A bill introduced in the Alaska Senate would mandate age-appropriate, “science-based” sex education in Alaska public schools.
Senate Bill 43 is sponsored by Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, and cosponsored by Sen. Loki Gale (she/her) Tobin and Sen. Forrest Dunbar. The bill will be discussed in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday at 3 pm. Invited testimony will be provided by:
| Dr. Robin Holmes, Medical Director for the Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic |
| Nicole Morentson, PPGNHAIK Education Manager |
| Taylor Stewart, Teen Council Member, Anchorage, a peer-led sex-ed advocacy group |
| Taralynn Chesley, Teen Council Member, Anchorage, a peer-led sex-ed advocacy group |
The documents related to the presentations can be found at this link.
The bill doesn’t call it “sex education,” in the title but rather refers to it as “personal safety.” It also mandates drug and alcohol education for kindergarten through 12th grade, and says instruction must include a variety of topics, in eluding sexual abuse, cancer detection, dental health, infant care, and more.
The section requiring some of the mandated education states that schools are not just encouraged to teach these topics, but area required to do so:
Each district in the state public school system shall provide 19 [BE ENCOURAGED TO INITIATE AND CONDUCT] a program in health and 20 personal safety education for kindergarten through grade 12. The program must 21 [SHOULD] include instruction in physical health and personal safety, including 22 alcohol and drug abuse education, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), early cancer 23 prevention and detection, dental health, family health including infant care, 24 environmental health, the identification and prevention of child abuse, child abduction, 25 neglect, sexual abuse, and domestic violence, [AND] appropriate use of health 26 services, and sexual health. 27 (b) The state board shall establish guidelines for the [A] health and personal 28 safety education program required under (a) of this section. Personal safety 29 guidelines shall be developed in consultation with the Council on Domestic Violence 30 and Sexual Assault. Upon request, the Department of Education and Early 31 Development, the Department of Health, and the Council on Domestic Violence and 01 Sexual Assault shall provide technical assistance to school districts in the development 02 of personal safety curricula. A school health education specialist position shall be 03 established and funded in the department to coordinate the program statewide. 04 Adequate funds to enable curriculum and resource development, adequate consultation 05 to school districts, and a program of teacher training in health and personal safety 06 education shall be provided.
Further, the bill says that science used to inform the curriculum should come from accepted sources, and that peer-reviewed journals are an accepted form of science, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bill specifically says the American Academy of Pediatrics is a credible scientific group. AAP has come out in favor of reshaping children’s identity through gender reassignment, hormones, and surgery, as necessary.
In this section, 22 (1) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 23 (2) "medically and scientifically accurate information" means 24 information that is verified or supported by the weight of research in compliance 25 with accepted scientific methods, that is published in peer-reviewed journals, 26 where appropriate, and that is recognized as accurate and objective by 27 professional organizations and agencies with expertise in the field of sexual 28 health, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the 29 American Academy of Pediatrics, and the United States Centers for Disease 30 Control and Prevention; 31 (3) "voluntary consent" means conscious and voluntary 01 affirmative agreement to engage in sexual activity. 02 * Sec. 4. AS 14.30.360 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 03 (e) The health and personal safety education program required under (a) of 04 this section must include comprehensive sexual health education based on a 05 curriculum that 06 (1) instructs students on human development, sexuality, and 07 reproduction, including instruction on abstinence, anatomy and physiology, consent, 08 contraception, healthy relationships, and the prevention of pregnancy and sexually 09 transmitted diseases; 10 (2) is appropriate to a student's age and development; 11 (3) teaches medically and scientifically accurate information informed 12 by scientific research and effective practices; 13 (4) is consistent with the Future of Sex Education Initiative 2011 14 National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12; 15 (5) teaches students abstinence as the most effective means of avoiding 16 sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy, but that also includes 17 materials and instruction on other forms of contraceptives and disease prevention; 18 (6) is inclusive of all students, regardless of gender, gender identity, 19 race, disability status, religion, or sexual orientation; and 20 (7) emphasizes that voluntary consent is required before sexual 21 activity.
There’s nothing science-based about recognizing a thousand different genders.
As soon as I saw Elvi’s name on it I knew it was about Trans stuff. It has some cover in it, so anyone against it will be called pro-rape and child abuse.
True. Also, Dunbar being a co-sponsor is a good clue.
“Sex ed” should be taken out of the schools. Government has no place teaching things that should be taught or not by parents. The world functioned pretty well in that regard without the government for eons.
I agree.
Seeing that the likely outcome would be either an all or nothing approach, I agree that it would be better to teach them nothing about sex-ed as opposed to teaching all of the junk that has been incorporated into the curriculum.
Yes!!! I agree!
My Catholic school rounded up all the girls, and all the boys, sending each group off to one (sex exclusive) class without parents and one class where girls and moms went and another where boys and dads went. 5th grade.
