For Immediate Release April 20, 2023 Contact: Connie Johnson Phone: 517.901.7272 Email: press@greatschoolsinitiative.org
Org: Greatschoolsinitiative.org
MICHIGAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS VIOLATE STATE LAWS SURROUNDING SEX EDUCATION
Lansing, MI – Michigan law has requirements that a local public school must meet before they can consider teaching sex education. First, a school must have a Sex Education Advisory Board (SEAB) in place prior to teaching sex education. There are clear guidelines for the violation process stated in the law for these requirements and function of the SEAB, which includes a board co-chair who is a parent in the district, and a full board that includes at least two parents, one student, and local clergy. Benzie County District Schools has SEAB violations, with complaints being filed at the local district level.
Second, schools must give the opportunity for parents to opt-out of sex ed, with a written statement, without penalty to their child. Many schools have their own forms, which only cover sex ed as a class, but not discussion and materials that sometimes occur in other required classes. Any discussion of all topics defined under the law requires approval from the SEAB, Board of Education (BOE), and prior notice to parents. This includes human sexuality and ideology: the emotional, physical, psychological, and social aspects of family life. Troy, Birmingham, Rochester and Walled Lake School Districts have violations for rejecting parents' written statements and failure to comply with the administrative process outlined in the law.
Third, all sex education materials must be confined to the sex ed classroom, or allow for prior notice to parents to review and/or opt-out of anything that teaches, discusses or displays materials that include human sexuality and ideologies. Birmingham and Benzie County School Districts have violations for teaching sex education subjects without approval or prior notice.
Because of multiple violation complaints from around the state, Great Education Initiative (GEI) has filed on behalf of the parents for five school districts. These districts have either outstanding violations or have not complied with the requirements to investigate and respond within the 30 days as outlined in the law. If schools do not come into compliance, they risk the loss of state funding. This loss of funding would be catastrophic for any local school district, spelling out certain doom of public schools in surrounding communities. As such, GEI filed five complaints on behalf of parents in the Oakland County and Benzie School Districts to compel schools to come into compliance with the law or face its consequences.
GEI recognizes that all parents have the right to determine and direct the care, teaching, and education of their children. Helping parents and schools to find common ground creates opportunities to increase the quality of education. GEI partners with parents and schools to bridge the gap for this collaboration to stay focused on what clearly matters: education.
For more information please contact: (517) 901-7272 greatei.org
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