BILL ANALYSIS
SB 234
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Date of Hearing: July 8, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
SB 234 (Wyland) - As Amended: May 18, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 35-0
SUBJECT : Curriculum: history-social science framework: oral
histories: genocide.
SUMMARY : Requires the Curriculum Development and Supplemental
Materials Commission, (Curriculum Commission) as part of its
regular process of developing and revising curriculum
frameworks, to consider and vote on whether to include an oral
history component specifically related to genocides in the
proposed changes to the 2014 history-social science curriculum
framework. Specifically, this bill :
1)Identifies genocides to include, but is not limited to, the
Darfur, Rwandan, Cambodian, Jewish Holocaust, and Armenian
genocides.
2)Clarifies that the oral history component, if included by the
Curriculum Commission, would not require the inclusion of
specific oral history materials in those frameworks, but
instead include a listing of where those materials can be
found and how to use them in a history course.
3)Defines "oral history component" to include, but is not
limited to, in-person testimony, video, or a multimedia
option, such as a DVD or online video.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the Curriculum Commission to recommend curriculum
frameworks to the State Board of Education (SBE) and develop
criteria for evaluating instructional materials submitted for
adoption so that the materials adopted adequately cover the
subjects in the indicated grade levels.
2)Requires the SBE to ensure that curriculum frameworks are
reviewed and adopted in each subject area consistent with the
six- and eight- year submission cycles.
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3)Requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to
incorporate into publications that provide examples of
curriculum resources for teacher use, age-appropriate
materials consistent with the subject frameworks on history
and social science that deal with civil rights, human rights
violations, genocide, slavery, and the Holocaust.
4)States the intent of the Legislature to encourage the
incorporation of survivor, rescuer, liberator, and witness
testimony into the teaching of human rights, genocide, and the
Holocaust.
5)States the finding of the Legislature that there are few films
or videotapes available on the subject of the Armenian
genocide for teachers to use when teaching pupils about this
devastating event, and the intent of the Legislature to
encourage production and use by teachers of such resources
giving a historically accurate depiction of the Armenian
genocide.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS : According to the author, simply reading about a
genocide or ethnic cleansing in a textbook, while informative,
often does not grab students' attention. Oral histories are
effective teaching tools that allow students to see themselves
in the individual stories, and understand the subject as more
than statistics on a page. Oral histories also often capture
the voices of people not included in traditional historical
records.
According to the author, this bill would allow school districts
to incorporate oral histories in a way that best suits each
classroom, rather than mandating a specific method, because it
allows them to choose from a list which type of oral history to
utilize. Staff recommends an amendment to clarify what is meant
by such a list. Staff recommends an amendment to clarify in the
definition of "oral history component" that testimonies are
first-hand accounts of significant historical events.
Additionally, the history-social science curriculum framework
revision is scheduled for 2015, not 2014, and staff recommends
an amendment to reflect this.
Need for this bill . While it is important that students be
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exposed to oral histories of genocides, the 2010 update of the
history-social science framework is currently underway and is
expected to encourage instruction through oral histories.
According to CDE, the updated framework is proposed to include a
new chapter on instructional strategies and professional
development, and the following paragraph appears on Page 23 of
the March 20, 2009 draft:
"The teacher can introduce students to a wide array of primary
sources that include such written texts and letters, excerpts of
speeches, diaries, and ledgers, as well as visual materials such
as photographs, paintings, maps, political cartoons, charts and
graphs, digital materials, and oral histories. Effective
teachers find age-appropriate primary sources that reveal
historical thinking."
Related Legislation . SB 426 (Yee) requires the Curriculum
Commission to consider and vote on whether to adopt each
concurrent resolution passed by the Legislature that proposes
changes to curriculum frameworks. The purpose of this measure
is to set up a more consistent approach by which legislators
attempt to influence the K-12 curriculum, as such bills are
routinely vetoed by the Governor. SB 426 was held in the Senate
Appropriations Committee suspense file.
Prior Legislation . SB 1254 (Wyland, 2008) would have required
the revision of the history-social science content and
performance standards, and adoption of instructional materials
emphasizing biographical information and oral history. This
bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 1021 (Yee, 2003) would have required materials relating to
the Armenian Genocide be incorporated into instructional
materials in the next history-social science framework. This
bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
There have been numerous attempts by the legislature to
influence curriculum but the majority of these bills have been
vetoed by the Governor, claiming that the SBE has the authority
to regularly review and revise content standards as it deems
necessary and that curriculum standards should be left
intentionally broad to allow coverage of various events,
developments, and issues.
Arguments in Support . Supporters state that California is home
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to the largest number of refugees and immigrants in the US, many
of whom are torture and genocide survivors. Teaching our
children about genocide does not only highlight the unspeakable
brutality in the world, but also shows the resiliency of the
human spirit. They believe this bill will bring about an
increase in the knowledge of our students on the plight on the
survivors living in our communities and bring students into a
more interconnected world.
Arguments in Opposition . Some opposition stems from including
the Armenian genocide in any curriculum. They argue that
scholarly historical documents which could be used for teaching
of this genocide are biased against the Turkish people, as there
is genuine historical dispute over how to properly characterize
these events.
Other opposition argues that the 2010 history-social science
framework is underway and will likely support the inclusion of
oral histories on all manner of historical subjects, without
specifying particular subjects, which would then impose new
requirements on schools.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Armenian Assembly of America
Armenian National Committee of America
Survivors of Torture International
2 individuals
Opposition
California County Boards of Education, Legislative Committee
Turkish Peace and Justice Committee
2 individuals
Analysis Prepared by : Irene Ho / ED. / (916) 319-2087