RITA COOK / Staff Writer
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RED OAK – The board passed the curriculum, which was recommended by the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) with changes involving students in middle school and ninth grade.
The recently approved changes to the human sexuality curriculum will begin for the 2021-22 school year.
Place 5 Red Oak ISD Trustee, Penny Story said she voted no to spending another $6,000-plus in taxpayer dollars to immerse ROISD students in sex education.
“ROISD academic grades are failing, but Sex Ed is abounding,” Story commented.
The Red Oak ISD vote was approved at the Feb. 28 Board Meeting. Story was the only trustee to vote against the curriculum change. Dr. Joy Shaw was not in attendance at the meeting.
Sue Brown, Director of Health Services explained the changes.
“Our human sexuality program was last adopted in 2012,” Brown explained. “It was a combination of Just Say Yes-Aim for Success in the 5th, 6th and 11th grades and Choosing the Best in 7-9th grades.”
Choosing the Best was a week-long program of videos, class lessons, and a workbook.
Videos were outdated, and it took a week of science lessons to cover the modules.
Aim for Success is an hour-long presentation.
“The changes requested by the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) were to remove Choosing the Best from the curriculum and replace it with the one-hour presentations by Aim for Success,” Brown explained.
“Just Say Yes-Aim for Success will add presentations on technology use for 7th and 8th grade. Aim for Success’s legal issues program will be presented to 9th grade and 11th this year due to student feedback that they wish they had heard this material earlier in school.”
The program change will mean less class time involved in the seventh to ninth grade programs. Brown said too it will ensure current, updated information is being presented to students.
“The biggest impact [to this change] is to inform and educate our students to make good choices to meet their goals in life,” Brown concluded.
The SHAC Curriculum Recommendation is available online here.
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