Indecent Proposal

School Board Trumps CDC

2006-04-05T08:35:00.000-05:00

Apparently the Sioux Falls School Board knows more about sexually transmitted diseases than the Center for Disease Control. The Center for Disease Control recommends that students be taught to "abstain from sexual intercourse until they are ready to establish a mutually monogamous relationship within the context of marriage." Yet, our own school board has accepted the recommendation to not allow the word "marriage" to be part of the Sioux Falls curriculum. Because, as one person at the meeting said, we couldn't have abstinence be taught "until marriage" because that would alienate the "gay and lesbian kids".

Sex Education In The Hands of Legislature

2006-01-31T11:59:00.000-06:00

There are two bills in the South Dakota Legislature which have to do with Sex Education in our state's Middle Schools. One of the bills would be a disaster for our state by mandating comprehensive sex education in our middle schools while teaching every contraceptive method know to man. The other bill is a healthy bill focusing on teaching values. Click here to learn more about these bills where you can also support the healthy bill by signing a petition and forwarding the site to friends.

New Curriculum Proposed by Parent

2006-01-08T22:09:00.000-06:00

Penny Martens, parent of a Middle School student and former teacher, submitted a proposal to change the school's sexual health written curriculum. The Argus Leader reported on this story today.

The public discussion that has taken place over the last several months has been on some of the Middle School Sex Education materials, not the curriculum itself.

Parents who have been involved in this issue feel that without a change in the district curriculum, the replacement materials could possibly be just as inappropriate and inaccurate as the HealthSmart materials that were removed. One School Board member was stated in the Argus as saying "To teach abstinence only would be inappropriate. We're bound by state standards. We have to teach what the state tells us we need to teach." However, it states in Mrs. Martens letter to the Administration that the proposed changes "closely reflect the values of our community as well as the directives of the State. . . In fact, the proposed changes align more closely with the state standards than the existing objectives."

Mrs. Martens goes on to say that these changes "would have a positive impact on our students because they are more thorough than the current objectives and are character-based, in accordance with our state law."

This issue comes down to standards. As a community, we can compromise the standards we have for our precious youth with the attitude of "kids are going to have sex, so let's teach them to do it as safe as possible." Or, we can choose to set our standards a little higher and trust our kids with the truth. That's what this proposal is all about.

Report: Teenage Sex Leads to Depression

2005-12-29T10:08:00.000-06:00

Dr. Warren Throckmorton, a psychology professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, reports on a recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. This two-year, in-depth study of sex and drug use based on 13,000 middle and high school students concludes that it's not depression that causes a teen to engage in sexual activity, but it's actually the other way around - teenage sexual activity causes depression.

Girls in particular follow sexual activity with depression. About 4% of girls who abstain, suffer from depression. The rate triples to 12% for girls who have experimented with sex. And it goes up to a whopping 44% for those more promiscuous! Again the study proves that depression follows the sexual activity, not the other way around.

Proponants of Comprehensive Sexuality Education need to understand there are emotional consequences of sex outside of marriage and that this irresponsible attitude of "kids are doing it anyway, so let's teach them to do it safer" causes permanent damage far beyond pregnancy and STD's.

Rapid City Getting Involved in Sex Ed Debate

2005-12-28T16:54:00.000-06:00

Mount Blogmore, a Rapid City Journal Politics Blog, has a post from December 26 on Planned Parenthood and Comprehensive Sex Education. The comments are very interesting.

When will the "other side" begin to understand that no one wants to withhold information from our children. Rather, we're tired of feeding our kids a bunch of lies about the physical, emotional and financial consequences of sex outside of marriage. Additionally, we don't believe it's appropriate for public schools to normalize promiscuous behavior for middle schoolers when the facts tell us it's not normal.

