This bill did not make it out of committee when it was called AB 1468 just three months ago. The only reason it made it out of one committee this round, as AB 715, is because of special session maneuvering by the bill sponsors.
There is a need to recognize and prevent discrimination and the rise in attacks on all races, religions, and gender identities. However, that is not what AB 715 does. AB 715 takes advantage of this good intention to appoint a state-funded, state-authorized antisemitic curriculum czar who will oversee the entire state school curriculum. The bill blindly makes your children’s education subject to more centralized state control.
“By imposing additional duties on school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to, among other things, strengthen protections against discrimination, including antisemitism, in K–12 education, including protections against instruction and activity.”
AB 715 is anything but even-handed. It is not even-handed to state, “The bill would define ‘discrimination on the basis of religion’ to include, but not be limited to, antisemitism and Islamophobia.” And then to state this bill will:
“Create an Antisemitism Coordinator” for all K12 education in California.
Why not an Anti-Discrimination Coordinator or a Cultural Understanding Coordinator?
Among the bills’ multiple flaws is the requirement that school superintendents be held responsible for processing anonymous complaints about discrimination.
“A complaint may be filed by any member of the public, including anyone electing to file anonymously, if the complaint provides evidence or information leading to evidence to support an allegation of noncompliance…”
I’ll repeat what was said when reviewing AB 1468. Do we want to empower third parties, anyone, with anonymous claims of discrimination? You can imagine the school board meeting orchestrations. There could be processes in existing parent-teacher partnerships to address better the healing that needs to occur.
Please contact your local representatives to stop the progress of this bill and vote no if AB 715 proponents keep using special sessions to get it to the floor.
https://trackbill.com/bill/california-assembly-bill-715-educational-equity-discrimination/2663389/
Christopher Cabaldon (Senator District 3) Davis. Tel. 530-750-7913
Sacramento. Tel. 916-651-4003
https://sd03.senate.ca.gov/contact
Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Assembly Majority Leader, District 4
https://a04.asmdc.org/contact-cecilia
Sacramento. Tel: (916) 319-2004
Davis Tel: (530) 757-1034
