State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day by Co-Hosting School Leadership to End Hate Day of Professional Learning

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent Tony Thurmond commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day today, marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with a day of professional learning for school administrators who sought to counter hate and foster inclusion on school campuses across California. The event, School Leadership to End Hate, was co-hosted by Thurmond and the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education and was held at the California Department of Education (CDE) headquarters in Sacramento.

Superintendent Thurmond and staff from the Teachers Collaborative shared highlights from the first-ever report on the state of Holocaust and genocide education, produced by the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education, of which Superintendent Thurmond is a co-chair. Speakers at the event included George Elbaum, a Holocaust survivor, and Edith Umugiraneza, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide.

“We must counter hate wherever and whenever it rears its head, and especially in our schools,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “Every child must feel safe to learn, and every child should feel that they belong on their school campus. It takes strong leaders to end hate and foster understanding. I am proud to stand alongside nearly 100 school and district leaders and antibias practitioners as we commit to using the power of education to end hate across California.”

The first-ever statewide report on the state of Holocaust and genocide education that was released today calls for increased professional learning in Holocaust and genocide education, statewide support for Holocaust and genocide education, and a vetted clearinghouse of instructional materials. Educators from schools throughout California participated in the creation of the report.

One year ago, as part of Superintendent Thurmond’s Education to End Hate Initiative, International Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed when a survivor, Lisa Brinner spoke at Thurmond’s home district of West Contra Costa Unified. Through the use of educational technology, livestream survivor testimony was streamed across six high schools simultaneously, allowing over 100 students across all schools to engage with Brinner and directly ask questions about her experience.

Thurmond is continuing to host oral history speaker events with survivor testimonies in school districts across California. More information on Superintendent Thurmond’s initiatives can be found on the Transforming Schools: Superintendent’s Initiatives web page. Educators are encouraged to use the resources and free professional development offered by the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education .

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100