DAKOTA VOICE Heard on Sex Ed

2005-12-27T09:49:00.001-06:00

Bob Ellis with Dakota Voice wrote an article on the Sioux Falls Middle School sex education curriculum that is a must read. One of the things Mr. Ellis mentions is that sexual activity by children under 16 is illegal in South Dakota. And how is "sex" defined you ask? Fortunately, that is also written into our State's statute and it says ". . . sexual contact, means any touching, not amounting to rape, whether or not through clothing or other covering . . .".

We tell our kids it's illegal to use drugs, alcohol, tobacco and break curfew. Shouldn't we level with them on the legality and danger of sexual activity?

The Unstately Statesman

2005-12-26T12:33:00.000-06:00

It is wonderful to have students involved in extracurricular activities such as music, athletics and journalism. So it is difficult to be critical of a high school newspaper. However, it should be stated that the existing media can rest assured that the future of their liberal media bias is in safe hands. Just take one look at the Sioux Falls Lincoln High School Statesman. Lincoln High senior, Sarah Reinecke (who spoke at the November 14 School Board meeting in favor of keeping the HealthSmart materials) recently wrote an article on the Middle School sex education materials, although in her presentation to the Board she herself said she had only been able to skim the materials she was defending.

In this article, the proponents of the HealthSmart materials continue to defend their position by saying that they just want the facts presented. The question then becomes, what are the facts? Is it a fact that there is absolutely no sure way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and STD's outside of abstinence? Is it a fact that the condom failure rate is at best 10%? Is it a fact that there are significant emotional consequences that result from sex outside of marriage? Is it a fact that sex by a middle schooler my be illegal in South Dakota? Is it a fact that some STD's cannot be prevented by condoms?

If these are the facts, they indeed should be presented. However, they're not in the HealthSmart materials. The HealthSmart materials deliberately attempt to normalize sex for middle schoolers and do a disservice by avoiding the true consequences of sex outside of marriage and ultimately endanger the lives of our youth.

Another shocker you can read in the Statesman is a feature article titled "Seven Day Challenge: Living the Seven Deadly Sins". Here the writer of the article, a Lincoln High student, day by day lives out each of the seven deadly sins of gluttony, sloth, wrath, greed, lust, envy and pride. She concludes the article by saying "the lesson that I learned was that my week fulfilling the deadly sins was probably the best stress-reliever EVER. My advice to you: sin all you want . . . it's way better than yoga any day." This is what is being published in a school sponsored publication, led by teachers, written by students, read by students, supported by advertisers and funded by taxpayers.

And we're surprised when there's an incident on a school bus?

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Audience?

2005-12-21T12:43:00.000-06:00

Monday's Argus Leader reported that the Curriculum Review Committee was divided as to whether the deliberations should be closed to the public. Some of the Committee members said they felt intimidated by the crowds. One even insinuated that the environment was unsafe and that "it was extremely distracting to try and communicate with committee members before an audience that had that kind of vested interest . . ." How awful to have citizens interested in what's going on in their schools.

First of all, anyone who was there knows that there were very specific ground rules stated by Dr. Fred Aderhold. If, at any time, the crowd cheered, clapped, gasped, growled or farted, the meeting would be closed. On one instant, there was some noise made by a few late comers and they were quickly policed by the rest of the audience.

Secondly, if anyone felt unsafe after their meeting, the threat would have had to have come from the Planned Parenthood contingency. After a unanimous vote by the Committee to remove and replace the materials, they were the only ones to have reason to be upset.

If someone can speak their mind, voice their opinions and vote their conscious in a closed setting but can't in public, should they be on the committee in the first place? And if the Superintendent can't find these people, that should give us even greater concern about the integrity of our system.

ARGUS Editorial Blasts Superintendent's Proposal

2005-12-15T07:56:00.000-06:00

In the Opinion section of today's Sioux Falls Argus Leader (not on their web site yet), the Argus blasts Superintendent Pam Homan's proposal to close Curriculum Review Committee deliberations to the public. More importantly, the editorial takes issue with the School Board's lack of backbone in handling the proposal. But why should this be a surprise? I'm sure it doesn't really matter to the board whether the meetings are open or not because the Committee's recommendation is meaningless as evidenced by their motion and vote on the removal and replacement of the Middle School Sex Education material. In this case the Committee and the Superintendent made a recommendation and the Board chose to change it anyway. I would hope the Argus would take issue with this as well.

