As a teacher, I was not given a single class/preparation/PD on teaching human growth and development or human sexuality instruction. I am NOT qualified to present this curriculum nor to assess it properly.  Even when I taught sixth grade the district brought in nurses to teach HG&D, I was just there for classroom management. I taught no lessons and gave no assessments or grades. But now I am to teach a curriculum? With what time? We already skip over science and social studies most of the year!

How does one assess this with an 8-year-old? Good instruction begins with a formative assessment and then a summative assessment. Who decides what a child should already know? Where is the research to support the need for this? Was it valid and reliable and by whom??

If teachers are to teach this curriculum that creates an additional financial requirement on the district….the purchase or creation of a new curriculum PLUS the professional development of staff to teach it.

As a professional educator, I signed up to teach reading, math and other core content. I have not trained NOR have any interest in teaching this subject. 

Federal law states SPED students are to receive core instruction as well as individually designed instruction, how will this look for our most vulnerable population? This is a lawsuit either way for the district….exclusion or inclusion! The #1 lawsuit of school districts in Washington state is sexual assault by SPED students on other sped students and/or gen ed students.  I know this for a fact. This opens up a can-of-worms for a litigious population that perceives the district has bottomless pockets. 

Parent voice in curriculum design. The loudest get their way. How do we keep a person’s agenda out of such a sacred subject? Whether you agree with their agenda or not! This feels a lot like propaganda pretending to be curriculum.

Parent rights. What if you don’t want your child taught? Do you get to exclude them? Are you labeled a prude or a bigot? It just seems it could go in any direction in some communities.

I could go on and on. You get the idea!  What’s interesting to me about this also is that once again the school system has been asked to be the parent. We already feed them two meals a day, teach character lessons, core content, transport them back and forth, and provide holiday gifts/weekend food, and counseling. Now this?  It seems like parent voice AND responsibility is being legislated out of their hands.

Additional Concerns –

Funding, Developmental appropriateness, state standards, curriculum content, assessment, uniformity in teaching lessons, and parent voice.

This law put the funding responsibility on the district. With a decrease in state and federal funding and the current financial state of MANY districts, I am concerned that what will be cut to provide for this new mandate. 

WA state is not unique in that one segment of the state is very liberal and one segment very conservative. I worry for those families that live in a geographic area that differs from their political values. I.e. a conservative families exposed to a liberal agenda, liberal families who might have a transgender child and wanting open conversations of support. Either way, the kid loses!

The author has asked to remain Anonymous