She finally dropped a t**d.
Science based? These idiots can’t figure out what a girl is.
Hopefully the legislature will have a moment of clarity and vote this crap into the landfill by Lemon Creek.
They can’t figure out the weather either so They cannot be trusted.
So does “science based” include that there are only two sexes?
From the Beacon this morning: Anchorage, Alaska (Alaska Beacon) – Alaska’s rate of violent crimes has increased, a contrast to the national trends, and the increase is driven by extremely high rates of rape and aggravated assault, according to statistics presented Monday to the state Senate Judiciary Committee.
This may be off the subject, however, it is tied into this entire link:
My question is this and no one seems to be able to answer it. WHY do children need to learn about positions, and how they are supposed to feel with an orgasim, etc., or any of those things? WHY? Especially when they are so far behind in reading and math and other classes.
So, with that being said, any books which kids can get in the school library promoting sexual behaviors to children in school and showing graphics on how to do those sexual acts, is for what purpose while in school?. If their young minds cannot fathom exactly what they are doing, and they decide to try it out in school on someone, it will be OK? I do not think so. Why in the world do children need to be taught this stuff while in school. We all learned with the “basics” and were taught “good touch, bad touch”. Now it seems to be OK with some people that kids are supposed to know how to do extreme sexual things and that’s OK? I do not get it. I am so glad my grandson who lives with me, will be out of school soon. I would never, ever want the school teachers to teach him what some of those books are promoting. A middle school boy of 12 read a part from one of the books that was available for them to check out, to a group of school people and some parents, and it was filthy and disgusting for a child that age to have to read, let alone learn about. The book used the F word and told what positions to use, etc. and where to place their hands, saying how good it felt, etc.
Children can learn what they need to know from their parents or when they are older. To me, this type of teaching might make a child believe it is OK for them to do what they are taught, any time to anyone because they are taught it is OK for t hem to know. How young minds may deal with things: “If it’s OK for them to teach us and for us to learn in school, it is OK for us to do what they teach us.”
NO! NO! NO!
No one in a school should be teaching sex to any student regardless of age. Period. End of story. Can we maybe agree to this? This is strictly a parent/guardian function. And when it comes to raising children, it is STILL your responsibility whether you are gay, straight, or any one of the myriad of others. Your children? Then it’s YOUR job to teach this subject.
Sex is NOT biology. Biology is all about the physical parts of the body, male and female (gasp!) and how they function. Sex, on the other hand, is not a simple act. It is not a mechanical function. It is a complex interaction, not only with another person, but also between your own body and brain. This needs to be explained by a parent to a child along with what that parent teaches as right/wrong and cautions and limits. As each parent(s) may have slightly different views of these, there is no way any ‘teacher’ can give classes on this subject. ESPECIALLY when it comes to the rights and wrongs.
Parents! Stand up for the well being of your children! Tell the senate and your school boards that this subject is off limits to teachers and falls under a strict ‘parents only’ catagory.
As usual you are far out in the weeds here Paul.
The class appears to hit on sex (as in gender) but also discusses sexual intercourse that you confuse with sex. Anyway, likely any parent can choose whether/not their child attends such a class IMO. Plenty of parents would much rather their kids learn these things, from a science-based class, than from their peers.
We’ll put you in the column of folks insisting their kids learn from their parents. Heheh!
You don’t have kids do you.
Two kids and three grandkids so far Paul.
God help them.
For Pete’s sake Paul, get a grip on things. This issue is one of educating kids on things most parents don’t understand themselves and don’t pass on their uneducated information to their kids anyway. Any parent can opt out their kids, if they are so inclined, or attempt to sway what they think may be inappropriate information their kids get from these classes.
What could go wrong? Likely the kids would see right through the religious crap you and your ilk might try on them. Heheh!
So billy let the teacher do his job. Sounds like a lefty idea let someone else do what you cannot do. Pas the buck heheh
Society is sick and tired of footing the bill for diseases and unwanted pregnancies because so many parents don’t do their job Mark.
Nobody cares a whit about what parents teach their kids about this subject, but plenty choose to get involved over those parents that do nothing and expect their kids to learn in the gutter. That you too??
This parental responsibility. Please stay in your own lane, government. We only need reading writing and arithmetic and musical opportunity and sports.
Seeing that Dunbar is for this tells me we should all be against it
Another recruiting tool. Another reason to home school or put your children in a private school. Hiding the agenda with so-called science seems to be very popular these days. Science is theory, not fact. Theory is unlimited and can be created to suit your own agenda.
So can religion.
There is already “Bree’s” law, which mandates teaching about violence in relationships etc. To Jr high students. Will these overlap? Only so many hours in a school day.