Superintendent Wants to Close Review Committee Meetings

2005-12-14T10:32:00.000-06:00

The Argus Leader reports today that Superintendent Dr. Pam Homan proposed that future curriculum review committee deliberations be held behind closed doors. This is very interesting. In the case of curriculum review, a review committee is cherry-picked by the administration. Now they want the committee's deliberations to be private. If it's to be private, why even have a committee? Why not just let the administration make the decision? It's really the same thing without all the hassle.

I can understand why it may be difficult to be on the committee with hundreds of people viewing the deliberations. But during these meetings (which happen very infrequently) it is made clear that the audience has to be respectful and is not allowed to comment, applaud or make other gestures. It may be uncomfortable to be on the committee. But it's a small price to pay to keep the process as fair and open as possible.

The school system is always asking for more parental involvement. Now they got it but they sure don't seem to like it very much.

Board Clarifies Motion. HEALTHSMART Still on the Table

2005-12-14T09:59:00.000-06:00

During the December 12, 2005 Board meeting, the Sioux Falls School Board was asked by parent Jim Anderson to clarify their motion and vote from the November 14 meeting on the removal and replacement of the HealthSmart materials from Middle School sex education classes.

Mr. Anderson, who was asked to not speak when he attended the December 1 meeting, found out that the HealthSmart materials could still find their way back into the classrooms.

Let's get this straight. Dozens of parents filed complaints on the materials. Hundreds of concerned citizens attended meetings by the review committee. The committee voted unanimously to "remove and replace" the materials. The Superintendent recommended to the Board to "remove and replace" the materials. Then the Board went ahead and put the HealthSmart materials back in the mix, while claiming to accept the recommendation. Perhaps the word "replace" is confusing.

Their defense: "we don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water." How about? "we want everyone to think we did one thing while we actually did another so we can make everyone happy."

Superintenent Seeking Review Committee Applicants

2005-12-06T14:31:00.000-06:00

Dr. Pam Homan, Superintendent of the Sioux Falls School District is seeking applicants to be on the committee to review the Middle School Sex Education materials. The Committee will consist of:

3 Parents of students attending Sioux Falls Public Schools
2 Community Health Professionals
2 Middle School Health Education Teachers
1 Middle School Principal
1 Middle School Curriculum Coordinator

Applications must be in by January, 3, 2006. There is a link to the application from the District's homepage or you can click here for the actual form.

ARGUS Prints Guest Column

2005-12-05T15:11:00.000-06:00

In yesterday's (Sunday, December 4) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Jim Anderson was featured as a guest columnist on the Middle School Sex Education issue. For some reason the column is not on the Argus website. So, for your enjoyment, here it is in its entirety:

Did you read the latest coverage of the Middle School sex education debate in the Argus?

I thought so.

The Argus Leader is again taking a serious public issue that the rest of the community seems to get and making light of it in the most demeaning terms.

‘Aww... Shucks!’ writing style not withstanding, the Argus Leader’s editorial board has gotten it wrong, again.

We parents who filed complaints concerning the middle school sex education materials have not accused the District of hiding anything. Indeed the only charges of mistrust have come from those defending the sex ed materials and lesson plan. Evidently those on the other side of this argument (Not the School District officials!) feel that the only parental input wanted is back slapping and profound genuflecting to the godlike powers of educational wisdom found in those charged with choosing factually correct, age appropriate curricula for our children. Funny, the last time I checked, these individuals were imperfect human beings as much in need of support, guidance and oversight as any other public official. We mistrust the curriculum materials and it is against those materials that we have made our arguments, not the School District.

