O6/7/07 DCS June Newsletter:  Superintendent was seeking volunteers to serve on a committee to review the health curriculum, and according to Board Policy #8211 and state mandates, review and update the health curriculum by appointing a representative advisory group to make recommendations on curriculum content, implementation, and evaluation, particularly in terms of the AIDS instructional program.  If interested, please call.

6/14/07 6:00 p.m. PTO meeting:  Superintendent said they were going to review and update the health curriculum, particularly AIDS instruction, by forming a health committee, including clergy, to recommend curriculum for community standards.  The committee would meet once, and a sheet of paper was passed around for people present to sign up if they were willing to be on the committee.

6/19/07:  Superintendent was asked verbally by phone for Board Policy #8211, the state mandates, and the current health curriculum in order to be prepared for the upcoming meeting.  The Superintendent replied that he was in the process of getting curriculum from the health teacher.

6/28/07:  Superintendent sent a memo to the committee regarding the agenda for the upcoming meeting on 7/10/07.

7/7/07:  An agenda for the meeting was received, with Board Policy #8211, the State Commissioner's Regulations Subchapter G, Part 135, and a non-specific outline for the health curriculum.

7/10/07 6:00 p.m. Health Committee meeting with health teacher and nurse from Student Medical Services in attendance.  There still was no specific curriculum produced.  Health teacher said that the AIDS instruction was a one-day thing, which lasts about 38 minutes.  Teacher goes over the four ways to get AIDS.  Abstention is the number-one means of prevention.  Teacher does a contraception unit in both 8th and 10th grades.  Parents asked questions about their kids' vow of confidentiality in health, looking up diseased genitals on the Internet at school, the rape trial, writing their own obituary, and planning a funeral.  Received no pertinent answers.  The meeting ended because the committee really couldn't work without the specific curriculum in hand.  Superintendent instructed everyone to call or mail anything that they think needs to be addressed.

7/12/07:  Questions were asked of the Superintendent about the advisory council in the past, who invited Student Medical Services into the health class to teach, who mandated the date rape trial, and why the health teacher has no teaching plan with assignments to produce.  Interest was expressed in the sequential health education curriculum for pupils K-5 and who should be asked for this.  Superintendent was told issues that need to be addressed in the next meeting.  No response.

7/25/07:  Superintendent gave the date of the next meeting, 8/22/07 at 6:30 p.m.

7/26/07:  Superintendent sent the final draft of the 7/10/07 meeting minutes with the information about the next meeting; had asked the health teacher for the specifics of the health curriculum, and asked the health committee for specific items of concern regarding AIDS curriculum in 8th and 10th grades to be better prepared.  They want to stick to AIDS on 8/22 and then possibly have another meeting to address additional concerns.  The 7/10/07 minutes were inaccurate and not complete.

8/16/07:  Parents interviewed students to learn what was taught in health class.

8/22/07:  Health Committee meeting advertised in paper, health teacher invited; News10Now coverage (and video), parents upset; lists of what should be taught, what should not be taught, what needs more information.  Superintendent asked for volunteers to be on the advisory council, which will meet in the future.

In summary, as of mid-October 2007, the AIDS Community Advisory Council was formed and has met several times. The purpose of this council is to determine appropriate community standards ONLY for the AIDS instruction part of the curriculum for 8th and 10th grade health education classes. However, there still remain many other areas of the health curriculum for which no formal community input has been received, and concerned parents have been instructed to raise these issues with the secondary principal. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! The secondary principal does not determine school policy or community standards in these matters. WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY?? Why aren't these issues being dealt with at the highest levels, by the Superintendent and the DCS Board of Education?? Please go to the student interview pages for more information about the current health curriculum being taught to 8th and 10th grades.