Instead of “banning” a book outright, the school board clarified that it just decided not to implement a new social studies curriculum. It confirmed plans to introduce an alternative curriculum, which aligns with state standards, on July 18, 2023. The board also dismissed claims by state Superintendent Tony Thurmond that the school district would begin the new academic year on August 14, 2023 with an inadequate number of textbooks for each student as “categorically false”.
Newsom, however, criticized the school board’s decision, referring to its members as “radicalized bigots” and suggesting that rejecting a textbook used by hundreds of thousands of students would leave children unprepared for the next school year.
Newsom went on to challenge the school board’s autonomy to select its own curriculum, stating, “If the school board doesn’t do its job at its next board meeting to ensure that kids start the school year with basic materials, the state will put the book in the hands of the kids and their parents, and we’ll bill the district and fine them for violating state law.”
Several Democratic leaders in California have sided with Newsom in challenging the school board’s decision. They include Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas).
Rivas blasted the school board’s decision, stating, “The antics of the Temecula Valley Unified School District are intolerable and detrimental to the opportunities for its students to grow, thrive and succeed. Book bans betray California’s core values. I hope that the members of the school board will be able to reflect on their decisions and come to make better decisions for the future of our children.”
The unfolding controversy serves as a stark example of the ongoing battle over education curricula in the US, particularly in subjects such as history and social studies, and the tension between local school boards and state officials .
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