Temecula school board changes course on inclusive social studies curriculum

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Monday, July 24.

It looks like California state leaders won the latest battle against a conservative school board in Riverside County over highly contested social studies learning material. But the book isn’t yet closed on the curriculum clash.

In May, the Temecula Valley Unified School District’s board voted 3 to 2 to reject a new curriculum that included discussions on the gay rights movement and mentioned Harvey Milk, the first out gay man elected to public office in California.

Conservatives from the so-called parents’ rights movement responded by attacking the inclusion of LGBTQ+ topics, which they said promotes the sexualization of children. During a public meeting, the board president called Milk “a pedophile” and another member claimed the curriculum promoted pedophilia.

The sentiment from some board members and parents mirrors conservative backlash that’s played out at school districts across the nation, including in Southern California.

Shortly after the board voted to reject the curriculum, Gov. Gavin Newsom took notice. State law requires that history lessons and textbooks in California public schools include the contributions of LGBTQ+ Americans.

“If these extremist school board members won’t do their job, we will — and fine them for their incompetence,” Newsom said via Twitter this month.

Newsom threatened to fine the district $1.5 million if it did not provide its elementary school students with new state-approved social studies books. He also announced a civil rights investigation by the state Department of Education and pledged to send the rejected textbooks directly to student households.

Temecula Valley Unified School Board President Joseph Komrosky points to a teacher and parent to eject her from a meeting after she called board member Danny Gonzalez a “homophobe” on July 18, 2023, in Temecula.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

In Friday’s school board meeting, members shifted their stance, as my colleague Harriet Ryan reported this weekend:

Joseph Komrosky, the school board’s president, said the decision to un-ban the material had nothing to do with Newsom, though he noted an obligation to avoid “steer[ing] this district into more legalities.”

After school leaders’ about-face, Newsom said in a statement that “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.

The curriculum dispute was the latest in a series of controversial decisions by the school board, which gained a trio of conservative members after a 2022 election.

Komrosky, Jennifer Wiersma and Danny Gonzalez took office last year with the support of the Inland Empire Family PAC, which “works to stop the indoctrination of our children by placing candidates on school boards who will fight for Christian and Conservative values,” according to the political group’s website. For the PAC, that means supporting candidates who oppose critical race theory and “forced LGBTQ+ acceptance.”

In December, during the same meeting in which they officially took their board seats, the trio successfully voted to ban teaching critical race theory at Temecula schools amid protests. In June, the board fired the district’s superintendent without cause in a 3-1 vote.

In response to their decisions, Komrosky, Wiersma and Gonzalez each face a recall effort funded by another political action committee, One Temecula Valley.

And now, here’s what’s happening across California:

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L.A. STORIES

Another bus carrying migrants from Texas arrived in Los Angeles over the weekend. This trip, which included 44 people, marked the fifth time Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has bused migrants to L.A. as part of his protests of federal immigration policies. Los Angeles Times

With much of the Hollywood entertainment machine ground to a halt by the historic joint strike of writers and actors, some social media stars are walking a fine line. Many aren’t affiliated with local unions and some have deals with the companies those workers are picketing. Defying union rules about working and promoting work during the strike could cost them down the line. Los Angeles Times

HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

To solve the homelessness crisis, what lessons does the private sector offer? The Times’ Doug Smith writes: “Without the bottlenecks and restrictions of public money, private sector developers can tap underutilized financing such as foundation investment funds and even crowd-sourcing to build faster and at lower cost.” Los Angeles Times

Inland cities that had once provided more affordable housing options than coastal areas are becoming less and less affordable. Data from Zillow show typical asking rents in California cities including Bakersfield, Fresno, Visalia and Riverside have grown by as much as 40%. CalMatters

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

A new memorial park bench for a Long Beach man killed by police in 2013 has put the city manager and Police Department at odds with the parks commission. The bench at Seaside Park includes a mural of Donte Jordan and the words “Justice for my beloved son.” In a letter to the parks commission, Long Beach’s city manager said the bench implied the Police Department was guilty of murder, though there’s no mention of police on the bench. Long Beach Post

Fresno leaders have enacted new rules in response to a surge in street vending. While officials say the regulations are needed to help maintain order and promote safety, some vendors worry the rules will stifle their businesses. The Fresno Bee

CRIME, COURTS AND POLICING

A transgender man is speaking out after he was beaten by an L.A. County sheriff’s deputy during a stop in Whittier in February. Emmett Brock was purportedly stopped because of an air freshener seen hanging from his rearview mirror. The stop quickly turned violent, as surveillance video shows the deputy beating Brock before handcuffing him. Los Angeles Times

California continues to struggle with the proliferation of “ghost guns,” according to a report from Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta’s office. Annual law enforcement seizures of guns without serial numbers were 16 times higher in each of the last two years compared with a decade ago. San Francisco Chronicle

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

How well does “cool pavement” work? The simmering L.A. neighborhood of Pacoima is a good place to find out. On a recent 95-degree day, the areas treated with heat-reflective paint were about 10 degrees cooler, LAist found. That may seem promising, but it’s too soon to say how the relatively new technology would affect urban heat on a larger scale. LAist

Summer might be out in force in California, but winter vibes still have a foothold up at Mammoth Mountain. After the deluge of snow from winter storms, the resort extended its season — already pushed into July — further forward into August. It’s only the third time that’s happened in the resort’s nearly 70-year history. Los Angeles Times

AND FINALLY

Today’s California landmark comes from Betsy Hanger of Los Angeles: the “spectacular” gardens at Esalen Institute in Big Sur.

The gardens at Esalen Institute in Big Sur photographed in July 2009.

(Betsy Hanger)

Betsy writes:

What are California’s essential landmarks? Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California — natural or human-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. Your submission could be featured in a future edition of the newsletter.

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.