Welcome to Hall Pass. This is a newsletter written to enable you to participate in conversations that promote school board politics and governance.
In today’s edition, you’ll find:
- On the Issue: Debates on Sex and Gender Education, and Whether It’s Related to Sexual Abuse in Schools
- School board submission deadlines, election results, recall certificates
- Who Approves the K-12 Curriculum in Public Schools in All 50 States
- Extracurricular Activities: Educational News on the Web
- Candidate Connection Survey
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On the Issue: Debates on Sex and Gender Education, and Whether It’s Related to Sexual Abuse in Schools
This section curates reports, analysis, and commentary on the issues that School Board members considered as they set out to provide the best possible education in their district.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (Republican) signed House Bill 1557 into law on March 28, 2022. This law prohibits discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation between teachers and students in grades K-3. Critics of the law say Republican supporters are using unfounded fears of child sexualization to discriminate against LGBTQ students. states that discussions by school personnel about sexuality and gender identity with children constitute sexual misconduct and may create greater physical risks for students.
Michelle Goldberg writes that discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools are normal and not intended to sexualize children or increase the risk of sexual harassment and abuse She says efforts to ban such conversations discriminate against LGBTQ students.
Christopher Rufo writes that sexual harassment and abuse is not uncommon in schools, and says Goldberg and other writers have dismissed legitimate concerns related to child protection. Conversations related to should only be conducted with parental approval to prevent predatory behavior.
Disney freakout on the right | | Michelle Goldberg new york times
“The most notorious of these new laws is Florida’s HB 1557, ‘Don’t Say You’re Gay’ law, which is a class room for children under fourth grade about their sexual orientation or gender identity. It prohibits teaching in and teaching ‘age-appropriate’ or ‘developmentally-appropriate’ older students. … to justify the law, anyone who opposes the law has the right to accuse them of wanting to expose young children to explicit material in order to prepare them for abuse. …Of course, this isn’t the first time gay and gender nonconforming people have been framed as moral threats to children.In 1977, Anita, a former Beauty Her Queen and spokeswoman for her Florida Her Citrus Commission Bryant launched her anti-gay Save Our Children campaign. “Homosexuals can’t reproduce, so they have to be recruited,” she said. “And to renew their ranks, they must recruit America’s youth.” You seem to be at peace with being in public. Now that kind of rhetoric is back, and it’s potentially explosive. ”
no conspiracy theory | | Christopher Rufo city journal
For example, the New York Times accused conservatives of “freaking out” about fictitious “grooming” in public schools, while the Washington Post dismissed concerns about sexual abuse by teachers as a “QAnon conspiracy.” . …Today, if Department of Education statistics remain constant, it can be estimated that 5 million students are currently being sexually harassed, manipulated, and abused in America’s public school system. So there is good reason for parents to fear “grooming” in public schools. …The parent movement, recently mobilized against critical race theory, should not hesitate to add this issue to its list of concerns. We should be skeptical about introducing sexuality into the classroom at a young age if we are allowed to do so. Additionally, families should have better tools to report abuse, and public schools should have mandatory screening, There should be training and reporting requirements. ”
Who Approves the K-12 Curriculum in Public Schools in All 50 States
School board elections are becoming a battleground for debates about curriculum, curriculum transparency, and the books that are allowed in school libraries. School board candidates cite concerns about curriculum as reasons for running for public office.
But who approves public school curricula?it dependsBallotpedia’s research on K-12 curriculum authority shows that in most states, the local school district approves the K-12 curriculum. However, in about a quarter of the states, school boards are empowered to oversee and approve curricula.
In some states, state-level organizations, such as state boards of education and state educational institution leaders, or local organizations, such as school districts and local schools, play a role in developing and approving the K–12 curriculum. I have.
The breakdown is as follows.
- of 34 statesstate law requires local school districts to approve the K-12 curriculum.
- of 12 statesSchool boards, sometimes in partnership with state agencies, approve the K-12 curriculum.
- of rhode island, texas, north carolina, and AlaskaState agencies, such as , state boards of education and boards of education, approve the K-12 curriculum.
