Tahoma to Update Sexual Health Standards – Some Parents Concerned Over Courseware
Tahoma’s “Sexual Health Alignment Committee” has been in the process of updating the district’s sexual health standards and learning outcomes. According to the TSD, “Our current Tahoma resources for teaching sexual health are over 20 years old and need to be updated. We have a cross-grade level review team that includes parents, teachers, school nurse, counselor, and special services currently screening new materials.”
The district has been transparent to the fact that these changes were underway and have even hosted parent information nights on the subject meant to engage parents. After reviewing multiple courseware options, the committee has narrowed the final curriculum down to two choices:
Option 1: Combined Supplemental Resources (Elementary) / G-W Comprehensive Health Skills (Middle School /High School).
Option 2: King County FLASH.
The district has done a decent job at providing parents with a way to review the content in both options. We highly recommend parents review the content to see if the material is appropriate for their children. Parents have the right to opt out of any or all Sexual Health lessons.
At face value, the changes presented seem minimal, but parents who have investigated the actual courseware content recommended by the committee have expressed issues. Much of the concern seems to stem from content that many feel will create confusion within malleable teenage minds. One parent who reviewed middle school Option 1: Comprehensive Health Skills for Middle School shared their feedback to the district and with us:
Comprehensive Health Skills for Middle School Chapter 19.1 “What is Sexuality”
Parental Feedback
The author of Lesson 19.1 What is Sexuality? did not provide a comprehensive assessment of gender identity and I do not agree with this lesson and do not believe it should be included, as it is written today, into the TSD middle school sexual health curriculum. The lesson is poorly written where the overall tone is more of an opinion that holds a negative frame and implies victimhood for anyone that is not hetero, especially within the LGBT+ community. Why perpetuate that adolescents 'may feel they need to hide this part of themselves'? Why impose a feeling onto a young reader in middle school as young as twelve years old? As the text is written, it is psychologically damaging. Why not take the approach to uplift your reader, and strengthen their thoughts and feelings about their gender? It is clear that the author infuses their opinion into the text and it conveys a different tone aside from the rest of the Comprehensive Health Skills text.
The author begins the transgression of gender labels as imposed solely by parents - 'Gender identity is taught when parents identify a baby's biological sex at birth…' This is an opinion of the author and is not fact. As the paragraph continues, the true intent of the paragraph unfolds, '….as they grow older, people may realize they do not entirely identify with an assigned gender. These people may revise how they see and express their gender identity….'
This sentence is a slippery slope because you're asking the reader to pause and question themselves. The text acknowledges adolescents are already experiencing questions about the changes in their body, what they are naturally and biologically experiencing is a true statement, however, introducing the thought these changes are not right, is damaging. The author is introducing gender dysphoria and planting a seed in the mind of the reader.
The text overly emphasizes the changes of individuals that are LGBT+ and omits the choices of heterosexual individuals. Although the text does include one reference that the majority of individuals are hetero, the text does not go into the same weighting on definitions, questions about orientation, gender identity as a man and woman, and what it means to be heterosexual. The text is unbalanced and separates the perceived and implied challenges solely for the LGBT+ community instead of all adolescents.
Do not introduce areas called safe zones. This promotes victimhood. If the true intent and goal of schools are to make all feel welcomed and included, then the entire school is safe and safe individuals should include parents.
Furthermore, as the author is trying to reference laws that protect people because of their gender, they do so with grave inaccuracy and only through the lens of LGBT+, it is a gross misrepresentation of the laws that were put forth to protect people. The text states, 'Laws help protect people who are LGBT+ from discrimination and persecution…' However, these laws also protect others from discrimination and persecution but the text omits that.
As stated in the text - Federal laws, including the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991, prohibit employers from discriminating against workers because of their sexual orientation.
To introduce these laws into the text, the author cherry-picks the parts and only applies them through the lens of the author. For example, the Civil Rights Act of 1991 as the author references it is misleading to say the law is there to help protect employers from discriminating against workers because of just their sexual orientation.
The text goes on….'Hate crimes are criminal acts motivated by differences in race, religion, disability, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. People who are LGBT+ may experience these crimes.' The author only extracts LGBT+ from sexual orientation, even though sexual orientation can imply hetero.
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act protects people from crimes motivated by sexual orientation and race. Again, the author is not fully describing what their Acts protect - to fully define these acts would negate false definitions.
Again, the text is unbalanced, if you're introducing crimes and the laws that protect victims, then it needs to be complete and accurate and not only through sexual orientation because these laws include race, religion, disability, ethnicity etc.
Interestingly, the text omits laws that protect victims of rape and incest. This could have been introduced into the sections that discuss masculine and feminine characteristics, but it does not.
Lastly, the text, as it is written, is an opinion piece with a tone and approach to keep LGBT+ communities as victims instead of embracing these communities through the positive influence they permeate throughout our society. The author still sees LGBT+ as less than others and victims. For a twelve-year-old child, don't perpetuate victimhood. Empower all adolescence and build their self-confidence from the start since that should be the goal of this lesson.
As the lesson is written, I do not agree with it.
The King County Flash content appears to have a similar focus on confusing gender identity and sexuality lessons so parents are encouraged to review it.
Many parents believe these discussions can create identity confusion under the guise of acceptance and should be handled by parents not educators. It is crucial that parents review the content that will be presented to their children and opt out as needed. Moreover, parents who choose to opt out and keep their kids home for the day (as to not single out their child) should ensure their school does not change the date of the lesson last minute.
Back in May of this year, Lake Wilderness Elementary changed the date of a Sexual Health lesson for 5th graders short notice. Parents reported to us that they were unaware of the change and sent their kids to school the next day thinking the lesson had already happened.
Some parents did not see communication until after the lesson took place.
The Tahoma School District is seeking parental feedback by 19-Aug-2022 regarding these curriculum options before making a final decision on which one to use. Parents are encouraged to review the curriculum changes and courseware, as well as submit feedback using the links below.
Tahoma Curriculum Review
Scroll to bottom and select the Sexual Health - Overview tab for a broad description. Select the Elementary, Middle School, and/or High School tabs for courseware under review.
Tahoma Vertical Alignment Document
Details desired district outcomes from sexual health in alignment with state guidelines.
Family Information Night Slide Deck
Recording of Family Information Night
District Sexual Health Curriculum Feedback Form
OPTING OUT: Parents have the right to opt their children out of any or all sexual health lessons. This usually involves attending a family information night or communicating with your child’s teacher to sign the opt out form. If you desire to opt out, we recommend contacting your child’s teacher.
Do you have concerns about the district’s sexual health curriculum? Let us know here!
