No parents allowed in Sex-ed classes in school
Controversial classes taught without parents allowed in room
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From The Washington Times, headline is linked.
Parents can't sit in on sex-ed classes
By Jon Ward
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Montgomery County Public Schools have barred parents from sitting in on classes in which a new sex-education curriculum will be taught, despite an official schools policy that encourages parents to visit their children's classrooms.
The policy states that parents are welcome to visit their child's classroom with permission from school administrators. The policy says, "Classroom visits and conferences by parents and other persons in the school community are encouraged."
Not this time.
Brian Edwards, a county schools spokesman, said the parents' presence at the sex-ed classes would have a "chilling effect on the educational process."
"If you're in a classroom and you want to have a frank discussion among your peers, with whom you've developed trust, and you're going to have Johnny Smith's mother sitting in the corner, you're not going to be as honest," he said.
Parents who are concerned about the new curriculum because they think it favors a homosexual agenda and encourages promiscuity said keeping them out of the classroom when the new sex-ed curriculum is being taught is "a big mistake."
"There isn't anything in the school curriculum that parents should not be able to go and hear for themselves," said Michelle Turner, president of Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum (CRC). "If the school feels that parents shouldn't be in the classroom, then that's a red flag for parents."
Russ Henke, the county's health education coordinator, said parents are usually shut out of classrooms.
"There are particular times of the year, during National Education Week, that we invite the parents in, but it's not something we have as far as a general open classroom," he said.
In November, the county school board voted unanimously to approve a tryout of the new curriculum in three high schools and three middle schools.
The curriculum, which was slightly revised last month, defines one's sexual identity as including gender identity, which is "a person's internal sense of knowing whether he or she is male or female." The instruction also includes the statement that "most experts in the field have concluded that sexual orientation is not a choice."
Also, households with same-sex parents are identified as one type of nine families. Next to that listing, a new phrase has been inserted as instruction to teachers -- not students. It reads in parentheses: "This should not be interpreted as same-sex marriage."
An explicit warning to teachers also has been added in a section that discusses sexual identity and orientation.
"No additional information, interpretation or examples are to be provided by the teacher," the warning states.
Mrs. Turner said she was in favor of parents sitting in on class sessions that their children don't attend.
"A child might not feel comfortable, particularly in discussion, if their parent is sitting right there," she said. "They don't necessarily need to be in their child's classroom."
Christine Grewell, co-founder of TeachtheFacts.org (TTF), which is in favor of the new sex-ed instruction, disagreed.
"It's a controversial subject, you've got a lot of parents who are very vocal on either side, and maybe [the schools are] just trying to maintain calm," she said.
The pilot classes will begin Thursday. After the pilot classes conclude later this month, a citizens advisory committee will collect feedback from students, teachers and parents and issue final recommendations to the county school board.
The school board will vote on countywide implementation in the summer or fall.
Under pressure from the CRC, the schools last month removed a sentence in the curriculum that stated: "Sex play with friends of the same gender is not uncommon during early adolescence."
The schools also removed a statement that said that students would "discuss how you develop your sexual identity."
... more at linked article
Gotta love a curricululm that can't even be taught with parents in the classroom.
I don't care how they do it, be it the use of the typical focus group setting with the special mirrors, or something similar, if parents want to see what is going on in the classrooms during these sessions, they must be given a way to make sure that the education their children are recieving is meeting community standards.
This is another great case of liberalism run amok. Students rights are more important -- in the eyes of those pursuing this agenda -- than the rights of the parents who are told that they must send their children to these mandatory classes, or, if they somehow are allowed to opt their children out, must do so in a vacuum of first hand knowledge of what is really going on in the classes.
Montgomery County, Maryland, must figure out that involving parents in the education of their children is a good thing, especially in this area.
Never mind the almost obligatory joke that could be inserted about the fact that many of the parents could probably use the education in this area anyway.
Parents can't sit in on sex-ed classes
By Jon Ward
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Montgomery County Public Schools have barred parents from sitting in on classes in which a new sex-education curriculum will be taught, despite an official schools policy that encourages parents to visit their children's classrooms.
The policy states that parents are welcome to visit their child's classroom with permission from school administrators. The policy says, "Classroom visits and conferences by parents and other persons in the school community are encouraged."
Not this time.
Brian Edwards, a county schools spokesman, said the parents' presence at the sex-ed classes would have a "chilling effect on the educational process."
"If you're in a classroom and you want to have a frank discussion among your peers, with whom you've developed trust, and you're going to have Johnny Smith's mother sitting in the corner, you're not going to be as honest," he said.
Parents who are concerned about the new curriculum because they think it favors a homosexual agenda and encourages promiscuity said keeping them out of the classroom when the new sex-ed curriculum is being taught is "a big mistake."
"There isn't anything in the school curriculum that parents should not be able to go and hear for themselves," said Michelle Turner, president of Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum (CRC). "If the school feels that parents shouldn't be in the classroom, then that's a red flag for parents."
Russ Henke, the county's health education coordinator, said parents are usually shut out of classrooms.
"There are particular times of the year, during National Education Week, that we invite the parents in, but it's not something we have as far as a general open classroom," he said.
In November, the county school board voted unanimously to approve a tryout of the new curriculum in three high schools and three middle schools.
The curriculum, which was slightly revised last month, defines one's sexual identity as including gender identity, which is "a person's internal sense of knowing whether he or she is male or female." The instruction also includes the statement that "most experts in the field have concluded that sexual orientation is not a choice."
Also, households with same-sex parents are identified as one type of nine families. Next to that listing, a new phrase has been inserted as instruction to teachers -- not students. It reads in parentheses: "This should not be interpreted as same-sex marriage."
An explicit warning to teachers also has been added in a section that discusses sexual identity and orientation.
"No additional information, interpretation or examples are to be provided by the teacher," the warning states.
Mrs. Turner said she was in favor of parents sitting in on class sessions that their children don't attend.
"A child might not feel comfortable, particularly in discussion, if their parent is sitting right there," she said. "They don't necessarily need to be in their child's classroom."
Christine Grewell, co-founder of TeachtheFacts.org (TTF), which is in favor of the new sex-ed instruction, disagreed.
"It's a controversial subject, you've got a lot of parents who are very vocal on either side, and maybe [the schools are] just trying to maintain calm," she said.
The pilot classes will begin Thursday. After the pilot classes conclude later this month, a citizens advisory committee will collect feedback from students, teachers and parents and issue final recommendations to the county school board.
The school board will vote on countywide implementation in the summer or fall.
Under pressure from the CRC, the schools last month removed a sentence in the curriculum that stated: "Sex play with friends of the same gender is not uncommon during early adolescence."
The schools also removed a statement that said that students would "discuss how you develop your sexual identity."
... more at linked article
Gotta love a curricululm that can't even be taught with parents in the classroom.
I don't care how they do it, be it the use of the typical focus group setting with the special mirrors, or something similar, if parents want to see what is going on in the classrooms during these sessions, they must be given a way to make sure that the education their children are recieving is meeting community standards.
This is another great case of liberalism run amok. Students rights are more important -- in the eyes of those pursuing this agenda -- than the rights of the parents who are told that they must send their children to these mandatory classes, or, if they somehow are allowed to opt their children out, must do so in a vacuum of first hand knowledge of what is really going on in the classes.
Montgomery County, Maryland, must figure out that involving parents in the education of their children is a good thing, especially in this area.
Never mind the almost obligatory joke that could be inserted about the fact that many of the parents could probably use the education in this area anyway.
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