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NY and NJ governors ask textbook publishers not to censor school material
By
Karen Yi
Published Jun 3, 2023
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By
Karen Yi
Published Jun 3, 2023
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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and eight of their gubernatorial colleagues are urging publishers not to censor their textbooks.
The governors, all Democrats, signed a letter sent to publishers such as Pearson, McGraw Hill and Scholastic last month, raising concerns the companies might “be tempted to water down critical information to appeal to the lowest common denominator.” They urged publishers to “hold the line for our democracy” and not censor any material.
The letter comes as several Republican-led states have passed laws restricting texts on race, gender and history in schools. That’s putting pressure on some publishers to alter their texts, including one that initially softened and then removed references to race in the story of Rosa Parks to get approval in Florida, the New York Times reported.
In a tweet announcing the letter, Murphy said, “school textbooks should never be censored due to political pressure from governors like [Florida] Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
Murphy, who chairs the National Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association, said he spearheaded the letter because the “country’s future and democracy are at stake.”
The letter goes on to say states will work closely with their school districts to inform them of which texts have been censored before procuring any books.
The letter was sent to nine publishers and the Association of American Publishers, which represents publishers across the country.
Tagged
education
phil murphy
new york
Kathy Hochul
new jersey
Karen Yi
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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