The Temecula Valley Unified School District decided early Wednesday to reject California’s controversial new social studies book and curriculum.
The school board met for more than 5 hours on Tuesday hearing from parents, teachers, and even people outside the Temecula area about the state’s curriculum for elementary school kids.
“Keep the false religion of secular humanism and gender theory out of schools. Focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic. Let’s face it, this is a fight of good and evil,” one attendee said during the meeting.
The debate is over a new social studies book called “Social Studies Alive!”
The textbook complies with 2011 state laws requiring that students get instruction about “the role and contributions of people with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans; and other ethnic and cultural groups.”
Conservative members of the board have complained that supplemental material for the curriculum contains a three-paragraph mention of gay rights leader Harvey Milk.
Two of those members, Joseph Komrosky and Danny Gonzalez, described Milk as a “pedophile” in a May 16 board meeting and did not want the curriculum used in Temecula schools, the Patch reported.
Those in favor of the new curriculum also spoke to the board during the meeting.
“Since you have taken office. You have attempted to divide our community by portraying a false narrative of teachers sexualizing students and pornography in classrooms. As parents with kids in the district, I know this is simply not true,” a person attending the meeting said.
The board eventually voted 3-2 to dismiss the state’s textbooks and continue on with instructional materials that are at least 17 years old, according to the Patch report.
Newsom said he won’t stand for the district using outdated materials and said the state would deliver the textbooks into the hands of students if needed.
He added that he would also send a bill to the school district for the books and fine it for violating the law.
“Those kids have the freedom to learn,” Newsom said,
Komrosky said if the governor sends the books, he will send them right back, according to the Patch.