California Assembly Bill AB2353 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2353AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 16, 2016 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 21, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member McCarty FEBRUARY 18, 2016 An act to add Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 44475) to Chapter 3 of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to teacher professional development. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2353, as amended, McCarty. Teacher professional development: culturally responsive instruction.  (1) Existing   Existing  law establishes various programs of professional development for teachers, including the California Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment System, and requires the State Department of Education to issue a request for proposals to contract for the development of standards for professional development for educators and instructional leaders. This bill would require the department to identify professional development programs in culturally responsive instruction and provide links to those programs on its Internet Web site. The bill would state legislative findings and declarations relating to the importance of culturally responsive teaching.  (2) Existing law appropriated the sum of $490,000,000 from the General Fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to be allocated to school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and the state special schools, as provided, for specified teacher and administrator training and professional development, including to promote educator quality and effectiveness.   This bill would specify that school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and the state special schools are authorized to use those moneys to provide professional development in culturally responsive instruction.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Culture is essential to learning. (b) Culture plays a role not only in communicating and receiving information, but also in shaping the thinking process of groups and individuals. (c) A pedagogy that acknowledges, responds to, and celebrates fundamental cultures offers full, equitable access to education for pupils from all cultures. (d) Culturally responsive teaching is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including pupils' cultural references in all aspects of learning. (e) Culturally responsive teaching acknowledges the legitimacy of a pupil's cultural heritage that shapes dispositions and attitudes. (f) Culturally responsive teaching builds bridges of meaningfulness between home and school. (g) Culturally responsive teaching uses a wide variety of instructional strategies that are connected to learning styles. (h) Culturally responsive teaching incorporates multicultural information, books, and other educational resources. (i) Culturally responsive teaching promotes the idea of the classroom family and all pupils are in it together. (j) Culturally responsive teaching teaches pupils that they can be successful and that they are appreciated by educators who have high expectations of them. (k) Culturally responsive teaching develops the social consciousness of pupils to better handle the world of prejudice and racism. SEC. 2. Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 44475) is added to Chapter 3 of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read: Article 3.2. Professional Development in Culturally Responsive Instruction 44475. The department shall identify professional development programs in culturally responsive instruction and provide links to those programs on its Internet Web site.  SEC. 3.   Moneys appropriated to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and allocated to school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and the state special schools for professional development to promote educator quality and effectiveness pursuant to Section 58 of Chapter 13 of the Statutes of 2015 may be used by the school district, county office of education, charter school, or the state special school to provide professional development in culturally responsive instruction.