School districts that refuse to implement New Jersey’s new sex education standards could face disciplinary action, the state warned after backlash from a few school boards and county governments.
Using the most direct language in months, the state education department said school districts that do not make changes to the sex and health education portion of the state’s learning standards will be subject to “disciplinary action.” The state also stipulated that parents who do not want their children to attend these classes must write to the principal explaining that the lessons are against their personal values and beliefs.
The statement came amid ongoing criticism from some parents and Republican lawmakers over the state’s progressive approach to sex education. The majority of the state’s approximately 600 public school districts adopt classes according to state standards. New standards must be taught from the current grade.
New Jersey’s student learning standards are mandatory and “failure to comply may result in disciplinary action,” according to a Department of Education statement. In such cases, the parent or guardian must notify the principal in writing that the instruction is inconsistent with moral or religious beliefs held in good faith or good faith.” This was announced in July. , reinforces the statement that school districts that ignore standards will be penalized.
Standards are minimum expectations, and states allow school districts to enforce standards very broadly. Parents can also opt their children out of health classes, according to state law, but some school boards have rejected this option and are moving instead to let parents “opt in” to lessons. And it seems.
South Jersey’s Lakewood School District has officially adopted an opt-in policy, according to school board minutes. According to her Superintendent’s report posted on the district’s website on Aug. 24, parents or guardians should ensure that their child participates in the “social and sexual health” and “pregnancy and parenting” components of the health program. If you wish to participate in, you must “opt-in”. According to the district’s website, students are automatically excluded from classes unless they complete an “opt-in” form.
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The Department of Education uses the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) to track how well school districts are complying with educational requirements. School districts evaluate themselves and the state verifies the information they provide. Districts that score below 80% in any of his five areas of the NJQSAC should develop a plan for performance improvement. This could also involve state intervention and surveillance, according to the statement.
“Following the evaluation, school districts are placed on a performance continuum that determines levels of oversight, technical assistance, and support,” the state said of noncompliant school districts. Decide whether additional monitoring or intervention is justified.
Some school districts have voiced their opposition to state standards, but few have rejected them outright.
The Garwood Board of Education has passed a resolution not to adopt a curriculum that discusses some topics in the new sex education standards. Passed a “Parental Rights” resolution that argues. The Sussex Onetage Area School Board also passed a resolution ‘not agreeing’ to changes to state health standards.
new educational standards
Under Gov. Phil Murphy, the Department of Education has made several changes to sex education standards in 2020. Changes include the introduction of mature sexual terminology and the inclusion of sex in earlier grades than previous standards. Includes discussion of
Groups of mostly politically conservative guardians and some right-wing activists who support actions such as the book ban accuse the Murphy government of going too far in allegedly encroaching on individual values. On the other hand, states say schools have tremendous latitude in how they implement their standards, preparing children for an increasingly complex world facing mature content at an early age. He said the school had changed to prepare.
The Atlantic County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution in May, stating, “To Gov. Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Education to cease implementing the grammar/primary school sex education curriculum and to require all local school boards to publicly We demand that a public meeting be held at Input on pre-implementation sex education. “