LAUSD Teachers Participate in Program that Affects School Community and Curriculum

Los Angeles, California - From September 14 -17, 2006 more than 30 teachers from Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) will participate in a Facing History and Ourselves institute, Holocaust and Human Behavior, which will provide them with a framework to help students succeed academically while developing their critical thinking around concepts of ethical reflection and civic engagement.

Founded in 1976, Facing History and Ourselves provides resources and professional development to teachers worldwide to help students make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives. The institute, held at Mount St. Mary's College Doheny Campus, is being offered to schools that have committed to integrating Facing History into their school culture and curriculum. The Facing History model provides a way to engage students in the school environment and in the larger community.

With ongoing support from Facing History staff, the teachers from Animo Jackie Robinson Charter High School (AJR), Santee High School and small learning communities at Belmont, Garfield, Franklin and Lincoln, will develop in-depth Facing History courses or units after attending the institute.

"We believe academic rigor is of the utmost importance. As such, we believe Facing History and Ourselves will not only provide units and materials that help us maximize academic rigor in our classrooms but also help provide relevance and purpose to our students' education," said Marilena Franco, a world history teacher at Franklin High School who is part of the school's new small learning community (SLC) focusing on Health and Human Services. Franco has taught Facing History for several years and along with SLC leader Maegan Williams, spearheaded the decision to utilize Facing History across grade levels and disciplines.

"Facing History more than serves the goals we have for our students-and our SLC as a whole-because the program helps students see how they can change the world by truly being a part of it," added Franco.

At Santee High School, teachers plan to introduce a Facing History course in the ninth grade, a model based on a successful course at Santa Monica High School, developed to help students transition into high school and make choices that will help them be more successful in school both academically and socially.

Animo Jackie Robinson, one of the new Green Dot charter schools opening in August to provide an alternative to students of Jefferson High School, intends to integrate Facing History's resources through all grade levels as they add additional grades each year. The entire staff of AJR will attend the institute.

Facing History's professional development is based on its many relevant and innovative materials, including resource books on Holocaust and Human Behavior, Race and Membership in American History: the Eugenics Movement, Choices in Little Rock, and Crimes Against Humanity and Civilization: The Genocide of the Armenians as well as many study guides to accompany documentaries and films. Through these case studies, students learn to view history through a critical lens, and to understand that their choices make a difference.

The program has a proven track record of effectiveness. The Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and other institutions have provided funding for or conducted research studies on Facing History. These studies have shown that students who take Facing History demonstrate a decrease in fighting behavior, increased moral reasoning and empathy, and an increased understanding of historical events.