On Tuesday June 6th, Temecula Valley Educators Association (TVEA) members rallied in protest over a recent school board vote rejecting textbooks and curriculum for an elementary school-level social studies program, leaving students without textbooks for the coming school year.

The vote made headlines when current TVUSD board president referred to slain gay-rights activist Harvey Milk as a “pedophile.”

TVEA members rally on Ynez Road

Parents coming out to support teachers

In its mid-May meeting, the school board voted to reject a proposed curriculum and textbook for its kindergarten through fifth-grade social studies program, the three recently elected majority of board members concluding that it contained “morally objectionable material.” Board members Jennifer Wiersma and Danny Gonzalez joined the school board president Joseph Komrosky to cancel the curriculum.

The discussion partially focused on the inclusion of Milk as part of resource materials for the curriculum.

During board discussion, Komrosky commented in reference to Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. “Why even mention a pedophile?

Speaking to the gathering at the rally, TVEA President Edgar Diaz assured the audience that teachers had followed the education code;

“Teachers and parents followed all the procedures for adoption, only to see the board majority fail in their oversight duty. We must have resources for teachers to plan lessons and meet student needs.”

TVEA will lead a community march to the school board meeting on June 13th at 5:00 PM from the Ronald Reagan Sports Park to the TVUSD board meeting beginning at 6:00 PM-to protest the decision and demand the adoption of the K-5 social studies curriculum.