A search at the Board of Education website for the name of the report containing the new curriculum links to a 2-page Fact Sheet (instead of a long document with an outline). (See also, The Long and Winding Road to the New Curriculum)

With this fact sheet, citizens are saved the trouble of reading what the curriculum actually says and instead are given a “spin sheet” from the BOE. Why does the search produce this result and not the new curriculum; aren’t they proud of all their hard work? Maybe they are fearful that people will read the new curriculum and see what’s really in there.

Let’s look at the “spin”:

“The action of the Board follows a three-year study that provided numerous opportunities for parent input.” (From Fact Sheet)

Let’s talk about these “numerous opportunities.”

There are 3 committees that had input to the new sex-ed curriculum, they are:

1. Citizens Advisory Committee for Family Life and Human Development
2. Curriculum Advisory Committee
3. School Health Council

Now, all committee appointments are approved by the BOE. There isn’t anyone on a committee that the BOE didn’t want there. (I believe this is called “stacking the deck”.)

If a parent didn’t sit on one of these committees, and uh, I guess that is the majority of us, then we didn’t have “numerous opportunities” to have input, did we? The new curriculum was made public on November 9, 2004. Prior to that date, there was no peeking allowed, since it was being drafted “in committee.” It’s impossible to comment on something we can’t see.

In reality, the “numerous opportunities for parent input” belonged to those who were selected by the BOE to sit on those 3 committees. Actually, some of those parents and citizens who DID take the time to tell the Board of Education that they disagreed with what was happening in committee were ignored.

Yes, there were “numerous opportunities” for a select few. The BOE wants people to believe that these opportunities were for everyone. Sounds like spin…..

Stay Tuned for the Next episode of “Spin City”!