Aggregated News
Incorporating the topic of eugenics and the city’s history with that practice into lesson plans at Palo Alto schools is an idea gaining traction among members of an advisory committee.
The Renaming Schools Advisory Committee is reviewing whether Palo Alto Unified School District should rename three schools whose namesakes advocated eugenics in their day: David Starr Jordan, Lewis Madison Terman and Ellwood P. Cubberley.
The 14-member committee is expected to make a recommendation in December or January to the school board.
Trustees formed the committee earlier this year to review the names of all district schools after hearing from students, parents and community members hurt and angry that Jordan Middle School is named after someone who would be considered a racist today.
Jordan, Stanford University’s first president, believed the human race could be improved through selective reproduction, including forced sterilization. His support of eugenics was the subject of a book report by Kobi Johnsson, who attends Jordan. His father, Lars Johnsson, serves on the committee.
At a meeting on Monday, a majority of the committee members supported renaming Jordan.
“(Jordan’s) lifelong goal...
