Temecula Valley Unified reverses course and adopts state-approved social studies curriculum

After vowing to defy pressure from Gov. Gavin Newsom, Temecula Valley Unified’s school board reversed itself and adopted social studies textbooks for elementary grades, while also voting to exclude a chapter that highlights civil rights, including the gay rights movement.

Friday night’s unanimous approval for Social Studies Alive! textbooks and workbooks came two days after Newsom had again threatened to order and charge the district $1.6 million for the books, plus a fine of another $1.5 million.

Board President Joseph Komrosky called the meeting with 24 hours’ notice, with four of five members attending. In two previous meetings, a newly elected three-member majority had rejected strong recommendations for the textbook by a panel of 47 teachers. 

Board members cited the inclusion of “sexualized” issues in elementary grades and the mention in supplementary materials of gay activist Harvey Milk, whom Komrosky had denigrated as a “pedophile.” They also questioned whether enough parents had been surveyed for their concerns. 

Immediately after the vote, Newsom acknowledged the change of mind but didn’t relent from his harsh criticism of the board majority. 

“Fortunately, now students will receive the basic materials needed to learn,” Newsom said. “But this vote lays bare the true motives of those who opposed this curriculum. This has never been about parents’ rights. It’s not even about Harvey Milk — who appears nowhere in the textbook students receive. This is about extremists’ desire to control information and censor the materials used to teach our children.”

“Demagogues who whitewash history, censor books and perpetuate prejudice never succeed. Hate doesn’t belong in our classrooms, and because of the board majority’s antics, Temecula has a civil rights investigation to answer for,” he said referring to an investigation by state Attorney General Rob Bonta. 

The board’s vote came after emotional speeches from parents, teachers and community members on both sides of the issue. It was the third time the school board considered the textbook adoption, but the first time they voted to approve it. 

“I honestly don’t think my mental health can take another of these board meetings,” said a veteran teacher during public comment. “Morale is at an all-time low. I’ve taught for 26 years, grew up in a family of educators, grew up in the Bible Belt and never have seen this much contention and division that is of your own making. Saying that gay people fought for their rights is not sexualizing children.”

The Social Studies Alive! series is one of four approved by the state. The board’s May decision to reject the books sparked two state investigations, prompted the introduction of multiple pieces of legislation, resulted in a new California Department of Education task force on inclusive education, and divided the community of Temecula.

Vulnerable to a lawsuit

Explaining his reversal, Komrosky said he called the meeting because he recognized the district would be open to a lawsuit under the Williams Act, which mandates sufficient textbooks for all students. Its current 17-year-old textbooks do not comply with the FAIR Education Act, which requires that school districts teach the achievements of the state’s racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities and LGBTQ Californians.  

“Newsom, Thurmond, Bonta, they are salivating for us to make a mistake,” Komrosky said. “So, for me, I want to make the right decision. We do not have curriculum. We are three weeks out (from the start of school). This is just my concern. What I’m saying is we have to take action that’s legal, not illegal, to avoid litigation.” (His mention of Thurmond was a reference to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.)

 Komrosky said his change of heart had nothing to do with Newsom’s threats.

“Governor Newsom, I act independently and authoritatively from you,” he said. “I am a sovereign citizen of the United States of America. I was voted in as a trustee. I make my decision completely independent of what you do. Our kids need an education. They need curriculum. They need it. We have to provide it.”

Some members of the public who supported rejecting the new textbooks accused the board president of betraying his pledge to confront Newsom and the state on the issue.

“Aside from not honoring your vow to the parents of this community, you will also be going back on your bold, strong word against the tyranny of our governor,” one woman said. “Just a few short days ago, right here in this room, we were doubling down, but now we’re bending a knee.”

At the end of the meeting, Komrosky called for a vote to allow the district to refuse the shipment of textbooks Newsom said he would send. He did not get enough votes. Board member Allison Barclay said she had information that the governor was watching the meeting and had not yet sent the materials. 

Instruction of Chapter 12 of the fourth-grade social studies text “California Promise” will be moved to later in the school year, so a review committee of teachers and administrators can come up with an alternative curriculum. Komrosky also promised to create a complaint process in which parents can raise objections to content. The board will have the authority to decide what is suitable and age-appropriate, he said. 

Komrosky’s initial motion called for buying the textbook but not accompanying online resources. But he changed his mind after teachers said the online material is important for English learners and students with disabilities and includes assessments that can adapt to the reading ability of individual students.

Interim Superintendent Kimberly Velez said the books would be ordered by the district on Monday and that the staff would work diligently to get them distributed to classrooms before school opens in 24 days. 

Annalisa Bujas was one of the fourth-grade Temecula Valley teachers who piloted the textbooks. She told EdSource that the pilot program was supposed to last nine months, but that she elected to continue using the book for four months because the students liked it so well.

“I really loved using TCI,” Bujas said of the Social Studies Alive! curriculum. “It’s the most fun students have ever had learning about history. Most of the time students are out of their seats working in collaborative groups. … It was really easy to want to use that curriculum for the remainder of the year.”

Bujas never got to Chapter 12, however. “We only got to the Gold Rush,” she said.

The Social Studies Alive! texts are interactive with hands-on activities and opportunities for students to work in collaborative groups.

“Students would see social studies on the agenda, and they would high-five,” Bujas said.

Conservatives push their power

The vote to ban the textbooks is one of several recent controversial moves made by the board since the election of a conservative majority, which banned teaching critical race theory in the district last December and fired Superintendent Jody McClay without cause in June.  

The three-member majority made up of Komrosky, Danny Gonzalez, who was absent on Friday, and Jen Wiersma, were all elected in November as part of a conservative effort to flip school boards. 

Superintendent Thurmond told EdSource that he spoke to students in Temecula who told him that the board’s decision to ban critical race theory and refuse to implement curriculum on LGBTQ+ rights made them feel bullied and devalued.

“A message was sent clearly by many, including myself, the governor and the attorney general,” Thurmond said. “There should be no attempt to discriminate against LGBT+ folks and students of color.”

Edgar Diaz, president of the district’s teachers union, says teachers have been concerned about what topics they can talk about in class because of the recent discussions at school board meetings.

“There’s definitely fear, looking over one’s shoulder, worrying about what you can say and what you can talk about,” said Diaz, who has taught elementary school and eighth-grade history.

He said teachers in the LGBTQ+ community are afraid to display pictures of their spouses.

The decision to adopt the Social Studies Alive! curriculum was approved after a motion by Wiersma for the district to continue to use textbooks published by Scott Foresman in 2006 did not get any support. Wiersma said that the district could use 2019 online resources from the publishers to supplement the outdated materials and help the district comply with state mandates. She said the materials would not have to go through the curriculum adoption process. 

The district’s attorney, David Huff, disagreed. He said the district would open itself up to lawsuits if it does not go through the curriculum adoption process, which includes teacher and parent involvement. 

“We would put ourselves in grave legal financial jeopardy if we disregard the advice of our attorney who said it’s illegal to do it,” said board member Steve Schwartz. “I don’t think we need to vote on it or discuss it. It is a moot point.”

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