Late Breaking News
We have just now received a copy of a memo sent out by Superintendent of Schools Jerry Weast to the Board of Education. It's a couple of pages long, and I don't want to type out the whole thing, but here are some of the important parts.
Not sure what that last little thing means -- in the audience?
I won't comment at this time, let's digest this for a while.
The CAC [citizens advisory committee] recommended adding five specific statements that were part of the original recommendations in their final report. Staff did not recommend including this material in the field-test lessons and does not support including them in the final lessons. I concur that the plan for direct classroom instruction should not be altered at this point beyond the revisions staff has already made based on field-test results.
However, as a result of the CAC feedback and comments from field-test teachers, we feel it is prudent to give teachers a statement they can use to respond to the question, "Is homosexuality an illness?" If the Board approves, the following language will be included in the directions to teachers:In the Grade 8 Respect for Differences in Human Sexuality Lesson, session two, at the end of the Instructional Delivery, page 3, in Extend by and after the second bullet, add a third bullet:
- Answering questions for clarification
- If students ask, "Is homosexuality an illness?" say, " No. The American Psychiatric Association does not include homosexuality in its listing of psychiatric or mental disorders." (APA)
In the Grade 10 Respect for Differences in Human Sexuality Lesson, session one, at the end of the Instructional Delivery, page 4, in Extend by and after the first bullet, add a third indented bullet:
- If students ask, "Is homosexuality an illness?" say, "No. The American Psychiatric Association does not include homosexuality in its listing of psychiatric or mental disorders." (APA)
We believe this change, reviewed by legal counsel and consistent with one of the CAC's recommendations, provides the appropriate guidance to teachers should they receive this question from students during the lessons.
The CAC also asked that Ms. Elinor Walker represent the CAC at the Board table during the discussion of this topic at the Board of Education meeting on June 12, 2007. I have asked that Ms. Walker be present in the audience during the staff presentation and Board discussion
Not sure what that last little thing means -- in the audience?
I won't comment at this time, let's digest this for a while.
posted by JimK at 4:17 PM
8 Comments:
Hooray for Dr. Weast! He got it right! The curriculum now includes the FACT that "the American Psychiatric Association does not include homosexuality in its listing of psychiatric or mental disorders."
Could he have done any less? You just said in the last post, "give the teachers the articles by the AMA, AAP, and APA as background materials, and give a set of "bullet point" statements to students as a handout." They won't get any of the articles or four of the five bullet points -- what they get is one bullet point, watered down, not even a handout, just something, it sounds like, that teachers will have just in case somebody asks exactly that question. This had to have been the very least MCPS could do and get TTF to back off.
"Hooray for Dr. Weast! He got it right! The curriculum now includes the FACT that "the American Psychiatric Association does not include homosexuality in its listing of psychiatric or mental disorders.""
He got it wrong. He didn't include all relevant facts. Here's one:
The majority of people alive on the planet today and throughout history have considered homosexuality immoral.
You don't know that anonymous. The vast majority of human history is unrecorded. Its estimated that humans existed in our present form for at least 100,000 years. Recorded history only goes back a few thousand. You don't know what people thought throughout all recorded history let alone during unrecorded history.
Andrea- not anon
People considering something immoral is not one of the facts of a health curriculum. However, I wouldn't expect nutty anon to get that. I consider some clothing I see on kids immoral but I don't think that belongs in the class either.
"You don't know that anonymous. The vast majority of human history is unrecorded. Its estimated that humans existed in our present form for at least 100,000 years. Recorded history only goes back a few thousand. You don't know what people thought throughout all recorded history let alone during unrecorded history."
Sure I do.
A mathematician can explain this to you, but to summarize, the majority of people who ever lived on the planet are alive right now. As a matter of fact, the majority of people who ever lived on the planet are younger right now than the average age of a TTF board memeber.
We won't hold their inexperience against them. :)
Anonymous said "Sure I do".
What an idiot. Obviously you don't know what people thought throughout all recorded history let alone during unrecorded history - you're not convincing anyone of that one.
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