students to become more personally engaged and more likely to graduate,” said Board Member Kelly Gonez, who introduced the ethnic studies resolution voted on Tuesday.
“This resolution is centered on the principle that every child in our district deserves an education that tells their story, that reflects their identity, and that challenges us all to tear down the systems of oppression, racism, anti- Blackness, anti-indigeneity, and white supremacy that have stained the legacy of our country.”
In addition to asserting the commitment to a graduation requirement, the resolution calls for the District to integrate Ethnic Studies into the PreK- 8 curricula and ensures that all high school students will have the opportunity to take at least one ethnic studies course at their high school by the 2022-2023 school year, according to a board statement. It also directs the Superintendent to ensure instructional materials in all grade levels include texts written by authors who are Black, indigenous, and other People of Color.
A report to the Board on a plan to fully implement Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement by the 2023-2024 school year is expected within 180 days, the statement said yesterday.
