Hard to believe there could be an issue I am as equally passionate about as preventing wasting taxpayers' dollars in our schools, but Human Growth and Development (Sex Ed.) definitely qualifies.

This Tuesday, April 8, 2008, from 7 - 10:15pm at the Central Administration offices, the school board will meet to discuss several important items. The usual agenda items start at 7pm, newly elected officers take their oath at about 7:35, the High Schools Facilities - Next Steps report is scheduled for 7:40. (This is important, but the cows are out of the barn here.)

The BIG issue of the evening is the Human Growth and Development Outcomes and Next Steps  agenda item at 8:00pm.

Parents, you need to be aware of what is going on in your child's classroom. I have a feeling I will be shocked at what is deemed age appropriate.

If you have been following the HG&D issue, you will remember that last fall, one parent sounded the alarm that starting in the 6th grade, students were to learn be warned about oral sex. A letter was sent to all middle school parents and one, who read through the whole thing, noticed the reference. That parent notified Cindy Kilkenny and she posted the letter. 

School districts frequently dismiss parental concerns about HG&D subject matter by saying that they can simply opt their child out of these classes. The trouble is, often there is not a set date these subjects will be taught. Undesired subjects can pop up at any time, which makes planning for an opt out nearly impossible. There is also a stigma attached to a child being opted out. This is why I suggested that these subjects only be taught in an opt IN arrangement.

There are about 45 minutes alloted for this discussion. If you look through the 50 page Human Growth and Development Outcomes, you will note that the criteria is very vague. If you discuss sexually transmitted diseases for example, how much detail do you go into? When they discuss different types of families in elementary grades, is that traditional families? or will there be 2 mommies, etc.? If I were a student's parent, I would want to know that.

What happens if a teacher does not feel right about teaching the material? Do they have the option to OPT OUT? I am wondering if 45 minutes will be enough time for this agenda item.

After that very important issue, the Pilgrim Park Middle School Boiler Study report at 8:45. Since Pilgrim is about the same age as Central, I am very interested in their solution to repair/replace.

Please spread the word about the HG&D agenda item to parents of Elmbrook students. They should be part of this discussion.

Other meetings of interest:

Park land for fire station? Monday, April 7, 7pm

District 7 and Concerned Calhoun Community meetings April 9th and 10th

Links:

Certainly every parent wants to know their children are safe while at school. The district knows this too and makes it one of their reasons to vote for the referendum.

On Elmbrook’s “Fact” sheet #1, it states: “While it is now standard equipment in most high schools, neither Brookfield Central nor Brookfield East has a closed circuit security television system for monitoring activity in the hallways, common areas, or parking lots and for monitoring access to over 60 outside doors at each school.”

There is one BIG FACT missing from this sheet. The FACT that next year, the cameras will be installed regardless of referendum passage. Principal LaBonte told us this little known fact when I toured Central last month.

Here is another FACT you may be interested in. Other area schools have been in the process of getting their cameras installed for a few years now, working their way, school by school through their districts--without a referendum.

Time to dispel another fallacy: These cameras are not to protect against Stranger Danger or terrorist intrusion. I think when most people hear the words security system or closed circuit security cameras they immediately conjure up the image of the security checkpoint at the Pentagon!

THIS is NOT what these cameras are for. These cameras are primarily to monitor STUDENT activity, not STRANGER activity.

A recent Brookfieldnow article stated, “In a time when many high schools around the nation have dealt with incidents of school violence, a closed-circuit security television system is necessary to monitor activity in the hallways, common areas and parking lots, according to principals.”

Remember that most high school violence is caused by students, not strangers. The cameras record motion in the hallways or wherever they are mounted, and that information is stored for future use. As a rule, it is not monitored continually during the day as we would think of a closed circuit television system. It is only there if there is an incident, they can see who was involved.

While on the mechanical tour of Central, the guide told us that one of the stairways in the 3 story addition was seldom used. I asked why, since I had heard the other stairways were so crowded. He hesitated, then said, they were too isolated and things happened in the stairwells.

Whether we are talking hanky-panky or bullying or drug deals, I don’t know. I do know going back to the concept of a hall monitor might help. In any event, this is not a STRANGER problem; it is a STUDENT problem.

The real question is: Why has Elmbrook neglected this “need” until now?

Could it be the same reason they have neglected other standard maintenance issues? They are trying to present a needier picture of our high schools than there really is, and in the case of security cameras, they will be installed next year—even without the referendum.