Opinion: Changes to SexEd Curriculum
The following are summarized comments from Michelle and myself after reviewing recent changes to the TPS SexEd curriculum.
Michelle Malewitz
Hi All,
I attended the Sex Education curriculum preview night at the High School media center last night. All the materials were available for review and staff were available to answer questions. I also wanted to thank Mr. Rebottaro for a nice chat. I thought it was great that he was there as board representation and available to talk to anyone.
My biggest concern was that Advocates for Youth provided some of the materials in the curriculum as it appears to be in opposition board ethics. I trust Mr. Rebottaro will review further.
House Bill No. 6068 is currently on its first reading. If this passes, then sex ed will likely get more changes. Here is a link to review: [https://www.legislature.mi.gov/.../pdf/2024-HIB-6068.pdf...](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/.../pdf/2024-HIB-6068.pdf...)
I also asked last night how Sex Ed was being accommodated and modified for our Special Education students. If you have a child with an IEP would like sex ed accommodated, please reach out to your IEP team. I’ll be asking at the next L-PAC meeting what the modified curriculum looks like for our cognitively disabled students. Health and Sex ed should be available for everyone.
Please review the curriculum, talk to your kids, and make the best choices for your families. As expressed at the board meetings you have the right to opt out for all or part of this curriculum.
JACOB WILLEY
I’d like to respond to the proposed sexual education curriculum being brought forth for a vote. Before I begin discussion on elements I oppose, I want to first say that I appreciate the work that our health teacher, Mrs. Musselman, is doing. She was very willing to have a conversation with me about this topic when I was a candidate, and I trust that whatever curriculum this district decides on, she will do right by our kids.
I will start by stating how encouraged I am that the district is tackling the issues of online safety and human trafficking. As a combat veteran, and even as a former Department of State employee, I cannot stress enough the importance for our kids to learn about both topics, even at younger ages. Human trafficking doesn’t just occur in border towns, it’s everywhere, including right here in Tecumseh. Well done, TPS, for including this in your curriculum.
My only dissent for this curriculum rests in the area of sexual orientation and gender. As a start, I noticed that the exercise contains the question, “If you try really hard, you can change your sexual orientation”, listing the answer as false. There is no conclusive, scientific evidence to suggest that this is either true, or false. Much of human sexuality is complex, and still not fully understood. This question is likely designed to combat the “pray the gay away” religious camps, however I feel we must stick to fact.
The danger with this statement, aside from being made using only anecdotal evidence with no scientific research to support it, is that it locks a child into believing they cannot change. Sexual orientation can be defined as an individual's enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, both genders, or neither gender. We must allow children the freedom to express themselves without insisting their current orientation defines them forever.
My second issue with this exercise is that we are asking kids to discuss someone else’s sexuality. Again, I worry that this conversation is not a value-add for education, and will only further stereo-types of different sexualities, especially among middle-schoolers. What’s more concerning is that is seems to be dangerously close to an opportunity to “out” their peers, either willingly or mistakenly. As a native Floridian, I’m suspicious of any curriculum requiring teachers to inquire about the sexual orientation of students, or their inner circle.
I’ve stated my issues with parts of this curriculum, but I would like to reaffirm my support for the one teaching it. As Trustee Lynn Davis recently pointed out, we won’t all agree on curriculum as for some it goes too far and, for others, not far enough. I wrote this post to express my thoughts, and I trust those involved will take them under consideration. Sex education is more important today than it has ever been, and we’re fortunate to have someone as devoted as Mrs. Musselman teaching it.