Shared Decision Making

I'm posting 3 comments up front, all stating better than I have the views of probably most parents here at ktm, and quite possibly around the country:

What is considered "crucial information", "proper guidance", necessary "knowledge" and/or "inappropriate" is at the discretion of the parent, not the school, nor the state. Parents should certainly have a voice and a choice in what their children are taught particularly in such a personal matter such as this.

This should not be the role of a teacher. Please let them teach academic content instead of using valuable teaching time for something that is clearly a parent's responsibility. The consequences of how they choose to teach their children is their own responsibility. To fail to obtain prior consent, communicate what will be taught with parents beforehand, or establish clear guidelines for the teaching of sexual education, is irresponsible and patently wrong.

Just as it is inappropriate for schools to impose a particular religion or political ideology upon the children in their charge, it is equally inappropriate for schools to teach human sexuality in ... a random and careless manner.

Let me add that in fact IUFSD did not intend for middle school kids to read these brochures. It was a mistake.

I agree strongly with the overall position.


Barry Garelick said...

In Fairfax County, VA, the school district sometimes conducts surveys of students about drug use and sexual activities. Prior to doing so they notify the parents of such survey, state that there will be questions of this nature and asks for parents' permission to allow the student to participate in such survey. I think this is the type of choice Steve H is alluding to and one which was not exercised in the case of the pamphlets. No one was notified, no one saw the pamphlets, and no parent was consulted as to whether they felt such material was appropriate or not.

This is all true.

Yes, the pamphlets were a mistake.

However, if the school had given parents the option of vetting the brochures beforehand, the mistake would not have been made.

Last school year, I made this exact point to the administration of the middle school. I pointed out that, where character education is concerned, you are always going to be dealing with values, which means you will never have consensus.

I suggested they set up a committee of teachers and parents to vet content in these areas, if only to protect themselves.


SteveH said...

"What is considered 'crucial information', 'proper guidance', necessary 'knowledge' and/or 'inappropriate' is at the discretion of the parent, not the school, nor the state. Parents should certainly have a voice and a choice in what their children are taught particularly in such a personal matter such as this."

Very well said.

There is a certain amount of arrogance hidden behind the idea that somebody has to do it, and that they (schools, county) have the knowledge and skills to do it. We see this in math, where schools are supposed to know something about the subject, but only teach math via their own pedagogical opinion. When parents (who are experts in the content) complain, they are ignored.

It's the same idea. Schools 10, Parents 0.

The key sticking point is prior knowledge and choice; not just with sex education, but everything.

The schools have too much power -- all schools, not just my own.

In NY state parents and teachers are entitled, by law, to Shared Decision Making.

Parents don't have it.

Nor do teachers.