BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Jack Scott, Chair
2005-2006 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1056
AUTHOR: Chu
AMENDED: May 2, 2006
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: May 10, 2006
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:James Wilson
SUBJECT : Tolerance Education
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Tolerance Education Pilot Program
to provide one-time $25,000 grants to ten schools that
would either purchase instructional materials or provide
staff development to promote tolerance and intergroup
relations.
BACKGROUND
Current law authorizes the Center for Excellence on the
Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, Human Rights, and
Tolerance to be established with non-state funding as a
pilot program at California State University, Chico. The
authorizing statute requires the center to report by
January 31, 2007, on progress made in achieving specified
goals and provide information on the non-state funds
secured for the center and the number of teachers trained
by the center.
The state appropriated one-time funding to the Museum of
Tolerance in Los Angeles as a regional social tolerance
resource center charged with providing teacher training
activities and curricular materials as well as educational
services with a special focus on pupils at risk of social
violence. The Museum's tolerance and intergroup relations
training and instructional materials support the
Reading-Language Arts and History-Social Science Frameworks
and are aligned to the California Content Standards for
English-Language Arts and History-Social Science, grades
7-12.
The statutory authorization for both the Center for
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Excellence and the regional social tolerance resources
centers is scheduled to repeal January 1, 2008.
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1) Establishes the Tolerance Education Pilot Program to
be administered by the Department of Education (CDE)
and to promote instruction on tolerance and intergroup
relations as part of the instruction in history and
social science.
2) Defines tolerance to mean "attitudes and behaviors
that convey respect toward individuals and groups,
especially those individuals and groups that have
been, and continue to be, systematically and
historically marginalized. Tolerance does not mean a
passive allowance or indulgence of the beliefs or
practices of another individual."
3) Authorizes ten schools to apply to the CDE to receive
one-time grants of $25,000 apiece for the purchase of
supplemental instructional materials that promote
tolerance and intergroup relations, or provide
professional development for teachers on tolerance and
intergroup relations.
4) Encourages participating schools to consult human
relations commissions and civil rights organizations
that are involved in addressing discrimination based
on specified personal or group characteristics.
5) Requires participating schools to develop a plan to
implement a tolerance and intergroup relations
curriculum and to report to the CDE on the
effectiveness of the program and the use of program
funds within three years of the receipt of their
grant.
6) Provides that the pilot program is subject to the
availability of budgeted funds and is repealed as of
January 1, 2011.
STAFF COMMENTS
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1) Previous legislation. Last year's AB 723 (Chu) would
have required the State Board of Education to
integrate instruction on intergroup relations and
tolerance into existing curriculum frameworks where
appropriate. AB 723 was vetoed by Governor
Schwarzenegger who issued the following veto message:
"No one believes more strongly than I in the importance of
teaching our children tolerance for all persons,
irrespective of race, gender, nationality, ethnicity,
religious creed, disability, or sexual orientation.
However, this bill is largely duplicative of current
efforts to provide more avenues to teach about
tolerance and human rights.
For example, current law already establishes a Center for
the Excellence on the Study of the Holocaust,
Genocide, Human Rights, and Tolerance to provide
teachers the training and resources to effectively
teach about these subjects. In addition, the State
Board of Education has adopted a Model Curriculum for
Human Rights and Genocide that is available to all
schools. Finally, with respect to tolerance of a more
immediate nature, the California Department of
Education has posted on its website model policies on
the prevention of bullying and hate-motivated
behavior."
2) Related Legislation . AB 606 (Levine) establishes the
Safe Place to Learn Act, to ensure that all school
districts and schools work to reduce
discrimination, harassment, and violence based on
specified characteristics, including gender identity
and sexual orientation.
SUPPORT
Anti-Defamation League
Applied Research Center
Asian Americans for Civil Rights & Equality
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council
Bienestar
Center for Third World Organizing
Chinese American Council of Sacramento
Corona-Norco Unified School District
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Equality California
Gay-Straight Alliance Network
Lambda Letters Project
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
MALDEF
National Council of La Raza
Organization of Chinese Americans
Our Family Coalition
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Western Inland Empire Coalition Against Hate
Yolo County Board of Supervisors
Yolo County Sheriff's Department
OPPOSITION
Calvary Chapel of El Cajon
Concerned Women of America
Office of the Secretary for Education
Letters from Individuals