California education leaders have created a new task force dedicated to ensuring school textbooks and other instructional materials are “inclusive” of minority groups amid controversy over several local governing boards rejecting books they say are inappropriate for minors.
The Task Force on Inclusive Education—consisting of State Superintendent Tony Thurmond along with several state legislators—convened June 21 for the first time.
The group called on textbook publishers to ensure their material includes racial minorities, LGBT individuals, and those with disabilities.
“We have a wonderfully diverse student body in California, and many of our textbooks haven’t kept up,” Mr. Thurmond said in a press release the same day. “This is a chance to diversify those narratives.”
Publishers who don’t comply risk losing funds from the state, which pays textbook publishers nearly $500 million a year, according to Mr. Thurmond.
The same goes for those who have adapted to conservative standards in other parts of the country—such as in Florida—which banned lessons containing LGBT content for K–3-grade students last year.
“This is all happening against a backdrop where governors in other states are literally trying to strip out any representation about race, about the experience of LGBTQ+ students and of students with disabilities,” Mr. Thurmond said. “California is going in the other direction. We are, today, asking textbook publishers to make a firm commitment to diversify their books and to share what it is that they are doing.”
In May, the board rejected a social studies textbook whose supplemental materials included a book that referenced LGBT activist Harvey Milk—whom the board’s president, Joseph Komrosky, called a “pedophile” due to reports that Mr. Milk had a sexual relationship with a minor when he was 33 years old.
Since then, several state leaders have criticized Mr. Komrosky for his comments.
Mr. Thurmond said at the hearing there will soon be legislation to “address the actions” of school boards that take similar actions.
“Our students have been asking for the right to not be bullied because they’re LGBTQ+ students. They have been bullied by adults simply for raising their voices for what they believe. There is legislation that will address the actions of these school boards,” he said.
But some local school board officials called Mr. Thurmond’s proposed actions detrimental to local communities.
Orange County Board of Education Trustee Ken Williams called Mr. Thurmond’s plans “unprecedented” and would be the destruction of local control of education.
“Thurmond would violate the ... concept of local education control once enjoyed in our state and nation by prohibiting local decisions for our children’s schools by locally elected school board members,” Mr. Williams said in an email to The Epoch Times.
“He would mandate Orwellian-like classroom instruction, curriculum and textbooks. In other words, this bill limits local school boards to state endorsed literature, instructional materials, and curriculum. He is advancing governance—not too different than Communist or Marxist countries.”
Fellow Orange County education board trustee and education policy expert Mari Barke told The Epoch Times that she thought Sacramento legislators are too focused on diversity initiatives and are not paying enough attention to academics.
“Let’s focus on the basics,” she said. “Once the kids are literate, we can talk more about other things.”
Ms. Barke also noted that local elected officials were in their positions because they reflected the values of their individual communities.
“Sacramento needs to let the local people do what’s best for their community,” she said. “If people in those communities are unhappy, they can leave the school and go to a charter or they can elect new officials in the next race. I am very concerned about Tony Thurmond, Gov. Newsom, and Sacramento legislators involving themselves directly in our business and truly trying to intimidate us.”
Meanwhile, representatives from several textbook publishers have already pledged to follow the state government’s guidelines at the task force’s hearing, including Benchmark Education, CPM Educational Programs, The College Board, and Studies Weekly.
The panel includes Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Perris) and Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Santa Monica), who have authored related bills.
Mr. Zbur is the author of Assembly Bill 5, also known as The Safe and Supportive Schools Program, which would require school staff to undergo training on support for LGBT youth. The bill is currently awaiting a committee hearing in the state Senate.
Mr. Jackson has authored Assembly Bill 10, which originally called for school districts to seek state board approval before banning books or curriculum.
However, as currently amended, the bill now would only require the state education department to guide districts and charter schools on how to speak about race and gender, and how to review instructional materials to ensure they are “inclusive.”
