With Vice Presidential Candidate Walz’s championing of Holocaust & genocide education, Senator Stern’s bill gains momentum in CA
SACRAMENTO (8/13/24) - SB 1277, Senator Stern’s effort to expand training on genocide for 8,500 California teachers and over one million students in the next three years, just gained momentum with new attention to the issue from Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz.
Senator Stern remarked, “We can’t just count on students being lucky enough to have a Mr. Walz to help breathe life into Holocaust and genocide education. We need to invest in more teachers who may struggle with teaching this tough subject matter.”
Tia, a teacher at El Camino Fundamental High School in Sacramento, shared her experience: "I attended a workshop on navigating critical conversations. We received many strategies that I'm excited to implement. When tough conversations arise and conflicts occur within the classroom, I feel prepared to address and resolve those issues."
This unexpected boost from Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz’ efforts around Holocaust and genocide education have received increased visibility in recent days. Walz wrote his master’s thesis on Holocaust education and established a mandate for Holocaust and genocide education in Minnesota. These efforts mirror those of SB 1277, which would establish the Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education in the California Department of Education.
Channy, a survivor of the Cambodian genocide and Founder of the Cambodian Genocide Resource Center, added, "I have been sharing my story and reliving painful memories in the hope that it will teach our children to stand against hate. With the California Teacher Collaborative, I'm able to do this across the state."
Edith a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide applauded the California Legislature’s current efforts, "By learning from past atrocities, I believe we can work together to prevent future injustices and promote positive change."
The Collaborative brings together survivors of genocides with education experts and teachers to bring to life curricula around the Holocaust and other genocides, including those experienced by Armenian, Bosnian, Indigenous American, Cambodian, Rwandan and Uyghur communities. Since its founding in 2021, the Collaborative, led by the JFCS Holocaust Center has already trained over one thousand teachers across 155 school districts. Last week, leaders of both Native American and Asian Pacific Islander Caucuses agreed to sign on as co-authors pending amendments.
“As chair of the Native American Legislative Caucus, I applaud Sen. Stern for introducing this legislation to ensure that we never forget the horrors and enduring pain that genocide and racism create. California Native Americans survived the war of extermination that our first governor initiated against us. Education can help us fight hate,” said Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino).
California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Chair Assemblymember Evan Low said, “I am proud to co-author SB 1277 to establish the Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide in the California Department of Education to strengthen training for California’s teachers. Improved education and training for teachers on genocide will help ensure California’s students get the best education on the immense human toll of the Holocaust and genocides and help prevent future atrocities in our world.”
SB 1277 is currently on suspense In the California Assembly Appropriations Committee and set to be heard on Thursday, August 15.
RESOURCES:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/09/us/politics/tim-walz-holocaust-class-rwanda-genocide.html
https://holocaustcenter.jfcs.org/education-resource/california-collaborative/