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May 11, 2006
Sorry Sheila...
A Senate committee in Sacramento approved a bill Wednesday that would require California's textbooks to include the contributions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender.
Why is any senate requiring History books to include anything. Is Congress or the legislature in charge of history, or are historians?
If we allow legislatures to demand what is written, do we actually lose more of what and who America is?
Example - let's say a legislature in any state decided that they wanted to downplay the role that business plays in growing an economy. Is that okay?
Let's say a legislature in any state decided that jews weren't to be written about? Is that ok?
Let's say a legislature said that only people that think like them should be written about - is that ok?
Well, that's precisely what is happening.
Martin Luther King's dream was to live in a nation where his kids wouldn't be judged by the color of their skin, but rather, by the content of their character.
I think it's wrong for history to be based on slanted, narrow-focused ideas. History should be about history...and accurate history should be what the state buys. I hope the textbook companies don't cave to such manipulation, but with California being such a huge market, I would bet they would.
The governor should veto this assault on history.
Tim Keaney
p.s. read the story by clicking below...
State textbooks could get gay rewrite
BY JULIET WILLIAMS, Associated Press
LA Daily News
SACRAMENTO - A Senate committee approved a bill Wednesday that would require California's textbooks to include the contributions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people to the state and nation's history.
The bill outraged some religious and conservative family groups, which said it would indoctrinate students in what they view as an unacceptable lifestyle.
The Senate Education Committee passed the bill by state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, 8-3, along party lines. It now goes to the full Senate.
"Our community is invisible in all of the teaching material, so that our students are never, ever given any information about the fact that somebody who did something good was a gay person. That changes the way you feel about someone," said Kuehl, who was the state's first openly gay legislator.
She and members of Equality California, a gay rights group that sponsored the bill, said gay and lesbian students are less likely to feel isolated and even drop out of school if they see themselves represented in the material they learn at school.
Marina Gatto, a 17-year-old senior at Mercy High School in Burlingame, testified that she has faced discrimination at school because she has two lesbian mothers. She said once a teacher explained that AIDS was spread by gay people as punishment for their lifestyle.
"This bill doesn't say that you have to be in favor of the gay rights movement, it doesn't say that you have to be a part of it. All it says is that you have be educated," Gatto said after she had testified. "I think there's nothing wrong with education."
Opponents, who filled several rows in the meeting room, derided the bill as encouraging homosexuality. Their testimony even sparked heated exchanges with some Democratic committee members.
Karen England, executive director of the Capitol Resource Institute, a Sacramento-based conservative "pro-family" group, said Californians already are aware of the gay rights movement and don't need it "mandated in our curriculum."
"This conversation belongs in the bedroom and not in the classroom," she said.
She noted that many schools recently held a student-organized Day of Silence to protest discrimination against gay students.
Sen. Jackie Speier, however, equated learning about the accomplishments of gays to the women's suffrage movement and demonstrations in favor of equal rights for blacks.
Sen. Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside, the only committee member who spoke against the bill at Monday's hearing, said Kuehl herself is likely to be noted as a pioneer in future history textbooks.
But he said her bill goes too far, requiring that sexuality be included even when it's not relevant to a person's accomplishments.
"For instance, where John Marshall of course discovered gold in California that ultimately led to the 1849 gold rush and California as a state. Now, I don't have any idea whether John Marshall was gay or transgender or whatever, but even if he was, certainly whether or not he was, doesn't add to or subtract from the contribution he made to California history," Morrow said.
Responded Kuehl: "I heard the same argument in the '50s and '60s and '70s. Who cares if Langston Hughes was black? He was just a great poet. Well, black students had no black role models."
State law already prohibits the board from adopting textbooks containing material that portrays people negatively because of their race, sex, color, creed, handicap, national origin or ancestry.
It also requires the inclusion of contributions from "Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans and members of other ethnic and cultural groups to the total development of California and the United States."
Comments
Tim,
I have gotten more emails alerts against this bill than any other issue, including illegal immigration. I spoke against this bill on Tuesday at the CVUSD Board meeting. Bedroom business has no place in elementary schools, whether it is homosexual or heterosexual. I firmly believe that emphasizing sexuality at an early age serves to desensitive children's sense of modesty and privacy and will lead to increased cases of child molestation. And where has the liberal PTA been during this gay power campaign? They are having their convention in Anaheim right now. Our PTA council president made no mention of this bill during her report to the Board on Tuesday.
Also at our Tues Board meeting we were honored with a 6 minute speech by Diane Lenning, a Republican who is a strong candidate for State Supt of schools. She began and ended by noting that Tuesday was the Day of the Teacher, and she commended all DEDICATED teachers who strive to give children an opportunity to learn. Then she spoke at length about the faults of this bill and the dangerous precedent it would set for "special interests" and revisionist history. She touched on other educational issues as well. Her speech should be on an audio link on her website tonight.
www.DianeLenning.com
She is certainly getting my vote!
