LAUSD Adds Financial Literacy, Economic Justice To Curriculum

LOS ANGELES, CA — The board of the Los Angeles Unified School District passed a resolution Tuesday to adopt financial literacy and economic justice into the LAUSD curriculum.

The resolution outlines a new personal finance class for high school students, along with the teaching of the current curriculum through a "modern economic lens that affects the outcomes of all students throughout Los Angeles."

Board President Scott Schmerelson said the action was a long time coming.

"I believe this resolution will be beneficial to students in their lessons and to teachers, which may include topics they have been wanting to teach about regarding current economic events," he said. "We must begin to teach our students about the current financial landscape so that when the time comes, they can address the issue of poverty, where previous generations have failed to do so. But first, they must understand the systemic issues that have been in place for decades and in some cases, over a century."

The board also unanimously approved a resolution that officials said affirms the district's commitment to "values such as academic freedom, culturally and responsive pedagogy, (and) commitment to foster an inclusive, educational environment where every student, educator, and community members are treated with dignity and respect."

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district "stands firm in our belief that every student deserves access to an honest, inclusive, and high- quality education. We will continue to support our educators as they teach the full scope of our nation's history and honor the diverse voices that shape our communities. By centering equity and respect in our classrooms, we prepare students to thrive academically and contribute meaningfully to our multicultural world."

Board Member Sherlett Hendy Newbill authored the resolution.

"Our students deserve the freedom to learn the full, honest history of our country and world," Board Vice President Rocío Rivas said. "Standing with our educators, we affirm that LAUSD classrooms must always be spaces where truth, diversity, and critical thinking are not only protected but celebrated."

Separately, the board unanimously approved a resolution authored by Student Board Member Jerry Yang to strengthen civic engagement among students with the launch of two Voter Education Weeks, set for Sept. 15-26, 2025 and April 14-24, 2026.

"Last year, for the student board member elections, 11,287, or 9.75% of high school students voted," Yang said. "Although this number is significantly larger than any previous years, the student board member position is meant to serve the students, and therefore requires the utmost level of civic engagement and voting."

Schools will dedicate 20 minutes during the election period to show LAUSD student board member candidate videos and guide students through the voting process.

Seniors will be encouraged to pre-register and register to vote at registertovote.ca.gov, and voter registration guides will be made available in all languages spoken across the district.

City News Service