On Wednesday the state Senate voted, on party lines, to require all public schools to teach “skills-based instruction” in sex ed, with “age-appropriate” instruction starting in kindergarten.
Senate Bill 5395 requires that all curricula must be “inclusive and use language and strategies that recognize ... heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and ... gender expression or identity different from that traditionally associated with the sex assigned to that person at birth.”
Anyone interested in this bill can find more information from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, which requested the bill. Planned Parenthood is also a supporter of the bill, and produces a curriculum that complies with the bill’s requirements.
A Clark County-based group, Citizens for Good Schools (www.facebook.com/citizensforgoodschools) has come out against the bill.
This bill is not yet law. It’s reasonable that many local school districts are not fully aware of the nuances of the bill, nor have they planned for how they would comply if it is enacted into law.
It’s important to remember that people on all sides of this debate want what is best for children, as they see it. In any comments, please be respectful. Give the other side the benefit of the doubt. Express yourself firmly but politely.
In this matter, as in all things, we’re in this together.
To contact legislators, call 1-800-562-6000.
The bill also requires districts to conform to Washington’s “Sexual Health” standards. In 2016 those standards — at that time the public was told that they were voluntary — were defined to say kindergartners will be taught “there are many ways to express gender.” Sexual orientation education starts in fourth grade. By seventh grade, students will be taught how to distinguish between “biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.”
Republicans spoke at length this week against the “comprehensive sexual health education” bill and offered a host of amendments.
Several of those proposed amendments would hold off on implementing statewide sex ed standards until the state implemented statewide standards in science, language arts or math. Another would have started mandatory sex ed in sixth grade, rather than kindergarten. Those proposals were rejected.
One of the bill’s co-sponsors, Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, pointed to aspects of the bill that require teaching of affirmative consent, emphasis on relationships free from violence and coercion, and how to recognize “attitudes and behaviors that contribute to sexual violence.”
“What I’ve heard from students around the state is ‘we want to be able to talk about the things that are realistically impacting our lives,’” Wellman said. “These students want comprehensive sexuality discussed... This bill is about student safety.”
Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, said that safety is a different topic than sex education.
“We’re using the phrase ‘public health safety and welfare’ to take away the rights of others or to superimpose the kind of topics we should be discussed and using our public school system to do this,” said Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy.
The Senate did adopt one amendment from Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, which strengthened parental opt-out provisions. As amended, the bill will now require school districts to grant a parent’s written request to opt-out their child from the sex-ed curriculum.
The final speaker during Wednesday’s floor debate noted that she is the youngest member of the Senate (she narrowly won her state Senate seat last year at age 32 after stepping down from an advocacy position at Planned Parenthood) and the member of the Senate most recently in public school and college. She said this bill is a necessary action to help young people who are sexually assaulted or afraid to talk with their parents about sexuality.
“We need to make these conversations about sex, gender and identity about the facts, so that young people are empowered about their bodies and they’re empowered to make good decisions,” said Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton. “To be able to say no, but to also to ask their partners to say yes before they move forward.”
The senators representing the greater Lewis County area were split on the vote.
In the 20th district, Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, joined the rest of his caucus in voting no.
In the 19th district, Sen. Dean Takko, D-Longview, a co-sponsor of the bill, joined the rest of his caucus (which holds a majority in the Senate) in voting yes.
The bill passed, 28-21.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5395 now moves to the House for consideration.
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Brian Mittge is a father and advocate for public schools that support families. His column runs each Saturday in The Chronicle. He can be reached at brianmittge@hotmail.com.
