The Orange County Department of Education’s role in developing a new Cambodian American Studies curriculum was recognized Sunday when its history and social science manager served as a grand marshal in the 17th annual Cambodia Town Parade in Long Beach.
Dr. Marika Manos was one of five grand marshals honored at the event, which celebrated Cambodian New Year with traditional music, dance and cultural demonstrations. About 70 groups marched more than a mile along Anaheim Street to Long Beach City College, where the festivities continued with food, music and community programming.
An estimated 20,000 Cambodians reside in Long Beach — the largest Cambodian population outside of Cambodia — and the annual celebration is a focal point of the community’s cultural life.
Manos was recognized for her coordination of the Cambodian American Studies Model Curriculum, which was developed in response to California’s Assembly Bill 167 to support culturally responsive instruction. Under the leadership of County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean, the Cambodian, Hmong and Vietnamese model curricula were created in collaboration with scholars, educators, historians and grassroots organizations to deepen understanding of community histories and heritage. These resources are now being introduced to educators through conferences and professional learning events.
The Cambodian American Studies Model Curriculum was unveiled during a two-day conference in Long Beach last November. Nearly 500 teachers, educational leaders and community members attended the event, which featured keynote speeches, survivor panels and workshops exploring themes of resilience, identity and cultural preservation.
As part of the continued rollout, OCDE will host another Cambodian American Studies Conference on Oct. 24-25 at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel in Stockton.
Cambodia Town, a Long Beach-based nonprofit, has been a key partner in the curriculum’s creation and promotion.
“The Cambodia Town parade and cultural festival is a result of years of love and labor by community members,” Manos said. “The space holds joy, history and hope. I am deeply honored to be one of the grand marshals of the Cambodia Town parade.”
Manos, who previously taught in the Long Beach Unified School District and served as a faculty member at California State University, Long Beach, was accompanied in the parade by her husband, Jesse Blomberg, and daughters Penelope and Kalliope.
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- For 50 years, the Orange County Department of Education’s Inside the Outdoors program has provided hands-on environmental education to students, combining classroom lessons with outdoor learning experiences as part of the California Environmental Literacy Initiative.
- County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean, a survivor of Operation Babylift, reflects on his personal journey and lifelong commitment to educational access as he prepares to speak at a 50th anniversary event and highlight the Vietnamese American Experience Model Curriculum developed by OCDE.
- OCDE’s Educational Services division has launched a redesigned website to help educators access trainings, resources and support in areas ranging from classroom instruction to leadership development.
- California will observe High School Voter Education Weeks from April 14-25 to promote civic engagement among students through pre-registration, educational activities and collaboration with local elections offices.
- Eligible classified employees can receive a $3,500 annual grant to pursue a teaching credential through a program offered by OCDE in partnership with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
- A group from Parks Junior High won the Fullerton School District’s first K-Pop Battle of the Bands and will record a professional music video and share a $500 prize.
- Students from the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts are showcasing music from iconic high school films across decades in this weekend’s “Retrofest: Rock & Roll High School” performance.
- California lawmakers are weighing two education bills: Assembly Bill 887, which would mandate computer science courses in all public high schools by 2029-30, and Assembly Bill 1121, which would require phonics-based reading instruction in all schools. The latter has prompted debate over its impact on English learners.
- As California expands transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds, the state faces a major staffing shortage while experienced preschool teachers — eager to fill the gap — say they’re being held back by costly and time-consuming credentialing requirements.
- According to a Los Angeles Times report, California education officials signaled potential defiance of a Trump administration order to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs in schools.
- Los Angeles Unified has completed debris removal at schools damaged by the Palisades fire ahead of schedule and will next begin engineering and reconstruction efforts estimated to cost over $600 million.
- Federal officials from Homeland Security Investigations were denied entry at two Los Angeles Unified schools this week, marking the first reported attempt by federal agents to access a public campus amid immigration enforcement concerns, according to district officials.
- California and a dozen other states filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, alleging the Trump administration unlawfully cut short pandemic relief grants for K-12 schools, costing them hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a CalMatters report.
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