Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Upcoming Observance of Farmworkers Day on March 31

Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2156 into law, officially renaming Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day. This bill was authored by Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón and was co-authored by all 80 lawmakers in the California State Assembly. With this change, California recognizes the farmworkers’ movement as a transformative force for civil rights that continues to be highly relevant and necessary.

In support of all of California’s 1700 local educational agencies (LEAs) and 10,000 schools as we commemorate this newly renamed state holiday, the California Department of Education (CDE) has compiled and updated educational resources that can be used to recognize and teach about the farmworkers’ movement as a civil rights struggle that is bigger than one man. These resources support and encourage instruction that recognizes the important legacies of leaders such as Dolores Huerta and Larry Itliong, as well as the contributions of the hundreds of thousands of people who have fought for the rights of farmworkers for over 50 years.

Schools and educators can access web-posted educational resources that support teaching about the farmworkers’ movement on the following CDE Farmworkers Day web page: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/farmworkersday.asp.

Thank you for everything that you do to create safe, supportive school environments for California students and to provide instruction that honors statewide observances and our California heritage.

Sincerely,