Reruns of the CVUSD go for 2 weeks on Adelphia Channel 20, Wed and Fri at 7 and Sat at noon.
We greeted outgoing Conejo Supt Bob Fraisse in the lobby and he assured us that NOBODY wants this bill. Well, maybe the vast middle section doesn't but several liberal senators sure went for it last Wednesday! Vote 'em out, and vote out Jack O'Connell while you're at it. These darn social programs are magnets for illegals and are draining resources from our public schools for OUR families who are here legally.
Also, did you read about the poor teenager in Newbury Park who was repeatedly drugged and raped by his illegal alien "guardian"? They had false records that allowed this kid from Mexico to attend school here without his parents living here, and sadly he became a victim. We need districts to DEMAND proof of legal residency from the parents and guardians, not just residency inside the boundaries. That is the spirit of the law. Districts need to write local policy requiring this. If every district did so, we would save a ton of money. It is the right thing to do. Illegals are exploiting our generosity and hurting us.
I know this should be on a different blog, but I wanted to share with you that Diane Lenning agreed with my speech about the health dangers of having illegal immigrant families in the district. About half a dozen teachers just in her district of Huntington Beach have tested positive for tuberculosis. What a tragedy. This is sure to travel up to Ventura County. Our county is full of communicable diseases now. Check out the county website and keep your families away from crowds. I feel sorry for teachers that have to sit next to kids who are infected with these terrible diseases. Get rid of the Neighborhood for Learning preschools and the CBET program for parents who can't speak English. Let their own communities help them, just as the Chinese community has done with their own Chinese School on Saturdays. It is NOT the job of public schools to do babysitting for the toddlers of these parents. The classified employees are at extreme risk of contracting a serious disease from preschoolers who are not immunized, and from grandparents who have not had proper healthcare and may be carriers of hepatitis, TB, whooping cough and worse. (Those are the major diseases that Ventura County has identified as having a huge increase in the last 5 years.)
So, my story about the man raping and stalking the male high schooler sort of stayed on the topic! Sorry I got a little off track, Tim. But I think I'm more "on task" than the guy who posted just before me. Funny, for a former jr high history teacher I find it odd that Mr. Kidd has "no opinion" on this subject which would radically change how history is taught in public schools.
Posted by: Cathy Carlson at May 11, 2006 06:53 PMLike me, he's waiting to see what The Star thinks - or Teddy Kennedy. Then he will get an opinion.
Posted by: In Suspense at May 11, 2006 08:57 PMIn Suspense you should change your name to "Gutless Wonder" like everyone else who blogs and does not give their real name. Cathy continues to be obsessed with me. I have no opinion because I doubt Arnold will sign it. Also, curriculum is not a bargaining topic, teachers get input, but the state has the final say. I would think a know it all like you would know that. Hmmmm.
Posted by: Arleigh Kidd at May 12, 2006 09:28 AMIn the schools, we do not need to trot out the sexual practices of individuals to meet the agenda of pro gay activists. As a public school child in the 60s and 70s, sexual orientation and practices were not part of reading, writing, arithmetic, or historical curriculum. How absurd to rewrite textbooks and spend millions of dollars to mention the sexual practices of George Washington, Martin Luther King, or other historical figures. Money does not need to be spent on highlighting sex as a predominant subject in our schools. This appears like we are spending California voters’ money on indoctrination rather than actual studies.
Additionally, AB 606 requires private schools to conform to these standards. Private schools are chosen by thousands of Californians simply because of the curriculum. The private schools are known for their excellent student test scores and conservatism. Remember these constituents.
Lets spend voters’ and school monies on reduced class sizes, excellent teachers, curriculum that is competitive with the world market, such as Singapore Math, high level science and technology, thorough reading course and instruction. Does it not concern you that California schools rank 46th out of 50 in the nation, and that the USA schools rank 12th in Grade 4 after Australia, 28th in the World in Grade 8 (after the Russian Federation and Denmark), and 19th after the Czech Republic and Lithuania after completion of 12th grade? What a far cry from a technological society that used to rank first in the world! (And it is noteworthy that the top Asian countries are not mentioned in the particular survey. (See http://4brevard.com/choice/international-test-scores.htm)
In short, take the focus of California education off of political agenda and social engineering and spend the money on advancing our children into the 21st Century, making them superior to our world counterparts.
Posted by: MC at June 6, 2006 09:36 PM
I have no opinion on this topic. But I do want to say that Arnold has settled the lawsuit brought by CTA and Jack O'Connel over his broken promise to education. At the time many on this blog claimed Arnold had made no promise. In my opinion this is proof he made the promise, broke the promise, lost his 50 million dollar special election to hide the truth, and now he is paying up and keeping his original promise two years late.
Posted by: Arleigh Kidd at May 11, 2006 03:01 PM