Bill Would Put an End to Textbook and Curriculum Bans

School districts would be prohibited from banning textbooks, curriculum and classroom materials without state approval under a new bill introduced by Assemblyman Corey Jackson (D-Riverside). The legislation, Assembly Bill 1078, would also ban any textbooks that fail to reflect the state’s diversity.

Jackson’s bill follows a national push by conservatives to gain influence in public education. In Florida, teachers have been ordered to remove books from their classrooms pending a review of the material. At home in California, a number of local school districts have passed bans on Critical Race Theory.

Assembly Bill 1078 drew immediate criticism from parents and local officials like Roseville City School Board Trustee Jonathan Zachreson.

“I trust my local school boards more than the state in setting curriculum,” Zachreson told the Sacramento Bee. “Because of that, I oppose any bill that would strip away this local control and put it in the hands of the state.”