By Aaron Kaufman.
As voters prepare to go the polls in September, Democratic voters in District 39 should know a vital piece of information before they make their decision in the State Senate primary between Saqib Ali and Nancy King: Mrs. King has worked to prevent Montgomery County from modernizing its sex education curriculum.
In 2002, as a member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, she cast the lone vote (Page 49) against a revised sex education curriculum that included a video demonstration of how to properly use condoms and allowed teachers to openly address homosexuality in class. At the time I was a member of the Family Life and Human Sexuality Advisory Committee, a group of county residents appointed by the Board to advise them on sex education matters. We lobbied to institute these common-sense changes to our sex education curriculum. The committee wanted to make sure that our county’s youth had the tools they needed to make healthy decisions and that our school curriculum promoted tolerance of all individuals, regardlesss of sexual orientation. The revised curriculum was passed 5 to 1. Even Republicans Sharon Cox and Steve Abrams supported the revisions.
King’s vote against this widely-embraced piece of legislation was something one might expect of a school board member in Alabama or Mississippi. However, her archaic views with regards to sex education have no place in Montgomery County.
Full disclosure: I am volunteering on Saqib’s campaign this summer and the above reflects policy differences not personal ones.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Nancy King on Sex Education
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5 comments:
Adam,
I want to make clear that in order for a student to hear this imformation a parent MUST a permission slip If they do not want their child in the room during this lecture he/she is given an alternative assignment Also while everyone agrees abstinence is the best choice for teens (in this case 10th graders) this imformation is vital in preventing unwanted pregnancies and getting Sexually Transmitted Infections. (STIs)
Thanks!
Aaron Kaufman
I remember when this issue came up and, although I do not know Nancy's reasoning for voting against the curriculum, unless you have a record somewhere of her legislative intent, you may be oversimplifying it.
For example, while I was perfectly happy to have MCPS make the discussion of homosexuality/sex-orientations a part of the curriculum, I was opposed to the inclusion of the condom demonstration video. Reason being: for me, it crossed over the line between the proper discussion of human sexuality to the realm of "how-to". In my opinion, there can be a perfectly adequate and instructive sex ed curriculum without schools producing "how-to" videos.
Notwithstanding the fact that I would've voted against the curriculum for the above reason, I'm guessing that most of those who know me (assuming Saqib would be included) would agree that I'm not of the stereotypical-Southern-Bible-thumping-creationist-still-seething-about-the-Scopes-trial ilk you invoke.
Point is: big issues often have nuances. Reasonable people - even those who hold *contemporary views* - could've disagreed on this issue.
- Jud Ashman
Gaithersburg City Council
Councimember Asherman:
Thank you your comments. I was one of the student member of comittee that brought the recommendations to the board so I know what we intended. On the condom issue, we will have to agree to disagree. Many young men put them on incorrectly so we viewed it as a vital revision in the interst of a student health. They are usless if puton improperly. While I like Nancy very much, I felt it was important to alert people to her record on this issue. It is vote that I belive many Dstrict 39 Democrats and people in general disagree/ disagreed with including colleauges who are Republicans Steve Abrhams and Sharon Cox. Please also remeber that parents who agree with can and do have there child removed for an altenative assignnment during these lessons. Thank you for your service to our community!
Aaron Kaufman
Please for my typos!
Aaron
I agree completely with Mr. Kaufman, but I will heed Mr. Ashman's point, and await clarification from Sen King with interest.
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