In Oklahoma, local school districts approve school curricula, and state law § 70-11-103.6aF states:
“The school district shall exclusively determine instruction, curricula, reading lists, materials and textbooks in accordance with any applicable terms or requirements set forth by law that shall be used to meet the standards of the subject matter. may, at its discretion, employ supplemental student evaluations in addition to statewide student evaluations.”
In California, the Education Code § 60000(c) gives the Board of Education authority over the curriculum.
“The Legislature further recognizes that school district governing boards are responsible for setting the course of study and should be able to select materials that are appropriate for the course of study.”
In at least 21 states, state-level bodies make recommendations to local school districts about curricula or curriculum frameworks. For example, in Missouri, State Code § 160.514(5) states:
“The State Board of Education shall develop a written curriculum framework for use by school districts. Such curriculum framework shall include the academic performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection 1 of this section. Although the curriculum framework shall provide guidance to the school district, the local school board shall not be required to adopt or develop a written curriculum as required by subsection 6 of this section. shall not be obliged to
Texas is one of four states whose curriculum is developed and approved by state-level entities. In Texas, that entity is the State Board of Education. School districts are permitted to supplement the curriculum and requirements of the state board of education. According to Texas Administrative Code § 74.1, “School districts may add elements in their discretion, but shall not delete or omit the basic and enhanced curriculum instructions specified in subsection (a) of this section.” not.”
In some states, the K-12 curriculum reflects or incorporates state content standards. These are educational learning and achievement goals that state education officials require or recommend local schools include in their instruction. In previous editions, we discussed state content standards. hall pass.
For more information about K-12 curriculum privileges, requirements, and laws in your state, click here.
Extracurricular Activities: Educational News on the Web
This section contains links to recent education-related articles on the internet. If you know an article you should read, please reply to this email to share it.
Participate in candidate connection surveys to reach voters in your district
Today, I’m sharing the survey responses from the November 8th General Election for the Paradise Valley Unified School District At-large Member Race in Arizona. Paradise Valley Unified School District is his seventh largest school district in Arizona with an estimated enrollment of 29,109 students. It is located northeast of Phoenix and north of Scottsdale.
Five candidates are running in the nonpartisan election. Sandra Christensen, Eddy Jackson, and Tony Pantera responded to Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. Incumbent girlfriend Susan Matura and girlfriend Sheryl Evenson, who were first elected in 2018, did not respond to the survey.
Here’s how Christensen answered the question:What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?”
“I am passionate about curricular transparency. Student success depends not only on qualified teachers, but also on the content and quality of a school’s curriculum. Transparency builds trust in the community. Our education tax dollars should be invested wisely in the future of our youth Parents and members of the PVUSD community should know what investments are being made with our tax dollars I have the right.”
Click here to read the rest of Christensen’s answer.
Here’s how Jackson answered the question:What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?”
“Maintaining and Defending Individual Liberty”
Click here to read the rest of Jackson’s response.
Here’s how Pantera answered the question:What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?“
“It is becoming increasingly difficult to hire teachers and other support staff within the district. This shortage, seen in nearly every position, makes it difficult to fully meet PVUSD’s promises. We need policies that encourage people to choose a career in education.These policies do more than just pay employees a living wage, which is important, they also support and educate staff. You have to let them know that the committee will do whatever is necessary to support their work.
We have to reach out to the people making the decisions about this. This includes actively participating in the community on budgeting. This transparency helps school districts understand that even if the funds they receive are used efficiently, they may not be enough to make people want to work in education.
We must tell education lawmakers to stop piling up more restrictive and punitive measures against teachers and staff. We need laws that not only protect children, but also encourage adults to decide to work in school districts. We need laws that keep us from inviting excessive litigation. This allows you to siphon off money that might go to school to fight a legal battle.
Public schools must be public. Don’t give money to a school that isn’t accessible to all students in your district. Not all students will be able to attend a private school, even with a voucher, and some may not be able to attend unless they adhere to a particular school’s statement of faith. ”
Click here to read the rest of Pantera’s answer.
If you are a school board candidate or incumbent, click here to complete the survey. If you are not running for school board but have an election in your community this year, please share the link with the candidate and encourage them to complete the survey.