BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Carol Liu, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: ACR 140
AUTHOR: Weber
AMENDED: May 15, 2014
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 18, 2014
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Brown v. Board of Education.
SUMMARY
This concurrent resolution commemorates the 60th
anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision and
urges the California Department of Education to provide
model instructional materials related to the Brown v. Board
of Education decision.
BACKGROUND
The website of the California Department of Education
includes a sample lesson for grades K-3 commemorating the
50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education
decision. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/im/brownvboard46.asp
ANALYSIS
This concurrent resolution commemorates the 60th
anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision and
urges the California Department of Education to provide
model instructional materials related to the Brown v. Board
of Education decision. Specifically, this resolution:
1) Makes numerous findings and declarations, including:
a) In 1896, the United States Supreme
Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that the
segregation of the races at public facilities is
legal as long as facilities are "separate but
equal."
b) On May 17, 1954, the United States
Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education of
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Topeka unanimously overturned the "separate but
equal" doctrine of law.
c) The United States Supreme Court's
decision became the legal impetus to school
desegregation throughout the United States, and
led to one of the most profound social movements
in the history of the United State.
2) Commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Brown v.
Board of Education decision.
3) Urges the California Department of Education to
provide model instructional materials to schools that
encourage schools to observe the Brown v. Board of
Education decision with appropriate educational
activities that help students understand the
importance of tolerance, humanity, and equality of
opportunity.
4) Resolves that a copy of this resolution be transmitted
to the California School Boards Association (CSBA),
and encourages CSBA to disseminate copies to local
boards of education throughout the State.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Existing resources . This bill urges the California
Department of Education (CDE) to provide model
instructional materials to schools that encourage
schools to observe the Brown v. Board of Education
decision, as specified. While model instructional
materials specific to the Brown v. Board of Education
decision do not appear to be available through the
CDE, the Brown v. Board of Education decision is
referenced in other resources.
The Model Curriculum for Human Rights and Genocide includes
references to the Brown v. Board of Education decision
as follows:
a) Examine and analyze the key events,
policies, and court cases in the evolution of
civil rights, including Dred Scott v. Sandford,
Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education,
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke,
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and California Proposition 209.
b) Explain the controversies that have resulted
over changing interpretations of civil rights,
including those in Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v.
Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, Regents
of the University of California v. Bakke, Adarand
Constructors, Inc. v. Pe�a, and United States v.
Virginia.
c) Includes evaluation criteria, specifying
Historical controversies must display a variety
of perspectives by the participants: for example,
the debate over slavery at the Constitutional
Convention, and implementation of the Brown
decision.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/im/documents/modelcurr
ichrgenoc.pdf#search=Brown%20v.%20Board%20of%20Edu
cation&view=FitH&pagemode=none
The currently-suspended revision of the history-social
science framework for grade 11 provides that students
learn about the rise of the civil rights movement and
the legal battle to abolish segregation, and
specifically references the Brown v. Board of
Education decision as overturning the entire basis of
"separate but equal" and resistance to it by local and
state governments stimulated a generation of political
and social activism led by African Americans pursuing
their civil rights.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/cf/documents/chapter5.doc
2) Fiscal impact . According to the Assembly
Appropriations Committee, to the extent the California
Department of Education develops model instructional
materials and the California School Boards Association
disseminates copies to local education boards, this
resolution could result in unknown General Fund and
Proposition 98 cost pressures.
3) Prior legislation . ACR 140 (Wesson, Chapter 76, 2004)
commemorated the Brown v. Board of Education decision
and observed May 17, 2004, as "Brown v. Board of
Education and Equality in Education Day." This
resolution also urged the California Department of
Education to provide model instructional materials to
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schools that encourages schools to observe the Brown
v. Board of Education decision with appropriate
educational activities that help students understand
the importance of tolerance, humanity, and equality of
opportunity.
SUPPORT
California School Boards Association
StudentsFirst
OPPOSITION
None on file.