Community Gathers to Pack the Santa Ana School Board Meeting Tonight to Call for Ethnic Studies Requirement In All Santa Ana Unified Schools
SANTA ANA, CA—Tonight students, parents, teachers, professors, and community organizations will pack the Santa Ana School Board meeting to call for Ethnic Studies classes in all Santa Ana schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade, a high school graduation requirement, the expansion of restorative practices in Ethnic Studies classes as an alternative to suspension and expulsion, and the creation of an Ethnic Studies Summer Teacher Institute where teachers can engage in pedagogy and curriculum that is culturally relevant and responsive to the Santa Ana community.
Santa Ana is rich in diversity, with cultural roots from places like Cambodia, Vietnam, Samoa, Central America, Afghanistan, and one of the largest Mexican American populations outside of Mexico, yet the majority of our students’ histories and cultures have been pushed out of the curriculum. The community is calling for a curriculum that challenges eurocentrism and reflects the diversity and linguistic legacy of the students in Santa Ana. Continue reading