California leaders pushing for diversity in K-12 textbooks

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Educational leaders in California are urging book publishers to create books that are diverse, inclusive, and promote equity.

State superintendent, Tony Thurmond, hopes to see books that represent people of different ethnic backgrounds.

As well as the LGBTQ+ community.

He says as a father with two daughters who attend public schools he hopes the children he represents can have access to different histories and concepts of learning.

"Inclusive education is positive for students. It helps students to be successful, to be safe, to have a good understanding about others, and to build partnerships with people of other backgrounds," said Thurmond.

One Central Valley advocate says it's essential that students see themselves and their history in school textbooks.

"It is not fair to any culture, any community, to have that history erased especially when we see those impacts continuing today. Our school systems still are dealing with racism every single day, our students are dealing with it," said Alexandria Ramos Ocasey.

Ramos-Ocasey is Latina and Irish.

She says she wishes she saw herself represented in books growing up..

"Our stories are important, they are sacred and they deserve to be treated as such with love and care," mentioned Alexandria.

For state superintendent Thurmond, inclusivity goes beyond the textbook.

He is on a mission to hire people from a variety of backgrounds in our school systems.

California's Department of Education is currently offering $30,000 scholarships for future educators or counselors.

The goal is to diversify classrooms across the state.

"Let's help our students become young adults who have knowledge and passion and empathy for each other, and wanna serve our communities and go on to do great things," explained Thurmond.

There will be virtual employment fairs coming up before the school year kicks off.

Those details can be found here.