BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                      



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  AB 2269|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 2269
          Author:   Swanson (D)
          Amended:  3/20/12 in Assembly
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE  :  6-1, 6/13/12
          AYES:  Lowenthal, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Price, Simitian
          NOES:  Huff
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Runner, Blakeslee, Vargas, Vacancy

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  48-20, 5/17/12 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Pupil instruction:  Labor History Month

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill substitutes the first week of April as 
          Labor History Week with the month of May as Labor History 
          Month and encourages school districts to commemorate that 
          month with appropriate educational exercises that make 
          pupils aware of the role that the labor movement has played 
          in shaping California and the United States. 

           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing law: 

          1. Deems the first week of April to be Labor History Week 
             and encourages school districts to commemorate that week 
             with appropriate educational exercises that make pupils 
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             aware of the role that the labor movement has played in 
             shaping California and the United States.  (Education 
             Code (ED) Section 51009) 

          2. Designates March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day and authorizes 
             public schools and educational institutions throughout 
             the state to include exercises, funded through existing 
             resources, commemorating and directing attention to the 
             history of the farm labor movement in the U.S. and 
             particularly the role therein of Cesar Chavez.  Requires 
             the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt a model 
             curriculum guide to be available for use by public 
             schools for exercises related to Cesar Chavez Day.  (ED 
             Section 37220.5) 

          3. Designates the second Wednesday in May of each year as 
             the Day of the Teacher, a day having special 
             significance, and encourages all public schools and 
             educational institutions to conduct exercises 
             commemorating and directing attention to teachers and 
             the teaching profession.  (ED Section 37222.10) 

          This bill substitutes the first week of April as Labor 
          History Week with the month of May as Labor History Month 
          and encourages school districts to commemorate that month 
          with appropriate educational exercises that make pupils 
          aware of the role that the labor movement has played in 
          shaping California and the United States. 

           Comments  

           Rationale for the changes  .  The author points out that for 
          many school districts, the first week of April is Spring 
          break and April is also a busy time for schools and pupils 
          as they prepare for statewide assessment administrations.  
          This makes it difficult for schools to commemorate Labor 
          History Week during the current designated time.  By 
          extending the length of time, this bill potentially gives 
          school districts more opportunities and flexibility to 
          conduct educational activities that raise awareness about 
          the labor movement as schools see fit and at any time 
          during the month of May. 
          The Speaker's Commission on Labor Education was established 
          on November 19, 2001, by then Speaker Robert M. Hertzberg 

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          to address issues of labor education in California's public 
          school system.  The Commission works closely with the 
          Legislature, the Department of Education, the California 
          State Library, and the labor movement to hold events, and 
          disseminate information and instructional materials 
          appropriate to Labor History Week. 

          Information on the Commission's Internet Web site provides 
          examples of ways in which labor history and concepts may be 
          built into the curriculum and they include the following: 

           Discussions of child labor and working conditions, and 
            examination of the labor movement, including its leaders, 
            collective bargaining, strikes and protests over labor 
            conditions. 

           Tracing of the evolution of work and labor, including the 
            demise of the slave trade and effects of immigration, 
            mining and manufacturing.

           Discussion of the advances and setbacks of organized 
            labor.

           Understanding the operations of the labor market, 
            including the circumstances surrounding the establishment 
            of principal American labor unions, procedures that 
            unions use to gain benefits for their members, the 
            effects of unionization, the minimum wage, and 
            unemployment insurance. 

          The author states, "Many teachers have indicated that the 
          month of May would be more conducive to such observances. 
          This bill would simply formalize that flexibility by 
          establishing the month of May as Labor History Month. 
          School districts would therefore have the flexibility to 
          engage in labor history activities during other times 
          during the month of May that work best for their own 
          schedules." 

           Prior Legislation

           AB 1900 (Nakano), Chapter 366, Statutes of 2002, deems the 
          first week of April as Labor History Week throughout the 
          public schools, and encourages school districts to 

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          commemorate this week with appropriate educational 
          exercises that make pupils aware of the role the labor 
          movement has played in shaping California and the U.S. and 
          expresses legislative intent that California labor history, 
          from the Spanish colonial period to the present day, be 
          considered in the next cycle in which the history/social 
          science curriculum framework and its accompanying 
          instructional materials are adopted. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  No   
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  6/13/12)

          State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
          American Federation of State, County and Municipal 
          Employees
          California Federation of Teachers 
          California Labor Federation 
          California Nurses Association 
          California Professional Firefighters 
          California School Employees Association 
          Northern California District Council of the International 
            Longshore and Warehouse Union 
          State Building and Construction Trades Council 

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    The State Building and 
          Construction Trades Council writes, "We believe it is 
          critical for today's young scholars to understand the 
          courageous struggles behind these achievements.  As a 
          member organization of the Speaker's Commission on Labor 
          Education, we appreciate efforts in ensuring school 
          districts teach and provide learning resources and 
          opportunities to students about the historical achievements 
          of the labor movement." 


           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  48-20, 5/17/12
          AYES:  Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Block, 
            Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, 
            Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, Cedillo, 
            Chesbro, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, 
            Furutani, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Hall, Hayashi, Roger 
            Hernández, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Lara, Ma, 

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            Mendoza, Mitchell, Monning, Pan, V. Manuel Pérez, 
            Portantino, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Wieckowski, 
            Williams, John A. Pérez
          NOES:  Achadjian, Bill Berryhill, Conway, Donnelly, Beth 
            Gaines, Garrick, Grove, Hagman, Harkey, Jeffries, Jones, 
            Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Miller, Morrell, Nielsen, Olsen, 
            Silva, Wagner
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Cook, Fletcher, Gorell, Halderman, 
            Bonnie Lowenthal, Nestande, Norby, Perea, Skinner, Smyth, 
            Valadao, Yamada


          PQ:mw  6/14/12   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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