Supporting the movement for K-12 AAPI history
Illinois's TEAACH Act mandates Asian American history in schools, supported by TAAF's collaborative efforts. The newly launched TEAACH Field Guide shares advocacy lessons for broader K-12 AAPI history implementation.
In July 2021, Illinois enacted the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act, becoming the first U.S. state to mandate the teaching of Asian American history in public schools.
TAAF brought together TEAACH advocacy groups, state institutions, and a pool of local funders to build the TEAACH Implementation Collaborative to ensure thousands of teachers — and even more students — have the tools to implement a unit of instruction on Asian American history. Today we are excited to share lessons learned and key recommendations from the TEAACH Field Guide & Executive Summary.
Enacting the TEAACH Act was a groundbreaking victory for those who had been tirelessly advocating for the teaching of AAPI history in K-12 schools as a long-term solution to anti-Asian violence.
This field guide, written in partnership with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago — the organization which drafted the original language for the TEAACH bill, led critical advocacy efforts for the bill’s passage, and currently serves as an anchor member of the TEAACH Implementation Collaborative — outlines key lessons learned and recommendations for advocates, policymakers, and educators seeking to standardize the teaching of AAPI history for K-12 students in states and districts across the U.S.
Download the TEAACH Field Guide
Download the TEAACH Field Guide Executive Summary
A huge thank you to the TEAACH Implementation Collaborative, who tirelessly ensure that educators have the tools, readiness, and knowledge for more inclusive learning: Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) • Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago • University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign College of Education • Asian American Caucus Education Fund • John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation • Capital One • Lloyd A. Fry Foundation • Chicago Community Trust • Woods Fund Chicago
About the Guide
The field guide breaks down the TEAACH Act through three key phases:
- Phase 1: Building a Movement (Grassroots advocacy)
- Phase 2: Creating a Mandate (Legislative adoption)
- Phase 3: Implementing Change in Classrooms and Communities (Statewide implementation)
A Sneak Peek
Three lessons from advocating, adopting, and implementing the TEAACH Act.
A robust, pre-existing Asian American advocacy ecosystem in Illinois incubated the K-12 Asian American history movement.
Asian American community based organizations and Illinois coalitions have advocated for Asian American history education for nearly two decades. Together, they cultivated the necessary experiences, expertise and relationships to determine and pursue the best course of action — a legislative mandate. They were also able to activate their members when favorable conditions presented themselves.
Pre-existing education instructional mandates for inclusive history enabled the creation and passage of the Asian American history mandate.
The Illinois school code already included mandates for Black history; women’s history; Holocaust and Genocide Study; LGBGTQ+ history; and people with disabilities history. The TEAACH Act, including its final language, was based on the Illinois’ Black History mandate (passed in 1990), which made legislative adoption easier.
Working in silos can result in slow, redundant, and ineffective impact. Choosing partners who are right for the work is essential.
Passing a bill is the beginning of the implementation work. It can take decades to make fundamental changes in education. Choosing the right partners can help ensure lasting momentum with steady impact.
Want to activate K-12 AAPI history in your state?
Sign up to receive information about how to spread K-12 AAPI history throughout the U.S.