Senate Education Committee advances a package of education bills on curriculum, civic learning, CTE, Holocaust education and more

The California Senate Education Committee advanced a package of bills Wednesday that touched on higher-education regulation, K–12 curriculum standards, civic learning, career and technical education and two high-profile health items: expanded mental-health instruction in schools and a limited research pilot on psilocybin for veterans and first responders.

The committee heard extended testimony from bill authors, university researchers, county superintendents, educators and community groups before moving most measures to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration.

A number of bills drew bipartisan praise and close questioning from members. Senator Araguin’s district bill (SB 372) would clarify that a highly qualified nonprofit research university with a California campus but an out-of-state headquarters — cited in testimony as Northeastern University after its Mills College merger — qualifies as an independent institution of higher education and therefore is no longer regulated by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) in the same way as vocational schools. Araguin said the measure “narrowly authorizes a highly qualified nonprofit research institution with a physical presence in California, but is headquartered in another state to be recognized as an independent institution of higher education under the state education code.” Witnesses from the university and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities supported the bill, saying current BPPE oversight imposes unnecessary administrative burdens on the Oakland campus.

On curriculum, the committee took up multiple measures. Senator Stern’s SB 472, which the author said responds to a Governor’s Council report, would direct the Department of Education to issue guidance and a subsequent survey on Holocaust and genocide instruction and to share resources with local education agencies. Brian Hemberg of WestEd told the committee that a statewide survey of local education agencies found only about 26% reported an established Holocaust-and-genocide program and that “instruction on the topic is fragmented and largely dependent on individual educator initiative.” Stern accepted committee amendments that eliminate a mandatory district reporting requirement and instead require the department to issue a notice and may issue a survey up to two years later.

Separately, Senator Richardson’s SB 510 would encourage more comprehensive instruction on African American history within the state’s history–social science framework; Richardson said it strengthens the framework “by encouraging a more inclusive and accurate representation of the diverse communities that have shaped our nation.” The bill drew supportive testimony from the…