Too Sexy for AISD?

AISD's sexuality education policy could be compared to the plight of a child whose feuding parents divorced before he was born. The most recent policy changes started in June 1992, when trustee Ted Whatley (then new to the board) asked his fellow trustees to consider a resolution calling for the adoption of guidelines from the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) to help enhance and lend more structure to the district's existing sex education curriculum. Just the mere mention of SIECUS, with its attention to broad-based, K-12 education, drew a throng of religious conservatives -- many of whom did not even reside in AISD -- to a contentious, ugly, marathon public hearing on the subject. The guidelines were not adopted.

Instead, board members appointed a task force to study the subject, but the group's efforts were stymied by the 10-member, conservative majority on the 19-member panel, who wanted to block all mention of contraception in AISD classrooms; the remaining nine members began meeting away from the rest of the group. In February 1993, the board was presented with two reports -- a conservative majority opinion, and a "mainstream" minority opinion, calling for comprehensive sex education, including discussion of contraceptives.

AISD Trustees, led by Liz Hartman, cobbled together a "compromise" of the two reports; one by-product of this effort is the district's current prohibition against the dissemination and demon-stration of contraceptives, including condoms. Another is a directive to present abstinence as "the only sure protection from risk of pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection." The board also made principals responsible for implementing the curriculum -- at every grade level. Board policy also allows for outside organizations -- such as Planned Parenthood -- to collaborate with the district in the curriculum. Though light years ahead of surrounding districts' policies, AISD's policy represented a cop-out to some; others still feel that the stress on the community and the divisiveness it created wasn't worth it.

In August 1993, the policy was made final. AISD staff forged ahead, developing guidelines for a pre-K-12 curriculum. Science and health personnel, including classroom teachers, spent the next 18 months developing, piloting, and refining the curriculum, entitled "Making Healthy Choices." But it's unclear whether the curriculum is really being taught -- or, more appropriately, integrated into existing curriculum -- at every grade level, at every school. Though the board specified in its policy that it will review, evaluate, and update the policy as necessary every three years, trustees have not done so. Board president Kathy Rider said that as part of the board's on-going project of revising the AISD policy manual, the sexuality education policy will get another look when that section comes up later this year.

Science and health coordinator Lynda McAtee said teachers were trained in 1994-95 on how to teach the "Making Healthy Choices" curriculum, and she has reminded principals this school year that they are responsible for carrying it out. But McAtee said she didn't know for certain whether the program is being carried out at every campus. "It certainly is supposed to be," she said.

But stories abound about principals who have not acquainted themselves with the policy and who have absolutely no idea that outside groups are making presentations in health classrooms -- much less the content of such presentations. The result is that many teachers also don't know the policy, and are interpreting it incorrectly. For example, one teacher, protesting that she feared complaints from parents and the members of her church, instructed her students to gain written, parental permission to participate in the course; board policy clearly states that written permission is needed only to opt out of instruction. There should have been no confusion, however, as a copy of the policy is contained within the "Making Healthy Choices" curriculum and should be available at every single campus in the district.

Rider, while loathe to stomp on the sex ed hornets' nest again, said she will ask AISD administrative staff to investigate whether the curriculum is being carried out across the district and to ensure that all principals understand the policy. "If we need to have an agenda item, we will," she said, "but we don't need to have a war on this all over again." -- R.A.