By Alice Linahan Feb. 14, 2017
Have you heard the terms: Risk Avoidance and Risk Reduction when discussing Sex Education in public schools? I’ve learned a lot after listening to 3 Texas Moms testify during the February 3rd State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting about how sex education is taught in Texas schools and what the actual Texas Education Code (TEC) calls for. What do you think? Is it Risk Avoidance or Risk Reduction?
As noted on the website: Sex Ed is Not a Game: Life is Not a Game
Texas Laws/SHAC
“Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills or TEKS is the official K-12 curriculum for the state of Texas and its public schools, mandated by law. It details the curriculum requirements for every course. The Health Education TEKS grades 6-8 can be found here. A sex education program could be used to teach many of the state required Health TEKS.
Prior to 2004, the formation of a School Health Advisory Council or SHAC was mandated for every public school district in Texas. A SHAC is a group of individuals representing segments of the community, appointed by the school district to serve at the district level, to provide advice to the district on coordinated school health programming and its impact on student health and learning. The majority of its members must be parents of students in the district. The uniting of the knowledge and experience of parents, community members and educators seemed the ideal solution to address issues threatening the health of Texas’ youth and ensure reflection of local community values. These councils recommend to school boards and administrators what health education policies — including policies on sex education — the district should follow.”
Below are videos of the three testimonies. Watch these testimonies to find out… Is it Risk Avoidance, or Risk Reduction?
These mom’s testimonies are in such stark contrast to a report that was released today by the Texas Freedom Network (TFN). An organization that was founded by former Texas Governor Ann Richards’ daughter Cecile Richards, former president of Planned Parenthood nationally.
As noted on the Sex Ed is Not a Game: Life is Not a Game website as well. Early on, organizations like Texas Freedom Network, started urging its activists and members to become members of SHACs to effect change in sex education in Texas. It gave step-by-step instructions through power point and webinars on how to infiltrate SHAC membership.
Was your SHAC infiltrated using the method described in the powerpoint linked here?
Check out your SHAC minutes linked to your district. As I also wrote in ‘A Parent’s Guide through Your Child’s #1 Threat; 21st Century Learning and the Common Core’
