Hope for California’s Schools

Gavin Newsom vetoes a K-12 curriculum in Marxist indoctrination

WSJ editorial.

"Since California became a one-party state, a major responsibility of the Governor has been to protect its citizens from extremist legislation that sails through the Democratic-supermajority Legislature. Former Gov. Jerry Brown sometimes played that role, and Gov. Gavin Newsom did the same Wednesday by vetoing an anti-American K-12 curriculum mandate.

The bill, known as AB 331, would have made a semester-long course in “ethnic studies” a graduation requirement at the state’s public schools. The history of ethnic groups in America is rich and fascinating, but the model curriculum designed by the state Board of Education touches on that history only tangentially. Instead it’s an openly political document that champions racial identity politics, indicts the American creed, and orders students to join modern left-wing activist movements.

Mr. Newsom put it more delicately in his veto message: “Last year, I expressed concern that the initial draft of the model curriculum was insufficiently balanced and inclusive and needed to be substantially amended. In my opinion, the latest draft, which is currently out for review, still needs revision.” 

The curriculum recommends teaching students “the four ‘I’s of oppression” and academic concepts like “intersectionality,” “internalized oppression” and “transformative resistance.” Instead of a dynamic, imperfect, pluralistic republic with common ideals, students would be taught to see their country as an organized conspiracy against victim groups.

Some of the most vocal opposition came from Jewish organizations. The first draft had promoted viciously anti-Israel content. The second draft contained an assignment on Jewish and Irish Americans “gaining racial privilege.” A letter to Mr. Newsom in September argued that the curriculum could fuel anti-Semitism.

Disgracefully, AB 331 passed the California state Legislature with supermajorities—33-4 in the Senate and 62-12 in the Assembly. Yet the Legislature by tradition hasn’t overridden a Governor’s veto in decades. Mr. Newsom’s veto message says he wants a more balanced curriculum that “is inclusive of all communities.”

We hope the state drops the effort. This enterprise cannot be corrected merely by trying again to address bias against Jews, which is a symptom of deeper rot in the post-modern project of identity politics. Unless California tears up the curriculum and goes back to the drawing board, the course would indoctrinate and divide. Credit to Mr. Newsom for bucking pressure and giving American ideals a fighting chance in Golden State schools."