Asm. Kevin McCarty

This measure would proclaim the month of February 2021 as Financial Aid Awareness Month. The measure would urge the Legislature to use its institutional role and resources to raise awareness of the importance of student financial aid and mobilize efforts to increase completion rates of financial aid applications to maximize the state's investment in its students, especially low-income and first-generation students.

This measure would proclaim the week of February 6, 2021, through February 13, 2021, inclusive, as California Court Reporting and Captioning Week and request the Governor to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the great State of California to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and educational activities.

This measure would declare March 5, 2021, as Family Justice Center Day in California and would recognize the lifesaving and hope-giving work of the California Family Justice Center Network and its member Family Justice Centers as they work with rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, human trafficking agencies, prosecutors' offices, law enforcement agencies, and other professionals and community-based organizations to ensure that adult and child survivors of trauma can access all of their services in one setting.

This measure would recognize February 2021 as Black History Month, urge all citizens to join in celebrating the accomplishments of African Americans during Black History Month, and encourage the people of California to recognize the many talents of African Americans and the achievements and contributions they make to their communities to create equity and equality for education, economics, and social justice. The measure would also recognize the significance in protecting citizens' right to vote and remedying racial discrimination in voting.

An existing provision of the California Constitution establishes the Public School System, which includes all kindergarten schools, elementary schools, secondary schools, technical schools, and state colleges, established in accordance with law and, in addition, the school districts and the other agencies authorized to maintain them. The California Constitution also establishes the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and requires the Superintendent to be elected by the qualified electors of the State at each gubernatorial election. This measure would amend the California Constitution to require that, in all of the public elementary and secondary schools of the state, the social studies curriculum for grades 3, 4, 8, and 11 include significant material on the history and culture of California Native Americans. The measure would also require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to ensure that appropriate instructional materials, including, but not necessarily limited to, suitable textbooks and electronic media, are available to local educational agencies, and to private schools that wish to obtain these instructional materials, for these purposes. The measure would also authorize the Legislature and the Governor to enact statutes to implement this measure.