First – 3rd Grade: There are boys (like your dad) & there are girls (like your mom)
3rd – 6th grade: Boys are stoopid, girls are icky.
6th -8th grade: Boys can make girls pregnant (have babies) …. so stay away girls, stick to your friends.
8th-12th: Boys want to ‘jump your bones’ girls (which could cause babies) except some boys want to be girls & some girls want to be boys (you kids can figure that part out AFTER you graduate)
There! All science based.
With Elvi and Dunbar names that tells me it’s not what the majority wants. This is a dumb leftist idea. We did just fine in our schools years ago this is not math or English both have failing grades can’t do core subjects then surly can’t be trusted to teach anything else. Elvi can home school this subject with Dunbar as the pin the tail on the _____.
These elected officials are so sick in the head, they actually believe they’re doing the right thing. How far our society has fallen to put people like this in positions of power.
This is LGBTQ working it’s way into the fundamental fabric of our society, the same way COVID works:
………
the destruction of individual cells until the entire system collapses. Can immunity be attained from the LGBTQ assault? Yes. It’s called fighting back,. ……..as hard and as often as you can.
The implementation of that bill will be useless much as bree’s law is currently being rolled out.
Its this group’s formula used that keep these do
-gooder leaders seeing its
Desired outcome. You
know what is amusing, the humanism, people
of the world, copy cats the churches formulas even the failing ones.hahaha. Its just so cute.
As usual, the devil’s in the details, specifically who or what gets to define “science”? Note that the Soviets considered themselves very science based. Trofim Lysenko would be proud of these two. Cheers –
Exactly, look at how it was used during the pandemic.
I agree with your comment but let’s not take things too far: Remember Korolev, Kurchatov, Mikoyan and Antonov? Lysenko was an idiot but it is unwise to dismiss all Soviet science and engineering. And Soviet tradecraft had us chasing shadows for the entire cold war.
JMARK – this wasn’t about Soviet sci and engr, which in the day was formidable.
The Soviets often described their very form of government as the best on the planet based on the outcome of the scientific method. It was a way for them to preen a bit, claiming they were better than everyone else. Those claims did have their own special form of fallout, as toward the end, opposition was decreed as mental illness and dealt with according to scientific medical treatments.
We’ve had our own special little brush with this approach during the 3 years of COVID, where the entire public health apparat cloaked every single mandate in the trappings of science. Like 1984, the Soviet Union was supposed to be a cautionary tale rather than a roadmap. But you know that, I expect. Cheers –
All they need to do now is to get George Jacko to teach the class
Our society is now being changed and ruled by a handful of people and they are forcing everyone else to do what they want by changing the rules. Why don’t they just stick to making their own families change instead of all children in every school? Once they have convinced everyone they know to do what they want, let’s see what happens. Their children, their fathers/mothers/sisters/brothers, etc. What makes them think that all people want their way of life or their choices?
Trying to tweak what we are already doing; seems noble, but right now we are not handling the basics. Knowing the record of these individuals tells me what almost every academic oriented individual assumes; ” just add money”. The direction we are on is the insanity definition: … expecting a different result.
Alaska legislators should call Florida and get a copy of what they just passed.
If one spends any time reading peer reviewed scientific journal articles, they’ll quickly learn that not all professional scientists nor -ologists agree on every topic. Day to day scientific work is simply the testing of hypotheses. It’s been a while since a new “theory” has been widely accepted. Our schools must stay focused on the core subjects, with dablings in the fine arts and sports to help each student stay engaged and excited about education. That’s clearly enough to keep schools busy.
If it is science based than that would be a good thing. Biologically there are only two genders – male and female. If there is any advocating of the LGQBT & the global warming agenda than it is obviously NOT based on science, but instead on political dogma and Dunleavy should veto it if it passes our woke Legislature.
Not too many people replying to what others are saying, so how do we know one way or the other what anyone believes if the do or do not agree with what you have to say. There needs to be a like and dislike or agree and disagree button instead of having to go in and reply unless you want to. Why can’t that be added?
Having taught an abstinence only program for many years in California-yes CA – I got and still get so weary of everyone else determining the decisions of youth!! Current sex Ed programs (called CSE) decide through directive teaching that students will engage willingly in very risky sexual behavior that can lead to trauma! They call it safety and affirmative consent! Such a miserable justification and play on words!There is no intelligent voice into their minds and hearts that teaches why and how to wait until marriage!! passion to teach [email protected]
Are you related to R.G.? My grandson now feels like they are forcing them to take some kind of test at school about how they live? I am calling on Monday. Some assessment. He is not happy, and neither am I.
Maybe someone should hold a meeting where the young school children read the books to the attending members and promoters and invite the dance group who went to the Heritage Center and have them perform and then have a question and answer period after their show and reading to see if these kids understand what they are reading and doing?
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