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Countywide : Volunteers Sought to Review Textbooks

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Ventura residents concerned about their children’s textbooks can apply to serve on a review panel being established by the California Department of Education, officials said Thursday.

About 30 volunteers from across the state will be chosen to review the social content of new textbooks and educational material submitted by publishers for possible use in California schools, said Jan Chladek, the department’s curriculum research director.

The textbooks and related material will also be available to the public at Camarillo Airport, one of several display centers located throughout the state, she said.

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The review panel, called the Legal Compliance Committee, will examine the depiction of male and female roles, cultural and racial diversity and issues such as representation of the elderly and disabled, Chladek said.

The panel will also review the material for compliance with legal requirements of the Education Code and guidelines established by the State Board of Education, she said.

The committee will include men and women of different ethnic backgrounds as well as disabled and retired people “to reflect the diverse population of California,” Chladek said.

The committee members will work 20 hours during one May weekend in Sacramento, Chladek said.

Members will be reimbursed for transportation, meals and lodging, she said.

Those interested can obtain applications by contacting the Office of Curriculum Framework and Textbook Development, California Department of Education, 560 J St., Room 290, Sacramento 95814.

The telephone number is (916) 445-2731.

Applications are due by Feb. 1.

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