Final Tally: Parents Supported Pilot Testing
The anti-Montgomery County group, Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, sent letters and postcards to the families at the pilot-test schools for the new sex-ed classes, trying to get them to opt their kids out of the testing. The American Family Association sent out a special newsletter, saying the same thing. The CRC even robo-called families, playing a recorded message, urging them to keep their kids out of the pilot tests. Oh, and they held a "big" meeting, with TV camera crews and everything there, to promote this important message.
This morning, the Washington Post has the data on how many kids opted out of the classes.
Here are percents to one decimal point, which makes it a little clearer than the paper has it: 91.1 percent of students took the class; 4.1 percent opted out; 4.8 percent forgot to bring in their permission slips.
This is a big deal. The CRC mounted their most intensive media campaign ever, an all-out assault on the public, trying everything they could to get people to go along with them. And guess what: people didn't fall for it.
In November, the people of Montgomery County spoke at the ballot box, sweeping in new progressive school board candidates and other progressive officials, from County Executive on down. This past month, they spoke again: there is no question, people support these changes. They want their kids to learn these things, and they trust MCPS to do a good job teaching them.
This morning, the Washington Post has the data on how many kids opted out of the classes.
Opt In Opt Out No
School Permission
Argyle Middle 60 0 3
West Middle 54 10 2
Westland Middle 105 2 9
B-CC High 187 3 0
Sherwood High 267 10 16
Watkins Mill HS 148 12 13
SOURCE: Montgomery County Public Schools
Here are percents to one decimal point, which makes it a little clearer than the paper has it: 91.1 percent of students took the class; 4.1 percent opted out; 4.8 percent forgot to bring in their permission slips.
This is a big deal. The CRC mounted their most intensive media campaign ever, an all-out assault on the public, trying everything they could to get people to go along with them. And guess what: people didn't fall for it.
In November, the people of Montgomery County spoke at the ballot box, sweeping in new progressive school board candidates and other progressive officials, from County Executive on down. This past month, they spoke again: there is no question, people support these changes. They want their kids to learn these things, and they trust MCPS to do a good job teaching them.
posted by JimK at 3:26 PM
3 Comments:
This is one bit of the feedback data the BOE will use to evaluate the revisions to the curriculum.
Point MCPS
Not a good day in CRC land.
Purist
Jeepers, that's actually a very impressively high involvement. Particularly given the several years of high profile campaigning to sabotage the curricula.
1 in 20 of parents refusing sex-ed (of any type) is par for course. Actually, I think it's lower than one could normally expect; probably reflecting an overall positive attitude of parents in Montgomery to formal sex-ed.
I even more impressed that only 1 in 20 forgot/neglected.
This suggests that the very campaign by CRC has itself done nothing but raise awareness among the parents/students as a whole. Because of this, parents/students were ready and waiting for the permission slips and made an effort to return them.
Wow.
Now... if you lot can find a way to employ CRC to help raise the voting levels of the American public I'll be even more impressed :) I suggest you get the CRC to run a campaign telling people NOT to vote -- that should to work a treat!
Post a Comment
<< Home