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March State Board News

State Board Votes on Sexuality Education
Kansas History Project Materials Available 
In Other Action
April Meeting in District 8

All board materials can be found at http://www.ksde.org/commiss/march_06_materials.pdf

State Board Votes to Require Parental Permission for Students to Participate in Sexuality Education

Along with adopting the revised Kansas Model Standards for Health, the State Board, on a 6-4 vote, determined that “parental permission for students to participate in sexuality education must be obtained.  The State Board mandates the use of the ‘opt-in’ policy, which requires parents to return a consent form allowing a student to participate in the class.”  In debating the issue, Bill Wagnon noted that the State Board doesn’t have the power to tell districts how and how not to admit students into courses.  Sue Gamble observed that for the first time in any curriculum area, the State Board is potentially going to deliberately deny education to students.  Voting for the language:  Abrams, Bacon, Martin, Morris, Van Meter, Willard.  Voting no: Gamble, Rupe, Wagnon, Waugh.

An earlier motion to allow school districts to choose either an opt-in or opt-out method for parental permission for students to participate in sexuality education was defeated.  In discussion prior to the vote, Carol Rupe noted that both methods include the requirement that parents are to be informed prior to the class.  Janet Waugh emphasized that continuing to allow school districts to choose the method for parental permission that best suits the needs of their students, parents and communities would demonstrate the State Board’s faith and trust in local school boards and belief in local control.  In arguing against the opt-out method, Kathy Martin drew attention to her desire for the State Board to change accreditation standards for performance and quality criteria by mandating that an abstinence until marriage course be taught in grades 6-9.  Voting to allow districts to determine whether to use an opt-in or opt-out method: Gamble, Rupe, Wagnon, Waugh. Voting no: Bacon, Martin, Morris, Van Meter, Willard.  Abstaining: Abrams

Kansas  History Project Materials Available

A new edition of a middle level textbook about Kansas history, Kansas Journey, is now available, thanks to work funded by the State Department of Education and the Kansas Historical Society.

One copy of the book will be sent to every school in Kansas with a 7th grade classroom, thanks to a deeply discounted price from the publisher.  The teaching materials related to Kansas Journey are also available on CD.

Another part of the project, Read Kansas, will be available in the fall of 2006.  Based on artifacts and primary documents, the project includes 77 lessons and is aligned with history indicators and reading indicators, K-12.  Each lesson includes a lesson plan, multiple cards containing the historical information, activities for using the cards, and assessment strategies.

Grade appropriate sets will be made available to every school in Kansas, thanks to funding from KSDE, the Kansas Historical Society, and Kansas Health Foundation.  In addition, the materials will be available online.

In other action, the State Board:

• Approved new charter petitions, p. 59 
  USD 376, Sterling, Sterling  Academy
  USD 202, Turner, Turner Virtual Learning  Center
• Received model curricular standards for school counseling, p. 63
• Received preliminary recommendations from the Special Education Advisory Council regarding issues related to autism, p. 147
• Approved the petition to disorganize USD 295, Prairie Heights, and transfer its territory to USD 211, Norton, USD 294, Oberlin, and USD 412, Hoxie, p. 295
• Established new USD 107, Jewell County [consolidation of USD 104, White Rock and USD 278, Mankato], p. 159
• Approved recommendations of the Evaluation Review Committee, p. 161
  Friends  University, new program with stipulation, through 12/31/07
  Southwestern  College, new program with stipulation, through 5/31/07
  Washburn  University, 3 programs, through 12/31/08
  Bethany  College, accreditation with probation, through 12/31/07
• Approved recommendations of the Licensure Review Committee, p. 179
  Grant 16 requests for licensure/endorsements
  Deny 2 requests
• Approved recommendations of the Waiver Review Committee, p. 183
  From 23 USDs
  31 teachers out of field, special education
  4 substitutes, extend number of days to work
  1 each, physical education, music, secondary sciences
• Approved a bond election request for USD 203, Piper, p. 217

April Meeting in District 8

The April meeting of the State Board will take place in district 8, Wichita.  The agenda and materials for that meeting, including location(s) of the meeting, should be available on the KSDE website on or after April 3.

KNEA Legislative Contacts

Blake West, President
Peg Dunlap, Director, Instructional Advocacy
Mark Desetti, Director, Legislative and Political Advocacy
Terry Forsyth, Director, Political Action

The KNEA Lobby Team consists of elected leaders and staff. The Lobby Team welcomes member feedback on issues before the Legislature and on this site.