The San Clemente City Council has voiced its opposition to a California bill that would prohibit local school boards from banning curriculum, textbooks, and instructional material without state approval—and would also create new requirements for “diversity and inclusiveness” in school textbooks and other materials.
The resolution to oppose the bill was introduced by Mayor Pro Tem Steve Knoblock in March and supported by Councilors Victor Cabral and Gene James, while Mayor Chris Duncan and Councilman Mark Enmeier dissented.
Both Enmeier and Duncan said during an April 18 meeting, where the motion was discussed, that the issue is strictly a school board matter, with the latter calling it a “culture war political item.”
But Knoblock contended that the issue was relevant to the council because it regarded the city’s children.
“I know a lot of people are concerned [that] this isn’t a city function, but at the same time, it does deal with local control,” he said. “It does deal with important issues regarding all of our kids.”
Cabral agreed, saying that he thought cities should fight for local control alongside their colleagues on school boards.
“I want to keep control at the local level and not have Sacramento make decisions for us about what’s best,” he said.
According to the bill’s author—Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Riverside)—it is intended to “revolutionize” classrooms.
“We must strive to create a more equitable and inclusive education system for all students,” Jackson said in a Feb. 21 press release. “This bill will ensure that students in California receive a comprehensive education that celebrates the diversity of our state and promotes a sense of belonging in the classroom.”
Under the proposed bill, the state education code would be amended to require schools to exclusively adopt classroom materials that include “proportional and accurate representation of California’s diversity in the following categories: race, gender, socioeconomic status, religion, and sexuality.”
If passed, it would also establish “a review process for the selection and approval of books, ensuring that only those materials that meet the standards for diversity and inclusiveness are approved for use in the classroom,” according to Jackson.
Assembly Bill 1078, as it is named, was set for a hearing in the Assembly’s Education Committee March 30, but the hearing was canceled at the request of the author.
It’s unclear when its next hearing will occur.
