The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Education Board will soon vote on a policy that requires board approval before the district can pilot a new book in classrooms after several controversial books made their way into lessons.
Under the district’s current policy, teachers submit books to the district’s Literary Review Committee—made up of parents, teachers, and community members—for review as a pilot for a semester.
If approved, the committee would later analyze feedback from the pilot period and decide if the book should be a part of the district’s extended reading list. To be included on the district’s core reading list, board approval would be required.
The proposed policy would require the board to approve a book during a public meeting before it is piloted in classrooms and that parents be notified of its inclusion.
“It’s just a simple transparent step ... to present [these] books to the public ... just as a safeguard,” Trustee Todd Frazier, who introduced the proposal, told The Epoch Times. “I think it’s a good protocol, to make sure that we’re doing what’s in the best interest for the students and the parents and the community of our district.”
The board voted 3–2 for the policy during its first reading on April 11.
Trustee Leandra Blades, who supported the policy proposal, told The Epoch Times it aims to include parents in the process.
“By adding this step before books are piloted, we’re giving all parents the opportunity to be involved,” she said. “The parents will be notified now that their child is taking part in a pilot process for a book and so they can opt out if they so choose to do so.”
Critics of the policy raised concerns about book bans and say the policy strips teachers of the ability to choose classroom materials.
Trustees Marilyn Anderson and Carrie Buck said they opposed the policy but supported informing parents that a book is being piloted.
Buck said elected trustees are not qualified to decide which books get tested.
“We’re not experts in this field,” Buck said during the meeting.
Some parents spoke at the meeting to oppose the policy.
Controversial Books
Meanwhile, a handful of controversial books have already been piloted in the districts’ classrooms, according to trustee Blades.Last month, Blades raised concerns about one titled “Persepolis: The Story of Childhood,” about the Iranian revolution that was recently piloted for 11th graders.
Blades said she was uncomfortable with some derogatory language the book used toward women, as well as some themes of Marxism and communism, which are against the district’s critical race theory ban enacted last year.
However, the board unanimously approved adding the book to the district’s core reading list during the meeting.
Blades said she found the book to be politically divisive and biased.
“Aren’t our classrooms supposed to be apolitical?” she said. “Plus, this book is fiction. It’s not rooted in any true events or history, so it’s not really relevant to classrooms.”
The book had already been piloted in classrooms and approved by the Literature Review Committee through the current process and the board will vote on May 9 on whether to add it to its core reading list.
Blades said the book demonstrates why materials should require more vetting and a wider perspective before they enter classrooms.
“This is not a book-banning policy,” she said. “It’s just another step of checks and balances before books go into classrooms.”
Trustees Shawn Youngblood and Carrie Buck did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Trustee Marilyn Anderson declined to comment.
