March 2024
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CO-ADMINISTRATOR’S MESSAGE FROM JOAN P. & GAIL
Thank you to everyone who attended the Funds Luncheon. Everyone seemed to enjoy their lunches.
Thanks to Harriet Moses who has volunteered to take over the leadership of our group so we will continue for next year.
Happy Birthday to Sue Solomon and Celia Spitzer.
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Meeting & Program, Tobi
Reproductive Rights in a Post -Dobbs Nation
Thursday, March 21Social Time: 6:30 PM
Meeting: 7 PM
Place: Cabrillo Lane Adult School Auditorium
20122 Cabrillo Lane, Cerritos
Select HERE for map
Professor Jodi Balma will return to speak to us about how reproductive rights have been impacted since the June 24, 2022 Supreme Court decision taking away the Constitutional right to abortion. She started her career as a professor of political science at Fullerton College in 2000. She has served as the faculty coordinator of the Honors Program since 2012.
Professor Balma specializes in American politics and California state and local government. Her goal is to help students learn how to think about politics and community problems with an emphasis on critical thinking and analysis, regardless of political party or ideology. She helps students understand how they can become involved in working with community leaders to find solutions.
Please note: All our meetings comply with local rules and the accepted health guidance of Los Angeles and Orange counties for in-person meetings. Board and general meetings are in-person with due respect to members who do not wish to attend in-person. Those members may choose to easily attend and participate in meetings by connecting via phone to another member in attendance and have been doing so successfully.
Please welcome and support your new officers. Remember that their job is to lead and encourage other members. Please offer to help them when they ask.
We are looking forward to taking care of services for current membership. In order to increase membership for our branch, we request all members to bring one friend to our meetings. Please welcome our new member, Ferne, at the meeting. Thank you.
AAUW Fund, Tobi
Panda Inn luncheon on February 13th raised $286 for the Fund. Thank you all!
Thank you.
Sue Carruthers and Thea Siegel
A big thank you for all of our members who made contributions to the AAUW Fund during 2023. Let’s try to keep the contributions coming in 2024. In celebration of our 51st anniversary as a branch we would ask you to consider contributing $51.00 or any other amount . A list of our various funds is on our website.
Public Policy, Sondra
Click HERE for March Issue AAUW Public Policy News
The Role of California School Boards
By Seena Trigas, Member AAUW California Public Policy Committee School Board Project
AAUW California is concerned about the censorship of classroom material, the heightened enforcement of board policies rejecting diversity, and providing discriminatory policies against gay and minority students. This concern now leads me, as a former school board member, high school teacher/department chair and adjunct college professor, to reflect on the role of school boards in California and their limitations.
The State Board of Education (SBE) is the controlling structure for K-12, and is the governing and policy-making body of the state for public education. Among its duties is the adoption of statewide academic standards for content and of curriculum frameworks. These inform and guide the local school boards in the development and implementation of specific curricula for K-12 students, and serve as the basis for the adoption of instructional materials. School board members represent districts within the school district boundaries.
In 2023 AB1078 was passed, which requires the California State Department of Education to assess if school boards are in compliance with state laws requiring public schools to provide diverse and comprehensive education. It requires local school districts with insufficient instructional materials to correct this and authorizes the department to purchase (at district expense) adequate curricula if the district restricts students from learning about important topics like racism, sexism, and gender-based marginalization.
AAUW branch members play a critical role in ensuring all California school boards are governed by board members who will follow AB 1078, and who oppose policies that infringe on the civil rights of LGBTQ+ students.
Please click HERE for the February issue of Public Policy News, which includes an article “The Role of California School Boards”