More SB673 in The News

 “I am the expert on my kids,” said Denise Pursche of Clayton, California, who believes parents should decide what is age appropriate. 

 It was a difficult process, and she said it should be easier for  parents, especially given the controversies that have abounded in California since the 2016 sex ed changes.

That’s when AB 329 went  into effect. It’s described as a “comprehensive sexual health education  and HIV prevention education” plan, and it has changed the suggested  materials and approaches.

Part of that law reads, “A school  district may provide comprehensive sexual health education or HIV  prevention education consisting of age appropriate instruction earlier  than grade 7.”

Summer Reeves, a spokesperson for the Santa Clara  County Office of Education, told The Epoch Times that the office decides  what is “age appropriate” with the help of a comprehensive sexual  educator network.

One of the partners in that network is the organization Planned Parenthood, which has  created some of California’s most controversial sex ed curricula. 

(2/7/2020) 

Sex education battles are nothing new in the Golden State. In May 2019, the California State Board of Education unanimously approved a K-12 sex ed curriculum framework that critics argued was unnecessarily explicit and enshrined a progressive sexual ethic. A  2016 state law required school districts to provide comprehensive sexual  education—including lessons affirming different sexual orientations and  gender identities—for grades seven to 12.

Although the law did not require sex ed for students from pre-K to  sixth grade, it changed the way school districts obtained parental  consent if they decided to use a state-approved sex education curriculum for elementary students. The state previously required districts to notify parents and obtain a parental opt-in. The 2016 law prohibited  districts from requiring active parental consent and instead only  allowed parents to opt out.

The measure defeated this week would have reverted to an opt-in  system and required districts to notify parents and guardians that  proposed sexual health curriculum for elementary students would be  available on the district website for review before instruction.

(1/17/2020) 

"(Senator) Morrell intends to ensure that the people are empowered.

He said one example is a bill he proposed this year, SB 673, that amends parts of the existing California law on the controversial sexual health education. The bill would require parents to opt-in their child to join the program, rather than joining by default.

“This education of sex, should be between their parents and their child,” said Morrell. “And the parents should decide, not the school  districts, especially not the state of California, what should be  taught.” 

(11/22/19) 

" Earlier this year, Senator Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga) introduced Senate Bill 673 to address this issue, after hearing from parents like Denise Pursche, a mother of twins from the bay area, who struggled for over a month to see  the new sex-ed curriculum for her fifth graders. At first, school  administrators with the Mt. Diablo Unified School District would only send her lesson titles and vague curriculum summaries. But that wasn’t  good enough for Denise. She wanted to see the actual lessons and  worksheets to be used in the classroom."  

(11/11/19)