I find it interesting that someone with “...no informed opinion on the parents’ central complaint” offers such pointed, demeaning, and wrong opinions of our concerns and motivations. Naturally those opinions were couched in humorous terms and the Argus can pull the tattered yellow cloak of its journalistic integrity around itself and protest that ...hey, it’s just an uninformed opinion.

Did I just say “yellow journalism”? Oops!

The Argus evidently views reasoned, well researched, and factually based complaints made by parents as equivalent with accusing teachers of turning our “...boys into sexual predators roaming our streets” and “...handing out whips, chains and condoms to sixth-graders.”

The District’s committee and administration officials can testify that no accusations were even hinted at in our complaints. We have deliberately avoided shrill objection in favor of calm, reasoned, passionate presentations to sober minded committee members. Those committee members were chosen by the Assistant Superintendent to make serious recommendation about serious issues to the School Board. By the way, you may have noted, they and the School Board voted unanimously to permanently remove the materials in question.

We have hardly advocated a “...shapeless knowledge of life’s mysteries, good or bad.” This statement represents the low opinion held for those that argue for high standards. As a matter of fact the materials lightly pass over the real life consequences of sexual activity.

The bottom line is this.

No parent abrogates their rights and responsibilities when we drop off our precious children at the school house door. It is still our responsibility to educate and, yes, protect our children. The School District is merely a construct charged by the public with expressing that responsibility without removing it from parents. If we didn’t speak up, then we would indeed be deserving of ridicule.

Board Doesn't Discuss Sex Ed Motion

2005-12-02T15:33:00.000-06:00

The December 1 Sioux Falls School Board meeting didn't go according their published agenda. Instead they conducted other business - primarily financial. So they didn't get a chance to vote to approve or clarify the minutes from the November 14, 2005 meeting - and we didn't get to find out what their motion on the HealthSmart sex ed materials actually meant. This will be done at their next meeting.

HEALTHSMART Removed from State Website

2005-11-30T23:04:00.000-06:00

The State has come to it's senses regarding ETR and HealthSmart and has wisely removed the link to HealthSmart on the State's Department of Education website. (At one time there was a link on this page.)

Keg Parties in 6th Grade Classrooms

2005-11-30T22:33:00.000-06:00

Check this lesson out. This is for 6th Grade Health Class. No, it's not even part of the Sexual Health Module, or for that matter, HealthSmart. It's 6th Grade, Unit 4, Day 1, "The Decision Making Process". (See 6th Grade Health Curriculm on the District's web site. You'll need to scroll down a ways.)

This lesson is suggested for grades 9 - 12. But someone in our administration has decided we should use it with 6th Graders in Sioux Falls! Does it really make sense to have 11 and 12 year olds making decisions about beer and Vodka parties for an 18 year old?

This is irresponsible! Parents need to continue to challenge the entire Health Curriculum. This cannot be accepted.

Rescheduled Board Meeting

2005-11-30T22:13:00.000-06:00

An earlier post mentioned the School Board meeting that was scheduled for Monday. As you're probably aware, Monday's meeting was postponed until Thursday, December 1, 2005 due to the weather.

Catcher in the Rye? Nice try.

2005-11-29T00:07:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Randell Beck, the Executive Editor of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader wrote an opinion column on the whole Middle School sex education issue in Sioux Falls. Although I doubt Mr. Beck has reviewed even one lesson in the Middle School Sex Education curriculum, I appreciate his analogy to his day on the school bus. There is one difference though, as a child Mr. Beck heard an inappropriate story from another kid, not his teacher. As a matter of fact, the school administrator disapproved so much of the story being repeated by the young Mr. Beck that the administrator then called his parents to take him home. To make the comparison real, if the HEALTHSMART materials were in our Middle School classrooms it would be the teacher telling the inappropriate stories. In the future, before crazy comparisons are made to the Catcher in the Rye, I would hope that Mr. Beck is as persistent in getting the facts as he is in getting the list of the Governor's Hunt invitees. (See opinion below the sex ed column.)

