School District Controversy
March 8, 2023 School Board Meeting
Unusually high (~300) attendance
Normally a Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) school board meeting has a scant public audience, perhaps a couple dozen. In attendance at the one on March 8, 2023, were about 200 in the gallery with 70+ more in an overflow room. This included Palos Verdes Estates Police officers and school resource officers, apparently there to ensure order. The recording of this unusual meeting can be viewed on YouTube.
However, despite an article by Michael Hixon in the Torrance Daily Breeze on March 10th and repeated in the Palos Verdes Peninsula News on March 16th, many Peninsula residents are not aware of what took place that evening.
What drew the high attendance?
The large attendance was due to the anticipated discussion regarding the reading of the 192-page novel “Too Bright to See” by Kyle Lukoff in a fifth-grade classroom at Vista Grande Elementary School last fall.
A review of the book taken from the website Bookrags states in part that this is a story about a young girl. On her 12th birthday she dreams of her deceased uncle dressed in drag and handing her a set of electric trimmers while asking if she is ready. She wakes up with a shaved head and the realization that she is a transgender boy.
“Invitation” from the teacher’s union, the Democratic and the Republican parties
Prior to the March 8th meeting the Palos Verdes Faculty Association (PVFA), the teachers’ union, sent an e-mail to its approximately 500 members stating in part that teachers should “ultimately be trusted to select appropriate books for their class. The district should not ban books outright because they are likely to upset a community member.” It urged members to attend the meeting to support the teachers who read the book.
The Palos Verdes Democrats sent an e-mail to its membership to consider going to the meeting in support of the teachers.
The South Bay Republicans (SBR) sent an e-mail advising that the Palos Verdes Democrats were encouraging their members to attend the meeting. SBR asked its memberships to attend and make their voices heard that the reading was inappropriate.
How many attending were constituents of the PVPUSD is not known.
The board meeting lasted late into the night… with high emotions
During the period devoted to this issue, 50 individuals were allotted three minutes each to express their views from the podium. Speakers gave their names but were not obligated to say if they were Peninsula residents. Some said they lived within the district while others identified themselves as teachers or students in the PVPUSD, but it is not known how many came from elsewhere.
Most speakers supported the book being read and many of them wore clothing depicting the rainbow or were carrying rainbow pride flags. Speakers included teachers who had read the book in their fifth-grade classrooms and the parents of the author.
Others opined that this type of literature had no place in a grammar school classroom and that parents should have been notified prior to their young children being exposed to matters of a sexual nature.
One speaker noted the amount of angst in the room while another mentioned the vitriol. They accurately described the mood. What seemed to escape many of those in attendance is that there can be a difference of opinion without the existence of animus.
Banning vs. age restrictions
A recurring lament was the “banning” of books by the district, however, board member Julie Hamill asked district Superintendent Alex Cherniss if the district had banned any books. His answer was, “No.”
PVP Watch agrees with a speaker who pointed out that age restrictions regarding some activities in our society are common and acceptable. Driving in California is restricted to those who are 16 and older. One cannot purchase a handgun until he/she is 21. A person cannot legally give, or be given, a tattoo until they are 18. There are many more examples.
None of these things are banned, but they are age-restricted. It is understandable that many, perhaps most, parents have a major concern about the age their child is exposed to sexual materials and discussions.
The parent who feels his/her child should be read “Too Bright to See” is free to obtain it at the library, Barnes & Noble, etc., and do so.
Choosing issues
Would this enthusiastic support by the PVFA exist for a teacher who reads a book to fifth graders on other subjects that might be considered controversial?
Had a Jewish teacher wearing a yarmulke read a story about the Jewish people’s 4,000-year history, their belief in the Torah, and that God’s laws govern their daily lives would PVFA president Tim Coleman and his membership have worn yarmulkes in solidarity and spoken in support of the teacher?
If a Muslim teacher wearing a hijab had read a novel extolling the beauty of Islam and that the Quran is the greatest gift to humanity, which contains the mysteries of life, would the PVFA have sent an e-mail to its members urging attendance at a school board meeting to show support of that teacher?
