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LAUSD To Add Mandatory Ethnic Studies Class To Curriculum

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – All students in the Los Angeles Unified School District would have to take an ethnic studies class in order to graduate, under a resolution approved Tuesday.

Black Lives Matters Rallies At LA Board Of Education To Defund School Police
Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles supporters protest outside the Unified School District headquarters calling on the board of education to defund school police on June 23, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. The demonstrators want the funds currently spent on campus police to be reallocated to other student-serving priorities. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The LAUSD Board of Education passed a resolution to both expand ethnic studies classes across all grade levels and introduce a requirement that all high school student take at least one ethnic studies course in order to meet graduation requirements.

The requirement must take effect by the 2023-2024 academic year, according to LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez, who proposed the resolution. At least one ethnic studies class must be offered at each high school by the 2022-23 school year.

The resolution also requires superintendents to ensure that K-12 curriculums include learning material written by minorities and people of color.

"This resolution is centered on the principle that every child in our district deserves an education that tells their story, that reflects their identity, and that challenges us all to tear down the systems of oppression, racism, anti-Blackness, anti-indigeneity, and white supremacy that have stained the legacy of our country," said Gonez in a statement.

The George Floyd protests in early May have prompted school districts nationwide to reassess how they approach issues such as inequality and opportunity.

In late June, the LAUSD Board of Education voted to slash the school police budget by $25 million, or 35%. The money will be diverted to other school programs to better support students, especially students of color. Officers will also be required to give up their uniforms and patrol off campus.

L.A. School Police Department is one of the largest independent law enforcement agencies for a school district in the nation.

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