Alphabet Soup

2005-11-29T00:04:00.000-06:00

You've heard about ETR and SIECUS. There’s another acronym you need to know about. It’s called HECAT.

HECAT is the Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool created by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). ETR is pushing it and South Dakota was to be one of five states to be used as a test case. There was to be a training seminar in Chamberlain in the next week.

However, the training has now been postponed because it needed to pass through some federal process but has not done so (whatever that means).

This is fortunate, because once HECAT gets their foot in the door, they could be here for good and there’s a good chance we’ll see the HEALTHSMART stuff back in our schools or we’ll get something equally as bad.

Why the concern on HECAT? There’s a conflict of interest. I'm told that a “consultant” for HECAT is is also one of the HEALTHSMART authors. Hmmm. What do you think she’ll recommend? Sounds like the fox is guarding the henhouse.

School Board to Approve November 14 Minutes

2005-11-28T01:08:00.000-06:00

The Sioux Falls School Board will meet tonight (11/28/05) and one of the first things they'll do is move to approve the minutes from the November 14, 2005 meeting. It'll be interesting to see if there's any clarification on the motion to follow Dr. Homan's recommendation - but then go on to not really follow it by keeping the HEALTHSMART materials on the table for the review process.

Parental Discretion Advised

2005-11-28T00:06:00.000-06:00

Although they’re not part of the HEALTHSMART materials, the videos that 8th Graders are to watch are also completely inappropriate and misleading. Here are a couple of scenes from the STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) video.

You can decide. Do these promote responsible behavior or do they normalize sexual activity and trivialize the effects of STD’s?

Larry:
Hey, did you go to the doctor about that burning, leaking thing you had?

Kevin:
Yeah, you’re not going to believe it . . . but I have Chlamydia.

Larry:
What?

Kevin:
It’s a sexually transmitted infection.

Larry:
You going to be okay?

Kevin:
Yeah. They gave me an antibiotic. I’ll be fine. One dose right in the doctor’s office. It was a liquid that you just drink . . . really easy.

Here’s another scene. Once again Kevin and Larry:

Larry:
You going to the party this weekend?

Kevin:
Sure thing.

Larry:
Yeah. Me too. This could be the big weekend.

Kevin:
What do you mean by “big”?

Larry:
Me and Jessica. I see the fortress crumbling.

Kevin:
Really? I thought she was stronger than you.

Larry:
Well, I’ve been working on her with my irresistible charm.

Kevin:
Oh. That.

Larry:
You can laugh, but I’m shopping for rubbers.

Kevin:
That’s one good thing.

By the way, these kids are clearly in high school. Although the HEALTHSMART materials are part of the problem, they're not the only problem. These videos aren't any better.

Sex Ed in Elementary School – Just Wait.

2005-11-27T23:51:00.000-06:00

Don't believe it? It's no "conspiracy theory". This comes right from them. Organizations like SIECUS want to bring “Comprehensive Sexual Education” all the way down to Kindergarten. Check out their guidelines if you don't believe me.

Here’s a few of the bullet points on the topics they would like to “educate” 5-11 year olds on:

Both boys and girls have body parts that feel good when touched.
Vaginal intercourse – when a penis is placed inside a vagina – is the most common way for a sperm and egg to join.
Human beings can love people of the same gender and people of another gender.
Some people are homosexual, which means they can be attracted to and fall in love with someone of the same gender.
Two people of the same gender can live in loving, lifetime committed relationships.
Touching and rubbing one’s own genitals to feel good is called masturbation.
Both girls and boys may discover that their bodies feel good when touched.

Believe it or not, Kindergarten isn’t as young as they want to go. SIECUS even has a document for pre-school sex ed.

Agenda. Are You Sure?

