Traditionally, Sex Education in Chico Unified – and I think most public schools – dealt with educating young people on the basics of human anatomy, “the Birds and the Bees,” and information about pregnancy, birth control, and sexually-transmitted diseases. By the time I was a Chico High student back in the early 1990s this curriculum had broadened to include a frank video discussing same-gender sex. This kind of thing has always been a valuable public service in my view, since many kids don’t get a thorough presentation of these facts at home. This is public school, and we are about teaching students things they need to know. Today, human sexuality in America has become much more openly-discussed.
Parents have long had the right to opt their children out of general sex education, curricula dealing with HIV/AIDS prevention, and also surveys or assessments of students on these topics, which would involve school staff collecting personal information directly and openly from students. Parents are also to be notified of these rights in writing, and all the sex ed. curriculum is made available for review by parents. As a board member I will be vigilant to protect these rights of parents at CUSD.
Another area where parents should have the right to influence the school district’s treatment and teaching of their child is in the area of names and pronouns. Districts have been known to use names or pronouns that are the choice of a student without the consent – or even knowledge – of their parents. It’s my belief that Chico Unified should make every effort to accommodate all parties to the best of our ability, but fundamentally we should not come between parents and their children on matters that are deeply personal and highly controversial.
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