California Bill Would Prohibit Schools From Banning Curriculum Without State Approval

People rally at the California State Capitol to protest against sex education curriculum in public schools in Sacramento on Jan. 25, 2019. (Ilene Eng/The Epoch Times)

A California legislator recently introduced a bill that would create new requirements for “diversity and inclusiveness” in school textbooks and other materials.

Assembly Bill 1078, introduced Feb. 15 by Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Riverside), would prohibit local school boards from banning curriculum, textbooks and instructional material without state approval. It would also prohibit the state’s education board from approving classroom materials that do not reflect “California’s diversity.”

The bill is intended to “revolutionize” classrooms, according to a Feb. 21 press release from Jackson’s office.

“We must strive to create a more equitable and inclusive education system for all students,” Jackson said in the 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.”

Transgender children's books in Irvine, Calif., on Aug. 30, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

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,” according to the bill’s text.

Additionally, the bill proposes to alter the language of the state’s education code in the following ways:

• Change the requirement for textbooks to display “the contributions of both men and women in all types of roles” to “the contributions of people of all gender expressions in all types of roles”
• Change the requirement for textbooks to display “the role and contributions of ... lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans” to “the role and contributions of ... LGBTQ+ Americans”

State law already includes requirements for instructional materials to accurately portray different cultural and racial groups in society, such as Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, and persons with disabilities.

If passed, the bill 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.

Those who oppose the bill argue it removes local control of education.

A man holds up a sign against critical race theory at a school board meeting in Temecula, Calif., on Dec. 13, 2022. (The Epoch Times)

Ken Williams, a trustee on the Orange County Board of Education, called the bill “totalitarian-like,” saying it was one of the most troubling bills he’s seen in the 28 years he’s spent involved in education.

“[This bill would] remove the concept of local control as part of a series of [attempts] by progressives who want to control education at the state level,” Williams told the Epoch Times. “This has nothing to do with the true mission of education: to inculcate facts and critical thinking skills to students, and everything to do with indoctrination.”

If passed, Williams said, the OC Board of Education would be one of the first to bring litigation against it.

“Education is traditionally outside the realm of politics,” he said. “But now politicians want to control the education curriculum. This is what [governments] do in communist countries. I’m incensed this is happening here.”

The bill was referred March 2 to the Assembly’s Committee on Education and will likely be heard in committee on March 18.