Reform California Endorses Financial Literacy Ballot Initiative to Replace Woke Curriculum in California

In the past several years, parents and taxpayers in California have grown increasingly upset over controversial and inappropriate curriculum being imposed by far-Left politicians running our public schools. A groundbreaking initiative in the November 2024 election could reverse that trend.

The “California Personal Finance Education Initiative" would require mandatory curriculum on personal finance for high school students. Among the topics that would be addressed: how to create a household budget, how to invest, how to balance a checkbook and read bank statements, understanding 401ks and investing, the importance of your personal credit rating and how to keep a good one, and more.

The initiative would require high school students to complete a one-semester course in personal finance, with schools having the option to offer a full-year course. The curriculum would be implemented starting from the 2026-2027 school year, with the mandatory requirement for graduation beginning from the 2029-2030 school year.

The initiative has garnered support from Carl DeMaio and his Reform California movement. DeMaio announced that Reform California will not only include the initiative on their popular Reform California Voter Guide, but that he intends to expend funds to help pass the measure in the November election.

"California's left-wing politicians at both the state and local levels are all fixated on everything but academic achievement — they are focused on irrelevant and divisive topics like personal pronouns, social agendas, political agendas, and bizarre and very distasteful sex-ed curriculum," DeMaio says.  

“There is so much to like about the California Personal Finance Education Initiative because it gives students the common-sense tools they need to be financially independent and it turns the tide away from more woke curriculum requirements being added,” DeMaio notes.

“If we give students the tools they need to be financial independent, then the far-Left won’t be able to sell them socialism so easily to make them dependent on the state,” DeMaio adds.

While DeMaio acknowledged the importance of local school boards in deciding curriculum, he supported the idea of a state-level mandate in certain areas, such as teaching the Constitution or personal finance. He clarified misconceptions about the initiative, stating that it does not mandate ethnic studies, as some have suggested.

In closing, DeMaio underscored the significance of the proposed measure, saying, "This could be one of the most important education reforms we've seen in a long time in California."  

DeMaio encouraged Californians to support the initiative and get involved in Reform California's efforts leading up to the November election.

"We're going to endorse this measure again assuming it qualifies for the ballot," DeMaio added. "At Reform California, it will be on our voter guide come November, and we're going to try to get as many people involved as possible.”