Research Issues: Health Education / Frameworks

The Mass. Health Curriculum Frameworks are currently the recommendations of the state as to what should be taught in public schools; local districts have some discretion as to how they are implemented. (To view the Frameworks online, visit www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks    See pages on Reproduction/Sexuality, Family Life, and Disease Prevention and Control, p. 31, 32)

Recent legislative attempts (H 3434) have been made to make Health a core curriculum subject, thereby making implementation of the Frameworks mandatory in all school districts.

No one is opposed to Health education per se (nutrition,drug and alcohol abuse, exercise, safety), but concealed within the Frameworks is a radical form of sex education.

Under the Frameworks, students would be taught (numbers indicate learning standards or interdisciplinary objectives):

• how to get an abortion without parental knowledge (4.20 and 4.a, parental notification / judicial bypass);
• how to get contraceptives (4.7, “whom to consult” and 4.9, students report on state policy);
• “behaviors” for pregnancy prevention (4.8);
• acceptance of “consensual” premarital sex (4.b); and,
• acceptance of homosexual behavior (4.3, 4.4, 4.14 and 4.b).

The following organizations are in favor of / are promoting the Frameworks and this type of sex education:

• Planned Parenthood League of Mass.
• NARAL Pro-Choice Mass.
• AIDS Action Committee
• ACLU
• Mass. Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus

The Frameworks undermine the rights and values of parents, particularly parents of traditional religious Faith. (Christian, Jewish, Catholic, Muslim)

Parents have the right currently to opt their children out of “sex education” classes of which they don’t approve; however, most parents will not realize how radical this form of sex education is and will fail to opt their children out until it is too late.

Parents and concerned citizens are urged to contact their legislators and let them know they are opposed to such radical legislation, which violates the rights of parents.

See also "Comprehensive Sex Education"
Click "Watch this video" after intro.

Is There a Hidden Agenda in the Governor's Educational Plan?

Below are some excerpts from Governor Patrick's Education reform plan. There are some concerns within it for the pro-life and pro-family community. Before the Readiness Project is implemented, the following questions need to be addressed:

• Will the delivery of "health services" include abortion counseling and or referral to agencies that include abortion counseling?
• Will it include contraceptive counseling and / or services?
• What is the role of abstinence education?
• Will the Readiness Project include implementation of The Massachusetts Health Curriculum Frameworks?
• Who are the members of the service "provider community"? Does it includes agencies such as Planned Parenthood?

Excerpts from the Governor’s Readiness Project for Public Schools

      Ready for 21st Century Success: The New Promise of Public Education

 p. 14  Establish a Commonwealth Child and Youth Readi­ness Cabinet, an inter-governmental agency cabinet chaired by the secretaries of Education and Health and Human Services, and including a stakeholder advisory group, responsible for developing and implementing a shared vision to advance the health and well-being of all children and youth. 

p. 15  There is widespread awareness that children do not develop and learn in schools alone. Instead, they mature across many dimensions — physical, social, emotional, ethical and intellectual — within networks of families, schools, neighborhoods, communities and our larger society. Consequently, government agencies charged with fostering children’s development and working with families must incorporate these dimensions and networks into their service delivery systems and improve their coordination.

The Commonwealth Child and Youth Readiness Cabinet will be charged with breaking down silos by bringing together at one table state leaders who oversee the agencies working most closely with children and families. The Cabinet will be jointly chaired by the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. It will include the state secretaries of Housing and Economic Development, Labor and Workforce Development, and Public Safety. In addition, a stakeholder group, made of leaders from the legislative and judicial branches, as well as from the provider community and statewide youth community, will advise the Cabinet.

The Cabinet’s mission will be to set priority areas and identify and implement improvements that will address the roots of systemic challenges. It will achieve this by first establishing common terms, a shared vision, and the baseline measures and benchmarks that will document progress over time. To drive service improvements, the Cabinet will be able to link and leverage funding.

A featured initiative of the Cabinet will be to offer recommendations for developing a statewide child and youth data reporting system. This initiative will include suggestions for developing a “Readiness Passport” for every child and youth enrolled in Massachusetts schools. This tool will summarize and document the delivery of educational and health and human services, which will help facilitate a smooth transition for those who move to different schools or communities. Consistent with any privacy constraints established by applicable federal and state laws, the Passport will be accessible to parents, guardians, teachers, providers and, as appropriate, students.

Additionally, the Cabinet will oversee the creation of the Urban Schools Early Warning and Dropout Prevention Pilot, which will identify students at risk of dropping out of high school and provide timely interventions in qualifying districts.   

p.16 Place one or more Student Support Coordinators in every low-income school to assist teachers; connect students and their families to appropriate, noneducational, state and community-based services, including those related to health, mental health, housing and social services; and to provide ongoing guidance and assistance with coordinating and integrating those services.

p. 18 Further, we propose regional Readiness Centers — multi-purpose, collaborative hubs for content and professional development as well as school improvement. The centers will be governed by diverse boards of representatives from higher education, elementary and secondary schools, and early education. They will be staffed by both content and instructional experts charged with bringing the latest research to educators; facilitating the exchange of best practices between teachers and school leaders; and fostering local partnerships among students, schools, educators, businesses and community organizations. The Commonwealth Readiness Centers will be part of our state’s new accountability and assistance system.

p. 19 Establish regional Readiness Centers dedicated to the continuous improvement of education at all levels of our public education system. These centers could be located at state colleges or universities but would be directed by boards comprised of regional pre-K through 12, higher education, business and community organization leaders.

p. 29 Governor Patrick named three individuals to lead an 18-member Readiness Project Leadership Council: Jackie Jenkins-Scott, president of Wheelock College; Thomas Payzant, former superintendent of the Boston Public Schools; and Joe Tucci, president, chairman and chief executive officer of EMC Corporation. Additionally, the Project formed 13 subcommittees to lean on and leverage the expertise of more than 200 Massachusetts citizens.

p. 31 Engage and mobilize families and all sectors of society to provide the education, social, emotional, health and human services each student needs to be ready to learn and succeed in school.