BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – The Kern County School Board voted Tuesday night to adopt a policy to help determine the appropriateness of books in schools.
For months, the policy had sparked complaints and even verbal attacks on board members over concerns that it meant banning books.
The policy was passed unanimously during the third reading, although one trustee was absent. The proposed and now passed policy is taken directly from the California School Boards Association.
Simply put, the policy states that supplementary materials such as books must be comprehensive, diverse, educational and relevant.
However, the Kern Board of Education plans to add a sentence at the end that says, “Parents or guardians may use these procedures to file complaints.”
Board members said the complaint form and policy will soon be posted on the board's website.
As expected, the monthly meeting in May was well attended by both supporters and opponents of the policy. Due to the large number of speakers during the public comment session, many participants were limited to speaking for 90 seconds instead of the usual two minutes.
“It's not sexism, it's education. It's not sexism, it's education. It's not sexualization, it's education,” said the Rev. Angelo Frazier, as supporters of the policy spoke out.
On the other hand, a local teacher countered, saying, “We should not rush into extreme policies that pave the way for future book bans.''
The policy was first proposed by board members Lori Cisneros and Mary Little in March, and quickly led to months of tension.
The root of it all was that it was unclear whether this policy amounted to banning books.
Carter Beardsley, a local high school student who strongly opposes the book ban, told 17 News that was his initial understanding.
“[I] There was a perception that this was a no-book policy, when in reality, it was a policy that would formally write down a process the Kern County Board of Education already had in place. ”
Area 7 Trustee Cisneros further explained his goals to 17 News ahead of the board meeting.
“[The policy allows for] “It's a way for parents, teachers and staff to remove books from classrooms and libraries if they deem them inappropriate,” Cisneros said. “It's not against the LGBTQ community or the minority community. This is about children. And this is about children being exposed to sexually explicit material.”
As Cisneros pointed out, one such sexually violent book is “Smoke” by Ellen Hopkins.
She said it was “vulgar” and “offensive” literature.
The issue of banning books has been a topic of debate across the United States for years. However, the sale of books will be prohibited in California from September 2023.
And remember, Kern's 46 school districts have their own boards and make their own decisions.
According to the Superintendent of the Kern Board of Education, only He oversees approximately 500 students in Kern's six K-12 community schools. As KCSOS explained, these schools “educate students who have been unsuccessful at their host school. Students may have been expelled for a variety of reasons or may have been referred to our program. there is.”
Cisneros further reinforced her argument that the policy is not a ban, saying that if someone at a school complains about a book, the book will simply be removed from that school.
“'It's worth buying a book to get rid of a book,'” Cisneros said of her efforts.
She added: “This is the removal of a single book from a classroom or library that a parent deems inappropriate and does not want their child to see. This is different from a ban. We are We have no intention of removing books from public libraries…”
One of her supporters pointed out that it's all about parental rights.
“If these books are on a school shelf and the parents don't like what they read, they should have the right to remove them from the school,” said Lori Eskew, a Kern County resident. “These books teach kids things they don't know what to do at their grade level.”
Mr. Eskew also said he was against sexually explicit topics or topics related to sexuality, such as homosexuality. She said those materials should not be in the classroom.
“A lot of it is not about how to make babies, it's about sexual content,” Eskew said. “That's what's causing segregation…We shouldn't be teaching.” [children] To hate it. There's nothing wrong with having different cultures. But don't teach cultural separation. ”
“Until you turn 18, you have no rights other than the rights of your parents,” Eskew reiterated.
The conference also featured speakers from the Caen Pride Chamber who discussed the need for a safe and nurturing economic space for Caen's LGBTQ+ community. Others supported the policy but abandoned it.
“Anytime we restrict information, it's never a good thing,” says Michael Pollack, a Kern County resident who opposes the book ban.
During public comment, amid whispers and jeers from some in the audience, Pollack said he had raised three successful children. The tactic he didn't use was banning books.
“I feel like I should have done this a long time ago and avoided the headache because tonight I saw that everyone felt like they were the winner, so all the anger over the last few months was wasted.” Because I felt like I was.”
Beardsley, a high school student, said that while the policy itself is not controversial, it is highly polarizing. The public comment session showed just that.
And for some, the policy, which poses the risk of a book ban, overrides the parent notification policy proposed last year by the same two board members, Lori Cisneros and Mary Little. It was a reminder.
The policy received significant backlash from some because it required schools to notify parents of any changes in a child's gender, gender identity, or gender expression, such as switching pronouns. Don't forget that.
And people ended the night with great confidence that this would not result in a ban on the book.
Beardsley said he hopes the board will continue to move forward with the policy, saying, “This is a reminder to people that the intent is not to be a no-books policy and should remain otherwise.” he said.