The Bolsavik got this email from Duc Nguyen, the director of Bolinao 52 (the documentary about boat people who were stranded at sea and had to resort to cannibalism).
Duc’s email has nothing to do with boat people. It’s about the new requirement under California law that teaching about the Vietnam War must include, among other things, “the ‘Secret War’ in Laos, the role of Southeast Asians in the war, and the refugee/immigrant/new American experience.”
Apparently, to carry out that mandate of the law, the California Board of Education is forming a Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee to work on this.
The Board is also putting together focus groups to discuss all the things that should go into the new curriculum. The focus groups meet openly, and the public has a chance to provide input.
If you are an educator, please apply for the committee and add an authentic voice to the teaching of the history of the Vietnam War. Click here for announcement and application form. Deadline is September 3, 2008.
If you’re not an educator (and, for that matter, even if you are) please come to the focus group meetings and provide public comments.
Duc’s email follows:
Dear friends,
For those who have been frustrated by the lack of Vietnamese American voices in Vietnam War textbooks and school curriculum, this is an excellent opportunity for us to get our stories told in California schools. In the next several months, a major undertaking takes place within the California educational system. The California Board of Education is working to update the History-Social Science Framework for California public schools. Bill AB2064 was introduced by California Assemblyman Arambula (co-authored by Senator Lou Correa of Los Angeles) requiring “”the State Board of Education (SBE) and the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission (the Curriculum Commission) to ensure that the history/social science framework, evaluation criteria, and instruction materials include the ‘Secret War’ in Laos, the role of Southeast Asians in the war, and the refugee/immigrant/new American experience.”
For more information about the bill go to:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html
Type in bill number AB2064 and click search.
In next few weeks, there are several public focus group meetings for the History-Social Science Framework in different cities. I encourage you to attend these meetings. Here are the schedule and places.
Please go here for more information about the focus groups and curriculum frameworks: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/cf/index.asp
* June 5, 2008: Los Angeles County Office of Education. [Notice and agenda here. Public comments begin at 5:10.]
* June 6, 2008: San Diego County Office of Education. [Notice and agenda here. Public comments begin at 4:10.]
I created an online group for our campaign to get our stories . Please join this group by sending an email to ab2064-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to stay inform, post comments, network and exchange ideas. There are also information you can download about the bill and California Board of Education’s curriculum framework.
EDUCATORS!!! Please apply for a Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee (CFCC) position. The CFCC plays a very significant role in the framework adoption process. They bring a voice from an area of expertise while providing input into the initial writing of the draft framework. Attached is an application. If you are not in the education field please pass it on to those who would qualify.
Duc Nguyen
Director/Producer
BOLINAO 52: A Vietnamese Boat People Documentary
This is a very worthwhile effort. Thank you, Duc Nguyen!