Or, what about a Christian pro-life teacher wearing a crucifix necklace reading a story that explained the divinity of Jesus Christ and decried the termination of life in the womb would the union have defended her/his right to do this?
Parental rights - who is the primary authority for our children?
Although the center of attention was the reading of “Too Bright to See” the bigger issue, touched on by some speakers, is who has the responsibility and authority to teach children morality, spirituality, and gender issues. Is it the parent or teacher?
PVP Watch believes the parents have this important responsibility and this is backed both by PVPUSD policy and the California Education Code. PVPUSD Board Policy Manual policy 6144 pertains to controversial issues and in part states “…topics should be relevant to the adopted course of study and curricular goals…”
It later states, “The Board expects administrators and teachers to exercise professional judgment when deciding whether or not a particular issue is suitable for study or discussion. They should consult with the Superintendent, or designee, to determine the appropriateness of the subject matter.”
The California Education Code under Article 4, Notice and Parental Excuse, Section 51937 states, “The Legislature recognizes…parents and guardians have the ultimate responsibility for imparting values regarding human sexuality to their children.”
California court states that a legal guardian has the right to “… choose the child’s school and learning program”. Are the teachers and the district taking over as legal guardians for our children?
Who is responsible for choosing the curriculum?
Towards the end of the meeting school board member Linda Reid singled out the published public comment on this matter by Rolling Hills Estates city councilman Frank Zerunyan. Zerunyan is a professor of the practice of governance at the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy. His complete comment should be read by the PVFA, school board, and the entire community, but this part is especially germane,
“The authority to determine the curriculum rests with the district, not individual teachers. Five people are accountable to the community and the children they represent. Teachers, as employees, must carry out that curriculum and abide by any restrictions. They do not have a right to use whatever teaching materials and methodologies they choose if this is contrary to school policy.” This appears on the district website on page 29 under public comments of the 3-8-23 meeting.
On March 16, Superintendent Cherniss sent an e-mail to PVPUSD teachers instructing all teachers to notify their principals and parents of their students in advance of the novels their students will read in class. This is encouraging and seems to reiterate Board Policy 6144 mentioned above. PVP Watch sent an e-mail to Cherniss agreeing with this policy and asking what the consequences will be for a teacher who violates it. There has been no response.
Future
The PVPUSD is of vital importance to our community and society for it not only educates and influences the next generation, but its reputation for providing a quality education draws many residents to Palos Verdes enhancing the lifestyle we enjoy. This reputation was earned over the years by graduating students who excelled in mathematics, language arts, history, science, and similar courses.
Palos Verdes has a constituency that has been generous with funding education over the years. If a sizable number of parents do not agree with how their children are being educated, they will leave the district for private schools, including those that are faith-based. Homeschooling has become another popular option. The more pupils that leave the district the smaller the average daily attendance (ADA) and incoming revenue.
Get involved
On the district website www.pvpusd.net you can access and watch any of the school board meetings as well as read all the public comments. Other interesting things are there including the board policy manual and the e-mail addresses of board members, which are:
Ami Gandhi…gandhia@pvpusd.net
Linda Reid…reidl@pvpusd.net
Linda Kurt…kurtli@pvpusd.net
Sara Deen…deens@pvpusd.net
Julie Hamill…hamillj@pvpusd.net
Linda Reid has a Twitter account…@lprlinda
The PVFA website is; www.wearepvfa.org.
Readers of this newsletter are urged to go to pertinent websites, become familiar with this issue, and communicate with the PVPUSD board members. You and your neighbors elect the board, and they make policy. Let them know your points of view.
Epilog
Julie Hamill was elected to the school board last November and promised more transparency. You can subscribe to her newsletter by going to https://www.hamill4pv.com/newsletter. In it, she states how she stands on the issues and why.
Note: On April 14 Alex Cherniss announced that he is leaving the PVPUSD to become superintendent of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. PVP Watch thanks Cherniss for his contributions to the PVPUSD and wishes him success in his new position.
The school board met on Monday, April 17th in private session to discuss a plan of action for filling this critical position. PVP Watch wishes them well in meeting this challenge.
PVP Watch welcomes your comments
PVP Watch welcomes your feedback. Please send comments to info@pvpwatch.com by clicking this link.