Recently, a parent of a MCPS Middle School student (who is not affiliated with the CRC) wrote to the MCPS Board of Education and the Citizens Advisory Committee for Family Life and Human Development Staff Liaison about the BOE's appointment of an 11 year old child to MCPS's sex-ed committee.

A you will read, this parent is not alone in their opinion…

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Dear Mrs. O'Neill and other Board members,

I recently learned through a WMAL radio report that an 11-year-old girl is one of the members of the MCPS Family Life and Human Development Advisory Committee. The report stated her age and that she was indeed a student at a MCPS Middle School. This report is also in print form and is easily found in a computer search, which is how I first learned about it last week. The minutes of the June 8th BOE meeting give the last appointments to this committee, and mentions her appointment. She was appointed when she was in the 6th grade!

I am writing to you because I, and many others, are very concerned that a student of this age would be appointed to this committee. While it's great to get input from the public on many issues affecting our schools, surely a committee whose charge is to review subject matter that is quite mature is inappropriate for a 7th grader to observe, much less to give any meaningful insight. I can imagine that the presence of this girl at the table also could impede the task that this committee has.

Mrs. O'Neill and Mr. Romero, you both have daughters currently attending county schools, and you both voted for this appointment in June. Would you feel comfortable if your daughters were on this committee at the very impressionable age of 11? This committee is reviewing not only the middle school health curriculum, but the high school curriculum as well.

FYI, my son is also in a MCPS Middle School, and I simply cannot fathom how any 7th grader could contribute to this committee, or more importantly, should contribute to this committee.

If the regulations for committee appointments do not give specific age guidelines regarding student membership, I feel that these guidelines need to be changed for this particular committee. If four students are to be on this committee, surely these students should be high school students.

Thanks for considering my input.