Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Train the Trainers Certification Webinar

The California Department of Education (CDE) is offering an exciting professional learning and certification opportunity to all who are developing ethnic studies courses based on the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC) or providing ESMC training to educators. Join CDE staff and partners as we dive into the ESMC, a guidance document that provides support to teachers and administrators in developing courses and instructional content.

Educators and support providers who are involved in developing ethnic studies curriculum or training educators on the use of the ESMC are encouraged to attend the ESMC Train the Trainers Certification webinar through the CDE.

Assembly Bill 2016, Chapter 327 (Statutes of 2016) required the Instructional Quality Commission to develop, and the State Board of Education to adopt, an ESMC. The model curriculum, which was adopted by the State Board of Education on March 18, 2021, is intended to empower students by illuminating the often-untold struggles and contributions of four groups central to ethnic studies: Native Americans, African Americans, Latino/a/x Americans, and Asian Americans.

The guiding values of the ESMC focus on examining forms of oppression, including ableism, ageism, xenophobia, antisemitism, anti-Blackness, anti-Indigeneity, Islamophobia, and transphobia.

In this certification session, participants will learn about:

• Ethnic studies district implementation guidance
  
  
• Instructional guidance for kindergarten through grade twelve education
  
  
• Sample curriculum and planning guides
  
  
• Resources developed by county offices of education and local educational
  

Participants will be asked to submit a document describing how they plan to implement ethnic studies as well as sign a pledge affirming their intention to abide by the requirements of Assembly Bill 101, Chapter 661 (Statutes of 2021) as they implement ethnic studies.

Attendees will have the chance to earn a certificate after the session. These certificates will confirm participant alignment with ethnic studies guidelines and California Education Code as well as signal knowledge about implementation of the ethnic studies requirements and resources available to guide implementation. Certification will also show readiness to train others on the ESMC as well as the laws surrounding ethnic studies.

Who: Curriculum leads, specialists, developers, professional development providers, and educators

When: August 2, 2023, from 10 a.m. to noon

Zoom Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_orQYqjMQR-ynBjvTrrE6ug#/registration [preceding link is no longer valid]

For questions related to the ESMC Train the Trainers Certification, please contact ESMCPD@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Signed by

Cheryl Cotton, Deputy Superintendent
Instruction, Measurement, and Administration Branch

CC:mm