To post something news worthy, but haven't found anything really to post and talk about that wasn't war related. So therefore I guess I need to give an update about my battle with the school district.
With NO help from the school or the District, I had to branch out on my own to find out "EXACTLY" what this program they were planning on showing my son and force my approval on ~ gggrrrrr.
I talked with the counselor at the school in detail to find out "EXACTLY" what the school knew or didn't know. According to her, or at least she didn't know, anything other than what the 3:20 A.M. phone call. She told me I brought up some very valid points that needed to be addressed and that if she had any information of the program going to be shown with to the kids she'd make me copies to pick up, but they had no idea, to what degree or lack there of degree, was being offered to the kids. WTF?
She did however in passing make the mistake of giving me the name of the company :smile. Yes, I was taking notes the whole time I was bitching :smile. I gave the school and the district a dead line to return phone calls and then I was out there on my own to find out this information. I was willing to go as far as I needed to go to stop this if that was the case that was needed.
Since no one felt the need to return my phone call I first started on a search for the company I was told that would be offering this information to our children. That was my first call ~ which turned out to be a very educated call and put my fears and thoughts to rest. The company's name is Aim For Success. They according to their web page are offering a very GOOD package to teach children about sex and the consequences. When I informed them the way the school was handling the parents and thier concerns they were very upset about it and stated that they WOULD be calling the school and the district and discussing this with them. They also informed me that parents WERE ALLOWED to come and watch how the children reacted towards this type of presentation, as a matter of fact, they encouraged it. Yet, the school informed me I'd be police escorated off the campus if I showed up and tried to watch the interaction. *Yes imagine the response they got from me on that issue, basically boiled down to I DARE YOU*.
Well after talking to the company, them sending me information, reading their website etc, I'm very comfortable with this issue and encourage it. Yet, the funny part of the story begins here.......remember the no attempt to return calls from the school or the district............:lol
Well about an hour after I hung up with the company my phone began to ring, the first call came from the District........informing me that they had recieved my message, as well as, a call from the company finding out that the school is not handling dealing with the parents appropriately and that it will be handled immendiately....we exchanged a tense but informative conversation and stated our good byes. Thirty minutes later the school called, all chipper, helpful and the like....*rolling eyes*.....Yet, I still gave them more information that they themselves ever knew about what they are offering to our children.
Now to address those that think I'm against sex education in schools......that is true, but not completely, I think to some degree sex education should be address in schools, but I don't think it should be brought in by the back door behind parents back and not giving them a time and place to state their concerns/protest/or stamp of approval. This school handled this issue as a sneak issue through the back door and that pisses me off......
The school is there to educate my child in math/english/science/history however it is my job as a parent to inform my child about sex in my own way to accomidate his/her maturity level and the like, not the states place. And just as women don't appreciate the state telling them what they can do with their own bodies, I don't appreciate the state telling me what I'm suppose to deal with or not deal with when it comes to my children and sex education falls into that issue.
Do I believe that sex education is the only way that most children will ever learn about the birds and the bees well hello YES ~ but I'm not dead set against sex education in the schools, however, I think it is the parents that should choose which form/how it is presented to the children and the like. Not the schools picking it out, planning it, obtain funding for it, then the night before they are going to place our children in that type of setting THEN inform the parents.......I DON'T think so!!!!
Anyhoot, that is about as informative as I am today :smile.
If you are interested in taking a lookie see at the web site of this particular company it is here.
Hope everyone has a good weekend and stays safe!!!
GOD NEVER GIVES ANYONE MORE THAN THEY CAN HANDLE, BUT SOMETIMES I WISH HE DIDN'T TRUST ME SO MUCH
You go SUPERMOM!!! I see nothing wrong with your investigating the issue as you have, and it sounds as if it was worth the effort on your part as it seems that only positives have resulted. Police escorts???? Excuse me. Do they think that parents are mass murderers??? This is YOUR child here!
I might add that I was taught sex ed. in high school, about 3rd form (equivalent of grade 9 in the US) and I can't say that I think my parents had any say. Can't quite offer you details though.....it was covered in General Science.
Like we talked about on the phone, I don't think I'd you're far off of how I'd feel if I'd been told those things by my child's school. But our school handles ALL classes by sending paperwork home at the beginning of the year stating that if you want to see a syllabus then you need only make an appointment and they will provide you with all pertinent info and, as parents, we are allowed in the classroom at ANY time. The school district here is fairly reserved, but they weren't when it came to sex ed, and it's paid off... we are in the lowest percentage bracket off teen pregnancies (though Lord only knows that's not the only pitfall of sex!)
As far as my feelings on sex ed in the schools... I am not against it at all. I keep an pretty open line of communication with the kids and question them about MANY of the situations and classes they've taken (as I told you earlier, I had the issue with my kids visiting a church where the pastor told them that all gay people would go to hell! I called him up and blistered his ear, telling him that it was, IMHO, not my job to spend my time on this earth judging others. We are ALL sinners, and I was taught that all sins are the same... none any worse than the others in God's eyes) So they can get bad info anywhere.
As far as the school not letting parents know about this, I strongly disagree... but you said in your blog that it was pushed through by the PTA, but never brought before the parents. Bylaws in the Parent Teacher Assn state that all issues have to be presented, a move to a vote followed by a second then a vote. THEN a move to accept the vote. I'd ask that the school or PTA send you an agenda for each meeting so you can look out for this in the future. I hate going to PTA meetings. I know that's awful, but I do. It pisses me off when they schedule the kids to do some kind of performance for the meetings, then have the meetings BEFORE the performances, knowing we won't miss our kids doing their thing!
As for giving them a piece of your mind... I say, whether I agree with your positions or not (which, for the most part I do) Good For You for giving them a piece of your mind when you took issue with their teachings... that's not always easy to do!
Good going in finding out more information... I am 100% in favor of the schools teaching sex-ed... it is a good suplement to some, and the only source for others. And as said by you they should be open to the families about what it is they are teaching and invite the parents in to the class.
Kristi, I'm so anal a parent, I do go to every PTA meeting and it has NEVER been brought up in the past two years, they had to obtain a grant to pay for this program, since my eldest son has been in this school, I pay my PTA dues, I attend their meetings *each and everyone* and the ONLY reason I'm not a volunteer is because of litte prissy pot ~ otherwise I'd be a daily volunteer in the school. I'm VERY active in his school, when I sign him out each and every member to include the cop that sits there knows me by name, long before me going psycho this year.......we have been here 5 years and this is the FIRST issue I have had with this district in how they handled issues......
Desiree ~ thank you ~ I knew at first in my opinion ~ you might have thought I had gone off half cocked....you would have been right...I did....LOL......however, I managed to calm down, place priorities into place and go from there.....I thank you for your input as a nurse and a parent.....that helps me to keep things into perspective from your views from both counts and if I have questions to talk to you privately to obtain information and then proceed as I see fit in my family setting.....again I thank you!!! And I must thank Dr. D as well in his doctor stance on this......