SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KERO) — Today, California State Superintendent of Instruction Tony Thurmond called on textbook publishers to commit to presenting more diverse narratives. California has a rich and diverse history, but according to Thurmond, that's not being accurately portrayed in our textbooks.
"This has to do with what young people see when they see a book or read about a story," said Thurmond.
Thurmond says he's taking California in a new direction when it comes to education and marginalized communities, announcing the creation of a task force to examine educational content offered to California students for inclusiveness and hold publishers accountable to include diverse perspectives.
"This is an opportunity for textbook publishers to make a public commitment to say that what they put in their books will reflect the diversity of our kids," said Thurmond.
State Senator Monique Limón of Santa Barbara agrees with Thurmond.
"As someone who's been an educator prior to getting to the state legislature, I know what it's like to be in a classroom and for students to see, to read, and to have dialogue," said Limón. "Making sure that our schools are safe for LGBTQ+ students and all students, all students who face vulnerable circumstances."
Along with the task force, legislation is in the works to hold not only publishers accountable, but school districts as well, including the levying of fees or fines against districts choosing to enact book bans.
This announcement comes just a month after Governor Gavin Newsom made claims that the State of Florida's Department of Education told textbook publishers not to submit books that included topics of social-emotional learning and critical race theory.
