When Nicole Solas asked to see what her child would learn in Kindergarten, she was sued by the teachers union. It makes you wonder why they want to hide this kind of information from parents.
Like this “educational” video for kids about online pornography.
It says, “Find out more about porn, right here on AMAZE.” This is part of a Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) program in many schools.
It is the kind of video that might be tapped as a “teacher resource.” Schools direct children, as young as 9, to the AMAZE videos like this:
In New Hampshire, the teachers union testified against HB1434, which would require curriculum course materials taught to pupils in public schools and public academies, to be available to the public. Transparency builds trust, but as you can see from the notes, Megan Tuttle, NEA president, opposed HB1434.
Here are the notes from her testimony:
She opposes HB1434 because she said that it would increase the workload for teachers. A few parents wanting to see if their children will be watching a video that teaches their kids about porn, might be worth their time.
A sexual predator working in the schools would not want this information available to parents. It would make sense that they would never want the parents to know what they are teaching students. Thankfully most teachers are not predators, but be concerned about their workload? They shouldn’t be near children to begin with.
Here are the reasons Debrah Howes, President of AFT-NH opposed HB1434.
David Luneau a State Representative from Merrimack District 10, which includes Concord Ward 5 and Hopkinton, also opposed HB1434. This is disturbing given the accusations of sexual assault on students in Concord by former teacher Howie Leung.
Too many people working in the school looked the other way when they were supposed to be mandatory reporters.
Here is what Rep. Luneau (D) reported to the Senate Education Committee on HB1434.
Do you get the feeling that these people are working to help groom children for sexual predators? That may not be their intention, but we have to be honest, that can be one of the consequences. They would expose children to sexual content, and not inform the parents. This teaches children that the adults in the school can have conversations on sexual matters and all of that will be kept secret from their parents. Who’s the real threat to children in this scenario?
When it comes to pornography, this is a discussion that parents will certainly want to have with their children at some point. It’s not about keeping children in the dark, it’s about who should be providing that information to their children.
There are resources for parents so that they can have this sensitive conversation with their children. Parents should be informed and have full access to the materials if any sexual content is to be discussed with children to make sure it is appropriate for their children. Some may be fine with it, others may not.
New Hampshire does have some laws in place that require parental notification on Sex Education. That is not only pro-parent, it provides transparency in the school system so that children know that their parents have not been shut out of the conversation. Let’s work to make what is taught in the classroom as transparent as possible. That promotes trust within the school system instead of setting up a situation that could become dangerous if a child is to ever encounter a predator in the future.
When the union and state representatives oppose this much-needed transparency in public schools, it puts them in an awkward position. Parents begin to question their motives and wonder why they don’t want parents to be aware of what is being taught in the classroom. Adults should join together to make the classroom a safe environment for children, and not one that should concern any loving and caring parent.
Contact your state senator and ask them to pass HB1434 then send a message to Governor Sununu to sign this important legislation into law. Supporting families supports public schools. Working collaboratively, and respecting diverse families will offer a positive public education for their children.
