Owens and Sex Ed
State changes framework for sex-ed classes
Posted: Saturday, Apr 15, 2006 - 01:04:15 am By Rebekah DanaherDaily News Staff writer
Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill today requiring marriage and parental responsibility to be included in sex education.The bill was introduced by Rep. Carol Owens, R-Oshkosh, as an amendment to a law she initiated a couple years ago. The new legislation, Assembly Bill 309 - forwarded to the Senate last June and passed in March - clarifies that marriage must be taught in any grade level that human growth and development topics are addressed.
Under the previous law, sex ed instruction could include human sexuality, reproduction, family planning, AIDS, prenatal development, childbirth and adoption. And Owens thought she had successfully included marriage in her previous legislation until Beloit resident Pam Charles contacted her about a debate occurring in Beloit.
In 2004 and into early 2005, the School District of Beloit Board of Education was reviewing a human growth and development curriculum proposal from an ad hoc advisory committee, on which Charles served. After one disagreement arose in the district about whether marriage was required to be taught in grades 5 and 6, Charles referred to the state statute that would seemingly support marriage instruction.
The district challenged it and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) backed the district's interpretation of the law, saying the statute wasn't clear and even sent a letter to Owens saying so. Charles said she had contacted the representative, feeling Owens' intent in writing the original bill was not being honored.
“It was clear to me that what she wanted, was to teach that this is very serious business, that bringing children into the world is very serious and that child bearing is preferably something we do as an adult,” Charles said.
Owens credits Charles for alerting her to the issue and for pointing out the need for additional clarification. At odds with the DPI's interpretation of the statute, Owens said she had little recourse other than to introduce another bill that would indisputably require marriage to be taught in any grade that sexual reproduction is taught.
AB 309 reads clearly that should any curriculum include reproduction, sexuality or any human growth and development “the school board shall ensure that instruction in marriage and parental responsibility is provided in the same course, during the same school year.”
Owens said it is critical that students understand the potential consequences that come with being sexually active. With school boards changing membership constantly, Owens said it is a matter that needed to be written into the statute.
“It isn't just my district I represent here, it's the state of Wisconsin,” she said. “Any time there's a problem we should fix it.”
“When kids learn how reproduction is done they also need to know that with sexual activity comes consequences and responsibility,” Charles said. “I want them to become educated to the ideal circumstances for bringing children into the world. We need to give them all the facts of life.”
Sen. Judy Robson, D-Beloit, voted against the bill when it came through the Senate but was not immediately reached for comment late Friday. The bill passed the Assembly by voice vote so there is no accessible record of how Rep. Chuck Benedict, D-Beloit, voted.
A different bill he co-sponsored last fall would have also altered Owens' original legislation, but in a different way. The proposal Assembly Bill 690, written by Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, would have required school boards to include specific information such as self-esteem, communications with parents, sexual anatomy and physiology, recognition of unwanted sexual advances, information about counseling and medical resources for victims of sexual assault, sexual stereotypes and protective behavior.
Marriage, parental responsibility, prenatal development, adoption, abstinence, and prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases would have been taught beginning in grade 7 in the Democrats' bill.That bill failed to make it out of committee and with AB 309's success and marriage now part of the statute, a spokesperson for Owens said opponents of the measure would have to try another tactic to amend the statute.
Posted: Saturday, Apr 15, 2006 - 01:04:15 am By Rebekah DanaherDaily News Staff writer
Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill today requiring marriage and parental responsibility to be included in sex education.The bill was introduced by Rep. Carol Owens, R-Oshkosh, as an amendment to a law she initiated a couple years ago. The new legislation, Assembly Bill 309 - forwarded to the Senate last June and passed in March - clarifies that marriage must be taught in any grade level that human growth and development topics are addressed.
Under the previous law, sex ed instruction could include human sexuality, reproduction, family planning, AIDS, prenatal development, childbirth and adoption. And Owens thought she had successfully included marriage in her previous legislation until Beloit resident Pam Charles contacted her about a debate occurring in Beloit.
In 2004 and into early 2005, the School District of Beloit Board of Education was reviewing a human growth and development curriculum proposal from an ad hoc advisory committee, on which Charles served. After one disagreement arose in the district about whether marriage was required to be taught in grades 5 and 6, Charles referred to the state statute that would seemingly support marriage instruction.
The district challenged it and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) backed the district's interpretation of the law, saying the statute wasn't clear and even sent a letter to Owens saying so. Charles said she had contacted the representative, feeling Owens' intent in writing the original bill was not being honored.
“It was clear to me that what she wanted, was to teach that this is very serious business, that bringing children into the world is very serious and that child bearing is preferably something we do as an adult,” Charles said.
Owens credits Charles for alerting her to the issue and for pointing out the need for additional clarification. At odds with the DPI's interpretation of the statute, Owens said she had little recourse other than to introduce another bill that would indisputably require marriage to be taught in any grade that sexual reproduction is taught.
AB 309 reads clearly that should any curriculum include reproduction, sexuality or any human growth and development “the school board shall ensure that instruction in marriage and parental responsibility is provided in the same course, during the same school year.”
Owens said it is critical that students understand the potential consequences that come with being sexually active. With school boards changing membership constantly, Owens said it is a matter that needed to be written into the statute.
“It isn't just my district I represent here, it's the state of Wisconsin,” she said. “Any time there's a problem we should fix it.”
“When kids learn how reproduction is done they also need to know that with sexual activity comes consequences and responsibility,” Charles said. “I want them to become educated to the ideal circumstances for bringing children into the world. We need to give them all the facts of life.”
Sen. Judy Robson, D-Beloit, voted against the bill when it came through the Senate but was not immediately reached for comment late Friday. The bill passed the Assembly by voice vote so there is no accessible record of how Rep. Chuck Benedict, D-Beloit, voted.
A different bill he co-sponsored last fall would have also altered Owens' original legislation, but in a different way. The proposal Assembly Bill 690, written by Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, would have required school boards to include specific information such as self-esteem, communications with parents, sexual anatomy and physiology, recognition of unwanted sexual advances, information about counseling and medical resources for victims of sexual assault, sexual stereotypes and protective behavior.
Marriage, parental responsibility, prenatal development, adoption, abstinence, and prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases would have been taught beginning in grade 7 in the Democrats' bill.That bill failed to make it out of committee and with AB 309's success and marriage now part of the statute, a spokesperson for Owens said opponents of the measure would have to try another tactic to amend the statute.
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