In summary
The state will be updating its history and social studies curriculum. Students typically learn about Chávez in fourth, ninth and eleventh grade.
César Chávez is woven throughout California’s social studies curriculum — as a labor leader, civil rights hero and practitioner of nonviolent protest.
That’s about to change.
State education officials on Wednesday urged teachers to minimize the role of Chávez when teaching about the farm labor movement. The labor rights icon and namesake of at least 43 schools in California, Chávez was accused Wednesday of a long pattern of sexually abusing women and girls.
“The civil rights struggle of farm workers and immigrant communities is larger than one person and continues to be highly relevant today,” said Elizabeth Sanders, spokeswoman for the California Department of Education. “We stand with survivors of violence, including and especially gender-based violence, which has no place in our society.”
The state will also be updating its history and social studies curriculum, an 800-page document that details lesson topics for all K-12 public school students. Students typically learn about Chávez in fourth, ninth and eleventh grade, according to state guidelines, often as a role model and important figure in history. He’s also covered in ethnic studies courses.
School districts have latitude as to how to teach particular topics, and districts across California on Wednesday were mulling how to approach the new information about Chávez, who died in 1993. With César Chávez Day approaching March 31, countless teachers are now rewriting their lesson plans.
Los Angeles Unified, the state’s largest district, said it was going to review its curriculum related to Chávez. Latino students make up nearly 75% of the district enrollment.
“(The district wants) to ensure the emphasis remains on the important work of the farmworker movement, not on any one individual,” said district spokesman Britt Vaughan. “It is important to recognize the collective work of thousands who have advanced social justice, labor rights, and community empowerment.”
‘We need to pause’
James Aguilar, a social studies teacher at San Lorenzo High in Alameda County, said he discussed the news with his students on Wednesday. Like him, they were shocked. The students had a lot of questions, but mostly they just wanted to talk about their emotions. Most had grown up revering Chávez.
Aguilar was straightforward with them.
“I feel very personally about this issue,” Aguilar said. “I believe survivors, and that’s where I lean.”
This is not the first time he’s had to rethink curriculum based on new allegations about historical figures. Social studies happens in real time, and the historical record constantly evolves, he said.
“I’ve known César Chávez as nothing but a hero, an essential leader in the union movement,” said Aguilar, who’s active in his local teachers union. “We don’t want to invalidate his work, but we need to pause. There are people who’ve done good things for our country but have not-so-great records in other aspects of their lives. We just need to acknowledge that.”
A complicated legacy
Finding that balance will be tough — but essential — for social studies teachers, especially as they prepare to commemorate César Chávez Day, said Morgan Polikoff, an education professor at the University of Southern California.
Teachers should also consider the age of their students, and what’s an appropriate topic for classroom discussions, he said. Guidance from the state and districts should help teachers know how to approach the topic in a way that acknowledges the allegations but doesn’t detract from the farm workers’ movement generally.
“There are a lot of historical figures who are deeply problematic,” Polikoff said. “The real challenge is to find a way to teach about them that doesn’t ignore the allegations but reflects the complexities of their legacy.”
