BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2064|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2064
Author: Arambula (D)
Amended: 7/10/08 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-1, 6/18/08
AYES: Scott, Alquist, Denham, Maldonado, Padilla, Romero,
Simitian, Torlakson
NOES: Wyland
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 60-16, 5/27/08 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Instructional materials: Vietnam War
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the State Board of Education
and the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials
Commission to ensure that the history-social science
framework include instruction on the Vietnam War, as
specified.
ANALYSIS :
Existing Law
1.Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt
statewide academic content standards in core curriculum
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areas, pursuant to the recommendations of the Commission
for the Establishment of Academic Content and Performance
Standards. The academic content standards have not been
revised since their initial adoption in 1998.
2.Curriculum frameworks are blueprints for implementing the
content standards. The update of the history-social
science framework has begun, with the final publication
of this update scheduled for winter 2010. Frameworks
serve as a basis for the development of instructional
materials.
3.Includes legislative findings and declarations that the
current academic content standards include instruction on
the Korean War and Vietnam War in the appropriate grade
level consistent with those standards (grade 11 for
Vietnam War). The Legislature encourages that this
instruction include a component drawn from personal
testimony, as specified, of American soldiers who are
involved in those wars.
4.AB 78 (Reyes), Chapter 44, Statutes of 2003 encourages
instruction in the area of social sciences for grades
7-12 to include instruction on the Vietnam War including
the "Secret War" in Laos and the role of Southeast Asians
in that war. The Legislature encourages this instruction
to include a component drawn from personal testimony, as
specified. These provisions are prohibited from
resulting in any new duties or program being imposed on
school districts.
This bill requires the SBE and Curriculum Development and
Supplemental Materials Commission (Curriculum Commission)
to ensure that the history-social science framework,
evaluation criteria, and instructional materials, adopted
in the course of the next submission cycle after January 1,
2009, include the Vietnam War, including:
1.The "Secret War" in Laos.
2.The role of Southeast Asians in that war.
3.The refugee/immigrant/new American experience.
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Comments
Purpose of Bill . According to information provided by the
author's office, "Southeast Asians should be recognized for
their valuable contributions to the cultural, civic, and
economic well-being of California. Students need to be
taught about the sacrifices groups have made to ensure the
security and prosperity of the U.S. Current law classifies
instruction in social sciences to include the role and
contributions of men, women and ethnic groups to the
development of California and the United States.
Instruction also emphasizes on portraying the role of these
groups in current society. AB 78 (Reyes), Chapter 44,
Statutes of 2003, encouraged instruction on the "Secret
War" in Laos and the role Southeast Asians in that war. AB
2064 would go further and require the State Board of
Education to adopt textbooks and instructional materials to
comply with AB 78. California has benefited immensely from
the cultural richness and patriotism of the Southeast Asian
community, including contributions from a growing group of
economic, political, and civic leaders."
Related Current Year Legislation
SB 1214 (Cedillo) requires the SBE to include, in the 2009
revision and adoption of the history-social science
framework, instruction on the unconstitutional deportation
of citizens and lawful permanent residents to Mexico during
the Great Depression.
SB 1254 (Wyland) authorizes the roots of American democracy
and the study of American historical figures to be
considered in the next cycle in which the history-social
science curriculum and its accompanying instructional
materials are adopted.
AB 531 (Salas) requires that the history-social science
framework and instructional materials adopted in the course
of the next submission cycle include the case of Mendez v.
Westminster School District and the role it played in the
civil rights movement and desegregation of public schools
in California and the nation.
AB 1502 (Lieu) requires the SBE and the Curriculum
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Commission to ensure that the history-social science
framework, evaluation criteria, and instructional materials
include instruction on financial literacy.
AB 1863 (Portantino) encourages schools to include the role
and contribution of Italian Americans to the economic,
political, and social development of California and the
United States in the instruction of social sciences, and
encourages the SBE to include the role and contribution of
Italian Americans to the economic, political, and social
development of California and the U.S. in the social
sciences curriculum frameworks at the next revision of
those frameworks.
AB 2034 (Nu?ez) requires the SBE and the Curriculum
Commission to ensure that the history-social science
framework and instructional materials include information
about American Indians, emphasizing California Native
Americans.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/9/08)
Calgary Vietnamese School Association
Calgary Vietnamese Youth Group
Calgary Vietnamese Veterans Immigrant Aids Association
California State University, Sacramento, Division of Social
Work
Center for Language Minority Education and Research, CSU
Long Beach
Central California Forum on Refugee Affairs
County of Fresno Supervisor Henry Perea
Fresno Center for New Americans
Fresno Unified School District
Hmong International New Year, Inc.
Hmong National Development, Inc.
Kings Canyon Unified School District
Lao Iu Mien Culture Association, Inc.
Lao Veterans of America Institute
Law Offices of Paul C. Lo
Merced City Councilmember Noah Lor
National Association for the Education and Advancement of
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Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese Americans
Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance
Stone Soup Fresno
Southeast Asian Assistance Center
Southeast Asian Resource Action Center
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Aghazarian, Arambula, Beall, Berg, Brownley,
Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Cook, Coto, Davis,
De La Torre, De Leon, DeSaulnier, DeVore, Dymally,
Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani,
Garcia, Hancock, Hayashi, Hernandez, Horton, Huffman,
Jones, Karnette, Keene, Krekorian, Laird, Leno, Levine,
Lieber, Lieu, Ma, Mendoza, Mullin, Nava, Nunez, Parra,
Plescia, Portantino, Price, Sharon Runner, Ruskin, Salas,
Saldana, Smyth, Solorio, Spitzer, Swanson, Torrico, Tran,
Villines, Wolk, Bass
NOES: Adams, Anderson, Benoit, Blakeslee, Duvall, Fuller,
Gaines, Huff, Jeffries, La Malfa, Maze, Nakanishi,
Niello, Silva, Strickland, Walters
NO VOTE RECORDED: Berryhill, Garrick, Houston, Soto
NC:cm 8/5/08 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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