Teachers Saving Children^® Inc. of Ohio

I feel, along with the rest of the TSC Ad Hoc Committee, that you need to stay informed as to the happenings of TSC. I have included in this newsletter highlights of our recent committee meeting along with our financial status.

We have made contact with over 150 persons who have indicated that they were interested in TSC. However, at the present time we only have 54 paid members. I would like to encourage those of you who have not joined us to do so. I also want to encourage all of you to tell others about our organization and encourage them to join us as well. Enclosed with this newsletter is a copy of our newest brochure, which includes a membership form.

It is not too late to join with us in our efforts in fighting the battle for life. The impact we will have within our professional educators' organizations is dependent upon the number of people we represent. You do NOT have to be a member of the NEA or AFT to join TSC. You can be currently employed, retired, on leave, or just a concerned citizen who believes in our purpose.

We need all of you who agree with our purpose to join us TODAY and help us fight for the lives of the unborn. Let's work together to save both the lives of the unborn and America's schools.

Anyone - delegate, alternate, or visitor - attending the OEA Representative Assemblies in Columbus can join with this caucus. A person does NOT have to be a member of TSC to join this caucus. If you wish to be a part of this caucus, please contact one of the committee members. The TSC Life Issues Caucus committee members are: Dan Coletta (513-522-9021); Ken Mazer (216-587-2004); and Gary Winney (216-944-4409).

1. TSC Membership will run from September 1 to August 31. Membership renewals will take place during the summer months.

2. Due to a limited budget, only active members will receive the newsletter. Decision was also made to send new interested persons, who have not yet paid, the newsletter 3 times after receipt of initial indication of interest. All persons who have expressed an interest in TSC will remain on a prospective membership file.

3. The decision was made that the national and state newsletter would be sent out separately.

4. The decision was made to support a Life Issues Caucus to the OEA Representative Assembly.

5. There was discussion about the 1992 demonstration of OEA. More details will be made at the next meeting.

6. There was discussion about the possibility of TSC having a seminar session at the Ohio Right to Life 1992 convention. Contact is being made as to the possibility of doing a seminar.

7. The Bylaws were discussed. It is hoped that the bylaws will be finished for approval by the next meeting.

The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 20th at the ORTL Office in Columbus.

College students are given the opportunity to join TSC at a reduced rate. If you are presently enrolled in a college or university undergraduate degree program, you may join TSC for only $10.00.

I read the above information in an article in my local newspaper. I would also like to share with you the following information that was gained when two TSC members attended a workshop by Planned Parenthood at a Planned Parenthood location. This workshop was offered in conjunction with NEOEA (the regional affiliate of OEA) Day - an inservice day for teachers.

The title of the workshop was "Real, Relevant & Right Now - Sexuality Education". The main purpose of the seminar was to give information on AIDS education. However, the underlying purpose was to promote Planned Parenthood's main goal - "to produce sexually healthy adults". Their view is that our youth are receiving mixed and conflicting messages about sex: parents and the church advocate that persons should wait until marriage for sex, while the media and their peers are sending the message that it's OK to have pre-marital sexual relationships. Planned Parenthood believes that this conflict is unhealthy and that they way to resolve it is to liberalize the whole area of sexuality. One way they do this is by having co-ed sex education classes where they normalize and desensitize our adolescents so that they will feel comfortable in talking about their sexuality. Many of the activities that were demonstrated used values clarification and did NOT allow for choice of the traditional viewpoint. Adolescents should be allowed to make their own decisions as to their limits of their own sexual conduct, but Planned Parenthood stressed the importance of condom use when anyone would engage in sexual intercourse. Planned Parenthood stresses confidentiality and has most birth control supplies available to adolescents without parental consent. They also mentioned that Norplant would be available in January - maybe sooner.

This is just a sampling of what we are facing in our schools today and it is evident from the NFSEM coalition that NEA and Planned Parenthood work closely together. We must join together to save our schools.