How Trump’s Proposed Budget Would Affect Sex Ed
Probably one of the largest concerns since the presidential election has been the question of what impact the election results would have on sex ed funding going forward. Over the past eight years, more and more funding has been funneled toward comprehensive sex ed programs, while funding for abstinence-only sex ed has shrunk. But Trump’s proposed 2018 budget would—among other things—put $277 million aside for abstinence-only education. This proposed budget is, of course, still just a proposal, and requires approval by Congress. But these plans are definitely a (mostly unsurprising) glimpse at the direction in which things might go.
Related to this, President Trump has appointed Valerie Huber as chief of staff to the assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services. Huber is a longstanding abstinence-only education advocate, who led Ohio’s abstinence and education program from 2004 to 2007, and who previously served as the president of Ascend, a group formerly known as the National Abstinence Education Association.
Michigan School District Considers Providing Sex Ed To All Grades
Battle Creek Public Schools, in Battle Creek, Michigan, is considering the adoption of a revised sexual education plan that would include lessons for students in all grades. This curriculum would address the need to respect all people, including LGBTQ students.
Palo Alto School Board Defends Sex Ed Process
The other month, we blogged about parents in Palo Alto, California, who were threatening legal action because of a new sex ed curriculum offered to middle schoolers. While the Board has since apologized for any missteps they made in communication and transparency during the curriculum implementation process, they are standing by their program selection.
