District Administration - July/August 2011 - (Page 17)

The FAIR Education Act Sets a Historic Curriculum Standard On July 14, CalifOrnia GOv. Jerry Brown signed a bill requiring public schools to include lessons about the historical contributions of gays and lesbians. The California Senate passed the legislation on april 14, and the assembly moved the bill one step further on July 5. Senate Bill 48, or the fair, accurate, inclusive and respectful (fair) Education act, requires schools to provide general instruction and textbooks that include information on the contributions of “native americans, african americans, Mexican americans, asian americans, Pacific islanders, European americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender americans, persons with disabilities and other ethnic and cultural groups.” The act will also add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s existing antidiscrimination protections that prohibit bias in school activities, instruction and instructional materials. State Sen. Mark leno, who wrote the bill, 13, 2010, leno, who is openly gay, has wanted to ensure that lGBT americans were recognized for their historical contributions to the economic, political and social development of California. Support for such a bill was found within a 2004 survey of 359 California school districts. William B. May, chairman of Catholics for the Common Good, who was opposed to the bill, says, “This shows the corruption of education when politicians are dictating what students are taught rather than educational experts who focus on what is important for them to achieve their full potential.” robert McGarry, director of training and curriculum development at Gay, lesbian and Straight Education network (GlSEn) says, “The curriculum needs to be inclusive, not just written and put on a shelf, but enacted in lesson plans and in pedagogy.”—Charlotte Adinolfi California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill requiring schools across the state to include historical lessons about gays and lesbians. says, "We are selectively censoring history when we exclude lGBT americans, or any other group of people, from our textbooks and instructional materials." Since the bill was proposed on December The School Choice Movement Marches Forward in 2011 IN juST ThE fIrST SIx MONThS Of 2011, 10 STATES AND ThE DISTrICT Of COluMBIA hAvE PASSED lEGISlATION supporting school voucher or scholarship tax credit programs. This has been a big year for school advocates. While some states expanded already existing school choice programs, six new programs were created in Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Wisconsin—beating the previous record of five new programs set in 2006. Opponents argue this is necessary money that is being taken away from the public school system, while supporters say it gives low-income students and those with special needs access to a quality education. • ArizonA: After the state supreme court ruled vouchers unconstitutional in 2009, Arizona instead passed education savings accounts to provide funding to students with special needs to find alternative schools. • FloridA: The Sunshine State increased both the amount of money and type of allowable corporate scholarship tax credit scholarships and expanded the McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. • GeorGiA: Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship program was expanded to raise the $50 million cap so more scholarship money is available for students. • indiAnA: The state legislator passed the nation’s largest school voucher program—School Choice Indiana—aimed at helping low-income and middle-income families. • iowA: The state’s scholarship tax credit program was expanded by more than $1 million. • north CArolinA: A tax credit program for special needs students was enacted and the cap on the number of charter schools, previously limited to 100, has been lifted. • ohio: Ohio expanded its voucher program by quadrupling the number of children eligible for EdChoice state vouchers, increased the amount of money provided by the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program, and a new program for special needs students. • oklAhomA: The state’s first scholarship tax credit program was passed. • UtAh: Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Program received increased funding. • wAshinGton d.C.: As President Barack Obama was set to phase out the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, Congress revived the program, which provides low-income students with scholarships to attend private schools. • wisConsin: The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program was expanded this year and is the nation’s longest-running school choice program. Source: American Federation for Children www.DistrictAdministration.com July/August 2011 17 http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - July/August 2011

District Administration - July/August 2011
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Facilities News
Inside the Law
District Profile
Administrator Profile
The Social Media Dilemma
Is Year-Round Schooling on Track?
After 50 Years, Ethnic Studies Still Controversial
Finding the Right Purchasing Solution
Look, Listen, Learn
Research Center
Supervisor’s Opinion
Going Mobile
Superintendent’s Insight
Books
Product Focus
New Products
Online Edge

District Administration - July/August 2011