2005-11-27T23:20:00.000-06:00

All this talk about a Comprehensive Sexuality Education "agenda" gets some people really upset. Quite frankly, most people don't believe it. Neither did I.

If you're one of those people, take a minute to check out the Community Action Kit which is linked from the SIECUS web site. Make no mistake about it, this is an organized group that has developed a sophisticated system to promote their agenda. And unfortunately, our children are a part of it.

HEALTHSMART and ETR are in Bad Company

2005-11-27T22:30:00.000-06:00

The purpose of this blog is to inform the public of the facts in the issue of the Sioux Falls Middle School Health Curriculum - especially the sex education part.

Throughout this process of removing the HEALTHSMART materials from our Middle School classrooms, the administration has repeatedly said that there has been "misinformation". This is completely true. However, they've tried to present it as though the parents just don't get it. The truth is that the misinformation has come from the school.

One part of the curriculum that parents have had issue with is the sex education materials from HEALTHSMART. HEALTHSMART is the name of the resource materials published by ETR Associates out of Scott's Valley, CA. It is their mission to "enhance the well-being of individuals, families and communities by providing leadership, educational resources, training and research in health promotion with an emphasis on sexuality and health education."

Sounds pretty good right?

Once you begin to peel the veneer off you'll see that ETR is closely associated with SIECUS (the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States). Please check out their website. These organizations are trying to destroy the traditional family by promoting homosexuality, devient sexual behaviors, abortion and sexual activity outside of marriage. They have realized the best way to do this is to get their agenda into the public school classrooms.

Here's some additional information on SIECUS.

You can usually learn something about a person or an organization when you understand who they hang around. Here's just a few of the organizations SEICUS associates themselves with. Please check out the rest for yourself.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League

California Abortion & Reproductive Rights League (CARAL)

P.E.R.S.O.N. Project
An informal, national network of organizations and individuals working to ensure that fair, accurate and unbiased information regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and about the nature and diversity of sexual orientation is presented to America's youth as part of public school education.

PFLAG
PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights.

GenderTalk
The only worldwide weekly radio program that talks about transgenderism in the first person. Each week they present news, information, and exciting new voices that challenge the traditional view of gender.

Harry Benjamin Foundation International Gender Dysphoria Association, Inc.(HBIGDA)
A professional organization devoted to the understanding and treatment of gender identity disorders.

The Intersex Society of North America (ISNA)
An education, advocacy, and peer support organization which works to create a world free of shame, secrecy, and unwanted surgery for intersex people.

National Transgender Advocacy Coalition

American Nudist Research Library

ONE Institute International Gay and Lesbian Archives

Abortion Clinics OnLine

Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA)
This association works to educate, facilitate information exchange, and provide for advancement in the field of sex offender treatment.

National Organization to Halt the Abuse and Routine Mutilation of Males
A non-profit, direct-action men's network organized against circumcision of healthy male infants and children.

Bisexual Resource Center (BRC)

The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

GLWeb's Rainbow Query
Largest, most complete GLBT* full-text search engine on the net! Serving queer links to the world since 1996. (These are their words, not mine.)

International Lesbian and Gay Association

Lesbian and Gay Aging Network (LGAIN)

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Hardly sounds like South Dakota does it? I hope you're starting to get the picture. Remember, SIECUS endorses the materials that were to be in our Middle School classrooms!

In case you haven't heard enough, here are a couple of quotes by some influential SIECUS people. The first by an original SIECUS board member: "Incest between adults and younger children can prove to be a satisfying and enriching experience."

The second by a SIECUS co-founder: "The major effects of [child sexual molestation] are caused not by the event itself but by outraged, angry, fearful, and shocked reactions of the adults who learn of it."

Unfortunately, this same organization, and others like it, actually endorse the ETR and the HEALTHSMART materials selected for our classrooms.

What Does the HEALTHSMART Material Teach About Parents?

