The Long and Winding Road…to the new curriculum (continued)
OK, let’s cut to the chase. You are at the MCPS BOE web site and want to locate the new sex-ed curriculum that the BOE approved last November. This time you think you’ll be smart and use technology. 'I'll do a search!' you say to yourself. After all, why would the government put up a search button if it didn’t respond with accurate to the point useful information? And like, display the link to the document that you are searching for?

So you enter:
“sex-ed curriculum” – no link to the new currciulum
“new health ed curriculum” - not here either

Maybe even:
“condom video” – nope

But wait - some of the results take you to a two page summary that MCPS wrote about the new sex-ed curriculum! Ok, now we're heading somewhere, and you say 'surely they put a link to the new sex-ed curriculum amongst all those, "FACTs" '? Not a chance. Oh bother. Another dead end on the Long and Winding Road...to the new curriculum.

Well now, let's step back and look at where we are. Imagine you are a parent who wants to read the new curriculum for yourself straight from 'the source', and you can’t find it from reviewing the November 9, 2004 meeting minutes, and still can't find the actual document from doing a search on the BOE site. What shall you try next?

Agendas!

"Agendas"?

Yes Montgomery County, Agendas!!

So off to the BOE Agendas page. By clicking on the Agendas link you find:

Next Meeting:
Future Meetings:
Past Meetings: Agendas with supporting materials

‘Supporting materials’? Ooooo now that sounds promising. And with a click on the November 9, 2004 meeting Agenda, you just happen to scroll down to item 7 and find...this entry, in blue text:

2003–2004 Annual Report of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Family Life and Human Development and Staff Response

A 'Report', and a 'Response'. 'Doesn’t sound like a potential title that would contain the new sex-ed curriculum, to me', you say to yourself. But since you're tired by now (and perhaps...frustrated?), you mouse over to the blue text and find that, it's a link! A link within the agenda pdf (hey didn’t know you could do that! I mean I might have missed it or something). And there it is, waayyyyyy dooowwnnnnn on page..........................27 of yet another new pdf that opens.

And get this, after again reviewing the search results you earlier received, you even find the same agenda pdf is listed there too!

The Long and Winding Road ends with...Agendas.

Easy access to the new curriculum? Don’t think so.


- posted by DoctorJ @ 5:45 AM