Take Action to Preserve Common Sense in Texas Health Standards
As a concerned Texan, you should be aware of the opportunity you have to make an impact on Sex Education and Health Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that are currently being revised by the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE). Here are the current health standards that will be reviewed for elementary, middle school, and high school.
Leftist groups are aiming to have ‘Ban the Bible’ style “sexual orientation and gender identity” language added to sex education in Texas public schools. These groups also want to undermine the current Texas requirement that abstinence be taught as the preferred method.
Leftist groups are also upset that the SBOE has chosen some pro-life and pro-abstinence doctors to help write the curriculum updates. Currently, a survey is available to provide feedback on the direction of the Health TEKS.
We encourage you to take the survey and emphasize the importance that parents are the primary educators on these issues, abstinence should be the preferred choice of behavior, and that radical LGBT issues should not be promoted in the standards.
When taking the survey, keep in mind that you want the TEKS to be focused on abstinence education, that you don’t want kids being taught sexual orientation and gender identity issues, and sex education should only be taught to more mature students in higher grade levels (you will have opportunity to choose which grade you want).
The survey is multiple choice and fill in the blank with an opportunity to give feedback on what should be taught in sex education and Health education overall.
When it comes to comment sections here are some specific suggestions:
When asked: Are there any concepts or knowledge and skills that you think are essential to retain in the standards? Here are some specific examples you can use that must remain in the SBOE TEKS:
Elementary School Standards:
- (3) Health behaviors. The student demonstrates decision-making skills for making health-promoting decisions. The student is expected to:
- (A) demonstrate how to seek the help of parents/guardians and other trusted adults in making decisions and solving problems;
- (5) Health information. The student understands how to recognize health information. The student is expected to:
- (A) name people who can provide helpful health information such as parents, doctors, teachers, and nurses; and
Grade 1 Introduction
To achieve that goal, students will understand the following: students should first seek guidance in the area of health from their parents; personal behaviors can increase or reduce health risks throughout the lifespan;
- (3)Health behaviors. The student demonstrates basic critical-thinking, decision-making, goal setting, and problem-solving skills for making health-promoting decisions. The student is expected to:
- (A) explain ways to seek the help of parents/guardians and other trusted adults in making decisions and solving problems;
Middle School Standards:
- (6) Health behaviors. The student engages in behaviors that reduce health risks throughout the life span. The student is expected to:
- (A) analyze and demonstrate strategies for preventing and responding to deliberate and accidental injuries;
- (B) describe the dangers associated with a variety of weapons;
- (C) identify strategies for prevention and intervention of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse;
- (D) identify information relating to abstinence;
- (E) analyze the importance of abstinence from sexual activity as the preferred choice of behavior in relationship to all sexual activity for unmarried persons of school age;
- (F) discuss abstinence from sexual activity as the only method that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy, STDs, and the sexual transmission of HIV or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity;
- 7 (H) explain the consequences of sexual activity and the benefits of abstinence
- 9 (E) describe strategies such as abstinence for communicating refusal to engage in unsafe behaviors; and
- 9(F) describe methods for communicating important issues with parents and peers
High School Standards:
- (8) Health behaviors. The student analyzes health information and applies decision-making skills to promote the development and practice of safe behaviors. The student is expected to:
- (A) analyze the relationship between the use of refusal skills and the avoidance of unsafe situations such as sexual abstinence;
- (B) analyze the importance and benefits of abstinence as it relates to emotional health and the prevention of pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases;
- (C) analyze the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of barrier protection and other contraceptive methods, including the prevention of STDs, keeping in mind the effectiveness of remaining abstinent until marriage;
- (D) analyze the importance of healthy strategies that prevent physical, sexual, and emotional abuse such as date rape;
- (E) analyze the importance of abstinence from sexual activity as the preferred choice of behavior in relationship to all sexual activity for unmarried persons of school age; and
- (F) discuss abstinence from sexual activity as the only method that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy, STDs, and the sexual transmission of HIV or acquired immune deficiency syndrome and the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity.
- 15) Personal/interpersonal skills. The student analyzes, designs, and evaluates strategies for expressing needs, wants, and emotions in healthy ways. The student is expected to:
- (A) demonstrate strategies for communicating needs, wants, and emotions;
- (B) examine the legal and ethical ramifications of unacceptable behaviors such as harassment, acquaintance rape, and sexual abuse; and
- (C) communicate the importance of practicing abstinence.
- When asked if the current health education standards need to be replaced, answer “No.”
- When asked: Are there things that you like about the current health education standards and/or think that they do particularly well? Answer “Emphasis on parental guidance and abstinence.”
- When asked about priorities, insert examples above that you believe are important to your child’s education.
- When asked Do you have any other suggestions for ways in which the health education TEKS can be improved? Answer, “Emphasize the importance that parents are the primary educators on these issues, abstinence is the preferred choice of behavior, and that any radical LGBTQ issues should not be addressed in the health standards.”