NBC Connecticut’s Connecticut in Color program aired a segment entitled Exploring the New Black and Latino Studies Curriculum on February 26, 2021. Visit the original posting on NBCConnecticut.com.

News 8 WTNH reported on the Black & Latino Studies Curriculum on February 25, 2021. Visit the original posting on wtnh.com.

Promoted by members of the state legislature’s Black and Hispanic Caucus- Public Act 1912 was signed into law by Governor Ned Lamont last year. It comes at a time when racial tensions and calls for social justice are running high.

The coursework will go way beyond what’s been traditionally taught out of textbooks across the nation and focus on the great accomplishments made by people, and how that has shaped American history.

Dear ARTLC Members,

On December 16, 2020, Senator McCrory and Luz Osuba, Designee for Representative Sanchez, along with CSDE and SERC representatives, held a listening session with members of the Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning Collective (ARTLC).  ARTLC representatives included scholars from SCSU, UCONN, Yale, and Teach for America-CT; organizers from the City-Wide Youth Coalition, Hearing Youth Voices, and Students for Educational Justice; and students from Hearing Youth Voices, Students for Educational Justice, and UCONN.

This meeting was a follow-up to the ARTLC blog post on October 13, 2020 and letter presented on November 4, 2020 to the Co-Chairs of the Education Committee and the SERC Team.  The ARTLC shared their vision and advocacy for the legislated African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino course of studies, and expressed their perception and concerns about the direction of the curriculum prepared for its implementation.

SERC shared that the efforts to develop the curriculum was the collaboration of multiple stakeholders, including students and members of the ARTLC, and specifically recognized the expertise and extensive contributions of Content Development Committee members for its comprehensiveness.

During the meeting, the ARTLC identified critical components that Senator McCrory and the SERC Team agreed with.  References and examples provided demonstrate how these components served as the foundation for the curriculum development process.

Download this document (PDF) to read the identified critical components.

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that Connecticut has become the first state in the nation to require all high schools in the state offer courses on African-American, Black, Puerto Rican, and Latino studies.

The requirement is the result of a law Governor Lamont signed last year – Public Act 19-12 – that directs all regional and local boards of education to include an elective course of studies at the high school level that provides students with a better understanding of the African-American, Black, Puerto Rican, and Latino contributions to United States history, society, economy, and culture. Last week, the Connecticut State Board of Education unanimously approved the curriculum for the course, which was a final step needed to implement the requirement.

Press Release, December 12, 2020, Office of Governor Ned Lamont

Read more about this milestone in Connecticut education at the Office of Governor Ned Lamont’s website.

Four informational webinars for district personnel were held during the week of November 9, 2020. A recording of one of those sessions is presented here, for those who couldn’t attend online. You may Download the Powerpoint from the session in PDF format.

On November 11, NBC Connecticut featured the African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino curriculum. Watch the video and read the accompanying story at NBC Connecticut’s website.