Florida: St. Lucie Schools Chief Urges Adoption of Sex Ed Program

In a proposal sent Wednesday to St. Lucie County School Board members, the superintendent urged that the district's sex education curriculum emphasize abstinence and include information about contraception and how to prevent HIV, pregnancy and STDs. Superintendent Michael Lannon is expected to formally make the proposal at Tuesday's board meeting.

Under Lannon's proposal, "Get Real About AIDS" would supplement the district's current abstinence-only program. GRAA materials would primarily target high school students. However, Lannon suggested that seventh-graders should learn about STDs including HIV/AIDS and that eighth-graders learn about condoms. "The fact is, students that age in some cases are having sex," he said.

The District has received about 2,800 letters protesting the proposed supplementary materials. Some opposed to the module believe the district should adhere to teaching abstinence and not condoms. They object to an exercise demonstrating proper condom use and believe some materials are "graphic and sexually explicit."

Lannon proposes that teachers receive GRAA training provided free by the state Department of Education in October and November. He envisions the board could vote on GRAA in December and, if approved, the new sex education classes could be taught by January. In addition, the superintendent said a calendar of curriculum topics would be provided to parents. Parents could decide that their children not participate in particular lessons.

Back to other news for August 2007