Teachers Saving Children^® Inc. of Ohio

Before beginning with an update on the Model, I recently found a copy of a memo dated June 10, 1994, which was sent to Ted Sanders from two Ohio Department of Education (ODE) personnel (Hazel Flowers and Darrell Parks). The memorandum's topic is Teen Pregnancy in Ohio.

The background material contains the same Children's Defense fund statistics that are used ad infinitum that tell how many teenage pregnancies there are in the U.S. and Ohio, and using that data conclude that teenage pregnancy rates are "staggering". The memo continues by describing the several teenage pregnancy programs offered in Ohio schools to "prevent" 2nd or 3rd pregnancies. No mention is made of preventing the first pregnancy. Nor is there any mention made of how many of the teenage pregnancies are for married women. 18 and 19 year-olds still do marry.

Programs listed are: GRADS (an in-school home economics program for both male and female parenting teens); JOG (a school-to-work transition program for dropout-prone high school seniors which makes NO claim to be a pregnancy prevention program and collects no data on prevention); OWA (a prevention program which focuses on basic skills and employment opportunities for students ages 14 and 15); OWE (a prevention program focusing on employment experiences for dropout-prone students age 16 and over); TSAPP (a teen pregnancy prevention program, state supported, focuses on abstinence AND secondary prevention and available to non-pregnant teen parents).

The curriculum recommendation described in this memo is as follows: "Emphasis on decision-making and sexual responsibility, that supports a broader-based family life education vs. only information on venereal disease (current legal requirement in Ohio)."

In 1986/87 Governor Celeste established a task force on Adolescent Sexuality and Pregnancy. That task force recommended requiring sexuality education. The bill that was to implement this recommendation did not pass the legislature. The climate in Ohio at the present time (according to the memo) is such that it is unlikely that such a bill could be supported again.

A family life education program including the teaching of sexual responsibility ALREADY EXISTS in the state's vocational home economics Work and Family Life Program. Also included in this program is a parenting course. This curriculum model ALREADY EXISTS and it emphasizes problem solving and sexual responsibility in the broader-based context of family life education.

The memo further states that participation in this course is limited due to several factors:

(1) There is a lack of recognition of the value or need for this course for ALL students by parents, counselors, board members and students;

(2) This is usually an elective course;

(3) Remediation courses for proficiency tests will reduce the number of students who have room in their schedule for this course;

(4) There is a common misperception that this is a course for girls only. (Editorial note: Well, who's getting pregnant?)

(5) Guidance counselors discourage students form pursuing home economics as a career.

Some quotable quotes from this document:

"Development has not yet started on the model comprehensive health curriculum (this was written in 1994). The model curriculum has the potential to include a quality sexuality education component. However, it cannot be assumed that the model will contain a sexuality education component due to the current political climate."

"The training from Center for Disease Control is promoting Reducing the Risk, a curriculum marketed by ETR, which is a profit making company. This curriculum claims to be research based. This curriculum is based on social learning theory, social inoculation theory and cognitive-behavior theory, and it employs explicit normals against unprotected sexual intercourse."

"The earlier a child is recognized as being at-risk, the earlier intervention services can be offered to a family."

"In addition to sexuality education, other components include: parent involvement and active participation in ALL services and program components; health services, and access to contraception for sexually active adolescents; education, with individually tailored tutoring programs. All these components could be offered by existing state and local agencies. Schools could act as the "one stop shopping" site...The Governor's Family and Children First Initiative could encompass these teen pregnancy, parenting, and prevention issues."

"Recommendation for effective external coordination: Create a new position to address adolescent pregnancy, housed in the governor's office OR with Family and Children First."

Now to the newer parts of the draft Model Health Curriculum. There have been no meetings of the advisory committee since early April. Two portions of the draft Model Health Curriculum were released in April 1996. One portion describes the outcomes in Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Education, Prevention, and Assistance. The other portion is a synopsis of all outcomes for all portions of the Model distributed to date. Since the ATOD portion is included in the synopsis, what follows is an analysis of the second document.

