The war on books continues: Paso parents say a chemistry text is ‘too political’ | Opinion

In the end, common sense prevailed.

The Paso Robles school board approved the purchase of an advanced placement chemistry textbook on a 3-2 vote last month — despite opposition from a handful of parents who were upset because the book briefly mentioned the United Nation’s 17 sustainable development goals.

Just so we’re clear, the UN isn’t espousing radical goals like open borders or an immediate ban on fossil fuels.

Nope, it’s talking clean air and water, an end to hunger and poverty, quality education for all, gender equality, health care, decent work and economic growth — attributes many developed nations already enjoy but poorer nations do not.

Yet parents felt that had no place in science textbooks.

“... Why is it so important or necessary to adopt a curriculum that pushes the United Nations’ proposed agenda on the children of America?” one parent asked the board at its March 14 meeting. “We are not governed by the UN, nor did you take an (oath of) allegiance to the UN.”

For the Paso school board to approve the textbook over such objections was both a watershed moment and a victory.

November election put moderates in control

A year ago, the book may indeed have been rejected. Conservatives were in full control of the seven-member school board then, and skirmishes in the culture wars were regular occurrences.

The board debated COVID-19 restrictions, critical race theory and LGBTQ+ rights. At one point, it even adopted a resolution opposing any government effort to compel the use of non-gendered language — even though no such effort was on the horizon.

That all changed in November, when voters ousted two far-right candidates, putting moderates in the majority.

The narrow, 3-2 vote on the textbook — only five members were present because there’s one vacancy on the board and one member was absent — was a sign that the balance of power has shifted, but the culture war isn’t over.

That power struggle also is apparent in the current campaign to fill the vacancy on the board, which will be decided in Tuesday’s special election.

It pits Kenney Enney — a far-right conservative supported by the county Republican Party — against Angela Hollander. She’s a moderate who has the backing of middle-of-the-road community leaders like former school district trustee Dee Lacy, former county Supervisor Frank Mecham and retired county Superintendent of Schools Julian Crocker.

Parental control

The dust-up over the chemistry textbook wasn’t just about the United Nations; it also involved parental control.

The two board members who voted against the adoption — Dorian Baker and Laurene D. McCoy — said they had not been given adequate time to consider and respond to the objections raised by parents.

Superintendent Curt Dubost said he’ll ask his staff to revise the textbook approval process to ensure board members have time to review parents’ comments before making their final decision.

That’s wise. Of course parents should have the opportunity to weigh in and board members should be given ample time to thoughtfully reflect on their comments.

But that doesn’t mean the board has to cater to a small-but-vocal minority of parents who scrutinize everything in an effort to ferret out any sign of “wokeness.”

After all, the vast majority of parents isn’t second-guessing every decision made by educators.

That doesn’t mean they don’t care. It means they trust teachers.

Science doesn’t exist in a vacuum

In this case, that trust is well-founded.

The textbook in question — “Chemistry: The Central Science AP Edition, (Brown), Pearson, 2020” — is not out to indoctrinate students. It mentions UN goals only briefly, in relationship to scientific study.

Keep in mind, too, that this textbook is not targeted at young children; this is a college-level advanced placement course for high-achieving students, typically taken by juniors and seniors — students who will likely be attending college in one or two years.

This is not about a textbook.

It’s about extremist parents intent on pushing their far-right views on an entire school district.

It’s not the book that’s too political; it’s the parents who believe they know best, and for that reason, should be able to dictate what every child is allowed to learn.

It takes a strong school board to stand up to that pressure.

Paso Robles voters stood up for strength and moderation when they voted two far-right trustees out of office in November.

They have an opportunity to do so again in Tuesday’s special election.

We strongly urge Paso Robles voters who have not yet cast a ballot to vote for Hollander on or before Tuesday.