New Legislation Returns Sex Ed. Decisions to Local Schools

NAEA applauds the fine work done by the WI legislature in returning sex education decisions to local school boards and the communities they represent.  By a 60-34 vote, the “Strong Communities…Healthy Kids” bill (AB 337), sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-Fond-du-Lac) and Senator Mary Lazich (R- New Berlin), revises a bill passed in 2009 that mandated all schools to teach so-called “Comprehensive” sex education or nothing at all. The new bill gives an expanded choice to local school districts to include Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) abstinence programs if they desire. “The ‘Strong Communities…Healthy Kids’ bill is a common sense approach to sex education on the local level. It restores the ability of school districts to reflect the values of their communities instead of a one-size fits all approach that ignores effective SRA abstinence programs,” stated Mary Anne Mosack, National Director of State Initiatives of the National Abstinence Education Foundation. Components of the new bill include the addition of topics on bullying, parental responsibility and the socioeconomic benefits of marriage. NAEA is encouraged that communities in WI will not be limited in their choice of sex education curricula.