2005-11-27T22:19:00.000-06:00

In lesson 9 for 7th graders the students are to learn about selecting credible and reliable sources for information. Students are to brainstorm where they think they can get reliable information and the teacher is to write their answers on the board.

During the lesson the teacher is to let the students know that “friends and family may not be the most reliable source of health and sexuality information. Be sure to get information from trusted sources such as your health teacher, nurse or doctor, or a health clinic.” (Lesson 3, Activity 2, Skills to Prevent Pregnancy & STD, page 55)

When the lesson is done, and unreliable sources of information are erased, the board should only include: (Lesson 3, Activity 2, Skills to Prevent Pregnancy & STD, page 55)

· Library
· Local, state or national Departments of Health
· Clinics, e.g Planned Parenthood
· Health and medical professionals
· Some government and professional health organizations websites

I teach my children that they are to respect, honor and trust their teachers. I would expect the teachers to teach my children the same about their parents.

What's Wrong with the HEALTHSMART materials?

2005-11-27T21:54:00.000-06:00

Many people have publicly supported having the HEALTHSMART sex education materials in the Sioux Falls’ Middle School classrooms. I seriously doubt a single one of these people has actually personally reviewed the materials.

Here’s just one of many examples of an actual lesson plan from HEALTHSMART:

7th Grade. Day 7.

The lesson is to be about STD risks. The teacher is to draw a line on the board. On one end it is to say NO RISK, then LOW RISK, then MEDIUM LOW RISK, then MEDIUM HIGH RISK, then finally HIGH RISK. The students are then to receive risks cards. There are 20 cards in total. Here are a few examples of what the cards say:

Anal Sex
Masturbation
Fantasizing
Maintaining a lifetime, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner who does not use injection drugs
Properly using condoms every time you have sex
Mutual masturbation
Unprotected oral sex
Intercourse using a condom and an oil-based lubricant

The students are then to place the cards in the appropriate risk category. I ask why do we need to be bringing up things like anal sex in a classroom filled with 12 and 13 year olds? Why has the administration misled the public by saying these things would not be brought up? How would a 12 year old boy or girl feel by being the one picked to have the card “anal sex” or “mutual masturbation”? Think he or she may get ridiculed? And finally, when it’s all done, why is the card “Properly using condoms every time you have sex” placed in the category of LOW RISK when condoms have a failure rate of over 10%?

If someone like the Clean Cut Kid wants to teach his twelve year old about oral sex, anal sex and mutual masturbation, I guess that’s his right. But it’s not his right to have it taught to my twelve year old.

What Is Comprehensive Sexuality Education?

2005-11-27T21:24:00.000-06:00

The goal of the proponents of Comprehensive Sexuality Education – and they are legion – is not to encourage teens to abstain from sexual activity but rather to reduce the likelihood of STD’s and pregnancy through “safe sex” – of which abstinence is just one of many options. There is little to no mention of the emotional or psychological affects of sex outside of marriage. As a matter of fact, marriage is hardly, if ever, mentioned. Sex is viewed as simply a physical process. Here is an excellent report on the fallacies of comprehensive sex education supported with quantitative research.

You can decide for yourself if this makes sense for 11, 12, 13 and 14 year olds.

What did the Sioux Falls School Board Decision Really Mean?

2005-11-27T21:10:00.000-06:00

On Monday, November 14, after hearing testimony from parents against the HEALTHSMART Middle School sex education resource materials and the recommendation from Superintendent Dr. Pam Homan to "remove and replace" the materials, Debbie Hoffman of the Sioux Falls School Board made a very interesting motion to accept the recommendation, while at the same time contradicting the recommendation by making the HEALTHSMART material part of the review process. (So was the recommendation accepted or not?) As the board members discussed the motion the phrase “comprehensive sexuality education” was mentioned by almost all of the board members. Why is this important? Unless this agenda is stopped, you’ll see materials as inappropriate and inaccurate as HEALTHSMART find their way back into our Middle School classrooms.

Beware of "Comprehensive Sexuality Education".