State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces “Education to End Hate” Grant Recipients and Dates for First Three Virtual Classrooms

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced that the California Department of Education (CDE) has selected recipients of mini grants totaling nearly $200,000 that will fund educator trainings across the state to combat hate, bigotry, racism, and other forms of bias or prejudice in schools as part of the Education to End Hate initiative.

More than 300 schools and districts across California applied for the grants funded by a contribution from philanthropic partner, the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Topics addressed by the first round of grantees include anti-racist pedagogy, implicit bias and its impact on students and families, privilege and systems of oppression, improving coursework on California and Native American Studies, and more.

“The overwhelming response to this grant program speaks volumes: California’s educators are more committed than ever to educational equity through the creation of safe, inclusive learning environments for all students, and they are hungry for more training and tools,” Thurmond said. “Congratulations to these school districts for showing their communities that education has the power to make meaningful, lasting change.”

The State Superintendent launched the Education to End Hate Initiative in September as a multifaceted effort to confront incidents of hate, bigotry, and racism rising across the state and nation, including anti-Semitic behavior, bullying of Asian American students, Islamophobia, LGBTQ discrimination, and violence directed at historically marginalized and oppressed peoples.

The first round of Education to End Hate mini grant recipients are:

• Eureka City Schools - $20,000
• Lucia Mar Unified School District - $14,600
• Madera Unified School District - $19,999
• Mountain Empire Unified School District - $15,000
• Ojai Unified School District - $20,000
• Petaluma City Schools District - $20,000
• San Lorenzo Unified School District - $20,000
• Union Elementary School District - $20,000
• Willits Elementary Charter School $6,200
• Wright Elementary School District - $20,000

Grant recipients indicated they are seeking workshops and training opportunities for both staff and teachers. Some applicants also indicated providing opportunities to students and parents. Recipients noted that training and professional development would support the improvement or development of curriculum and address systemic problems in policies and procedures.

Virtual classroom series dates announced: As part of the Education to End Hate Initiative, the CDE will also host a series of virtual classroom and educator professional development sessions broadcast live throughout the state that will be designed to engage students, educators, and families in a wide-ranging dialogue about the many forms of bias young people face across California—and ways schools can lead efforts to end discrimination.

The first three dates and topics in the webinar series will be:

• Week of November 16, 2020: Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching about Native Americans
• December 9: Countering anti-Semitism
• January 12, 2021: Countering Islamophobia

More details will be announced in advance of each virtual event.

All questions regarding the Education to End Hate Initiative can be directed to edtoendhate@cde.ca.gov.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100