Noticeably missing from these two documents is the word "parents". "Trusted adult" or "adult role models" are used instead. Also included as a replacement for parents in these documents is "informed, responsible sources," implying that parents are not the persons to whom children or teenagers should go with a problem or question in the areas described in the model.

The model has several sections, all of which contain outcomes for the 14 grade levels (pre-K through 12). Those sections are: Nutrition, Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Prevention (ATOD), Growth and Development, Injury and Disease Prevention and Control, Stress and Conflict Management, Total Fitness, Fundamental Motor Skills and Lifetime Sports.

Under Stress and Conflict Managemen (pre-K) we read: "Given familiar conflict situations, the learner demonstrates and/or describes safe, responsible ways to protect him/herself and resolve the situation." Question: Is this age appropriate?

In the Injury and Disease Control and Prevention section (K) we read "Given an assortment of age-appropriate and culture appropriate first aid or disease control situations..." One has to wonder what is meant by culture appropriate disease control. Are some diseases okay to discuss in an all Italian descent class, while some diseases are not permissible for discussion in an all Afro-American class, or vice versa? Since I'm of Italian descent I would like to know what disease control situations would be appropriate for my culture. What diseases do Italians carry and spread that need to be discussed and then become politicized so that they are culturally appropriate?

In first grade the learner will discuss and demonstrate (remember that means role play) "safe ways to reduce transmission of common communicable diseases." Does this include STDs and AIDS - in first grade?

Further, the first grader "will identify whom they would turn to for advice in different situations." Sounds big brotherish to me.

Under Injury and Disease Control the first grader will "describe reasons for and comply with common health screening and medical procedures with the school nurse, other professionals, and parents." This sets off a red-flag in my mind after reading about the little girls in Pennsylvania who were examined for STDs without parental consent. Note: This category has no outcomes for grades 2, 3, and 4.

In grade two we read, "The learner will know the difference between appropriate use and misuse of prescription and non-prescription medication and can identify trusted adults for advice on the same." This should be the responsibility of parents and ONLY parents should be the advice giver in this matter. Further we read that the "learner will identify to whom they would turn for advice in different situations." Once more, a move to get children away from and out of the habit of depending on their parents for advice.

A fifth grade outcome is "The learner will be able to support the goal of abstaining from hazardous, disruptive, or dangerous activities." Why should abstinence from those activities be a goal? A goal is something to shoot for.

A sixth grade outcome states that "the learner will identify positive male and female role models that they...admire...and support their own healthy choices." I remember several years ago that both Greg Luganis (Olympic gold medallist) and Magic Johnson (basketball player) would have been positive male role models for many young people. Both those men have AIDS and have admitted to their UNHEALTHY choices.

Once the draft begins talking openly about sexual matters, the following statement appears and this is the only statement (at grade levels 6-8) which appears about sexual activity. "The learner will define abstinence from sexual activity and recognize it is the only sure way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases." What do they mean by their definition of abstinence and how will it be presented?

At all grade levels in some form, students will be required to keep a journal (notebook) recording his/her fitness, health plan, health-enhancing activities including exercise time spent each day/week. That seems like a time waster to me. Shouldn't the students be learning reading, writing, and ciphering, history, geography, and science? If they are learning and studying those topics, when will they have time for journal writing and keeping track in writing of how much time they spend exercising?

The one thing that struck me about this draft is that parents are either not included at all, or when they are included, they seem to be an add-on, an afterthought. Parents must take back their role and responsibility to teach and train their children in ALL health matters. Yes, the schools can be a place for the physical fitness portion of a child's health, and the schools can be a place for a child to learn CPR and first aid, but the behaviors associated with good health practices should begin in the home and be taught in the home, and not in the school. Parents have abdicated a lot of their roles because it is easier to let someone else do it. It's time parents recognize their responsibility and reclaim these roles.

These drafts reflect a model that aggressively allows the school/state to assume important roles which throughout time have been ordained for parents. Parents & teachers need to be involved in the development of the local health curriculum. Remember: Under the title of Comprehensive School Health, Abortion Access/Clinics may be coming to all Ohio's schools.

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