Updates to CA’s K-12 History Curriculum Reflect the State’s Diversity

Textbook reviews are routine, but this year, a culture clash of sorts broke out in the process in California. Teachers, education experts, and cultural groups had a lot to say about how world history should be taught in K-12 classes. They sent the state’s Instructional Quality Committee nearly 500 pages of suggestions on such issues as the correct name for India, and whether to cover the topic of ‘comfort women’ and to be more inclusive of Chicano culture. After hours of public testimony Thursday, the committee issued a framework for teaching history aimed at reflecting the diversity of the state.