AB 1330 (FURUTANI) Graduation Requirements 

Assemblyman Warren Furutani, D-Long Beach, wants students to take a course in career/technical education rather than one in world language or visual and performing arts!! 

If passed, AB 1330 would substitute a class in technical education for one in world language or visual and performing arts, limiting your child’s ability to speak another language or experience the widening horizons gained through the visual and performing arts!

AB 1330 will be heard on the Assembly Floor. We expect a vote to be taken by the assembly on April 13. There is no valid reason to replace these widely accepted courses in foreign languages and the performing and visual arts with courses in career technical education.  Students should graduate with some experience in another language (necessary in today’s global economy), and it is widely accepted that students who participate in some aspect of the arts are more likely to stay in school and perform academically better than those who do not.

Please contact your Assembly Member immediately in strong opposition to AB 1330! 

This proposed addition of a career/technical education class to graduation requirements will allow it to replace a world language class or a performing/visual arts class.

See the entire bill.

1. Your Own Legislative District Assembly Member

a. Look up your Assembly Member: (http://192.234.213.69/smapsearch/framepage.asp)

b. Click on your assembly member's name. (This will take you to your assembly member's home page.)

c. Click on the "Contact me" or "Email me." Fill in your name and address. Express your opposition to AB 1330.

2. If you who live in one of the following legislators districts, your support is critical. Please make every effort to contact him/her and ask that he or she to vote NO on April 13th when AB 1330 comes up for action, and then state your reasons why using the resources listed below. Here is a list of the members of the Assembly Education Committee and their e-mail addresses:

Santa Monica to Oxnard Area

Julia Brownley - Chair, Dem-41, (916) 319-2041, Assemblymember.Brownley@assembly.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 90263, 90265, 90272, 90290, 90401, 90402, 90403, 90404, 90405, 91301, 91302, 91316, 91356, 91364, 91377, 91436, 93033, 93035, 93041

North Orange County Area

Chris Norby - Vice Chair, Rep-72, (916) 319-2072, Assemblymember.Norby@assembly.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 92801, 92805, 92806, 92821, 92823, 92831, 92832, 92833, 92835, 92866, 92868, 92870, 92886

San Francisco Area

Tom Ammiano, Dem-13, (916) 319-2013, Assemblymember.Ammiano@assembly.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 94102, 94103, 94104, 94105, 94107, 94108, 94109, 94110, 94111, 94114, 94115, 94117, 94123, 94124, 94129, 94130, 94131, 94133

Livermore-Sacramento Area

Joan Buchanan, Dem-15, (916) 319-2015, Assemblymember.Buchanan@assembly.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 94506, 94507, 94511, 94513, 94514, 94526, 94550, 94561, 94583, 94595, 94596, 94598, 95615, 95624, 95632, 95639, 95641, 95686, 95690, 95693, 95830

LAX-Torrance Area

Betsy Butler, Dem-53, (916) 319-2053, Assemblymember.Butler@assembly.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 90066, 90245, 90254, 90266, 90277, 90278, 90291, 90292, 90293, 90501, 90503, 90504, 90505, 90717

Fontana-Rialto-San Bernardino Area

Wilmer Amina Carter, Dem-62, (916) 319-2062, Assemblymember.Carter@assembly.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 92316, 92324, 92335, 92336, 92337, 92376, 92377, 92401, 92408, 92410, 92411

San Marino-South El Monte Area

Mike Eng, Dem-49, (916) 319-2049, Assemblymember.Eng@assembly.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 91108, 91731, 91732, 91733, 91754, 91755, 91770, 91775, 91776, 91801, 91803

Thousand Oaks-Fillmore Area

Jeff Gorell, Rep-37, (916) 319-2037, Assemblymember.Gorell@assembly.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 91311, 91320, 91360, 91361, 91362, 91384, 93010, 93012, 93015, 93021, 93022, 93023, 93040, 93060, 93065, 93066, 93532

Fresno East Area

Linda Halderman, Rep-29, (916) 319-2029, Assemblymember.Halderman@asm.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 93602, 93605, 93611, 93612, 93621, 93626, 93628, 93634, 93637, 93638, 93641, 93646, 93650, 93651, 93664, 93667, 93675, 93704, 93710, 93711, 93720, 93726, 93727

Tustin-Irvine Area

Donald P. Wagner, Rep-70, (916) 319-2070, Assemblymember.Wagner@assembly.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 92602, 92604, 92606, 92610, 92612, 92614, 92618, 92620, 92625, 92630, 92651, 92656, 92657, 92660, 92661, 92662, 92663, 92780, 92782

Santa Barbara Area

Das Williams, Dem-35, (916) 319-2035, Assemblymember.Williams@assembly.ca.gov

District Zip Codes: 93001, 93003, 93004, 93013, 93030, 93067, 93101, 93103, 93105, 93108, 93109, 93110, 93111, 93117, 93254, 93427, 93441, 93460, 93463

Please do this ASAP.

And if you need ammunition to support your request, just go to the CFLP web site and download Duarte Silva's new policy brief on the academic and economic benefits of world language and culture education. It is a very powerful and compelling case for world language instruction, and it will have more than you could possibly use.

Write the letter in your own words. Include your personal perspective and experience.

You can include the following arguments:

World Language classes

•       Prepare students to communicate in another language,
•       Enable our students to compete more effectively with our international peers,
•       Develop cultural and linguistic competence to work collaboratively to solve issues of world importance,
•       Improve communication and interaction with our neighbors within the U. S.,
•       Develop greater cognitive skills, improve school performance in other subject areas, and increase standardized test scores
•       Provide skills for the 21st century.
•       Share your personal views.
•       Find more talking points at new policy brief, "Skills for the 21st Century," and Talking Points.

But if you need more, visit the CLTA web site and read the article Advocacy Chair Nicole Naditz wrote "Skills for the 21st Century" which is also a valuable resource. There is also a sample letter on the CLTA web site at http://www.clta.net/advocacy/sample.html. You can use it to get ideas, but please put it into your own words.

Let's hit them with a real barrage of letters. If you can't write a letter, please phone your assembly member's local and Sacramento offices and register your opposition in both of these locations. When you call, give your name and where you live. Then state your opposition to AB 1330 and give your reasons.  A phone call is not as effective as a FAXed and signed letter, but it is better than nothing.