Severe overreach

The Nebraska Department of Education is reaching well beyond its scope of authority with proposed state health standards that address extremely sensitive issues which should instead be taught by parents in the privacy of the home.
Under a draft version of a public-school health standard now being considered, school children would be taught about gender identity stereotypes with a detailed curriculum beginning as early as kindergarten. The draft standards emphasize teaching children respect for people of all genders, gender expressions and gender identities.
While there are some concepts in that last sentence that could fall under the broader umbrella of teaching youngsters how to respect and treat others, the level of specific detail outlined in the proposal is shocking. Many of these topics have become hot-button issues in the modern social-political arena, but to see them reflected in policy recommended for all of Nebraska’s public schools is both disturbing and offensive.
For example, can you envision teachers in our local schools discussing with a classroom full of very young minds areas such as gender identity (1st grade), recognizing genitalia differences (2nd grade), differentiating between sexual orientation and gender identity (4th grade), or explaining sexual intercourse and how it relates to human production (5th grade)?
According to the proposal, kindergartners would also be taught about different kinds of family structures, including “cohabitating” and same-gender families. Fourth graders would be taught the difference between sex assigned at birth and gender identity. Fifth graders would be taught that gender expression and gender identity exist along a spectrum. Sixth graders would learn what sexual identity is and learn about a range of identities related to sexual orientation, among them heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, two-spirit, asexual and pansexual. They would also learn the differences between cis gender, trans gender, gender non-binary, gender expansive and gender identity.
NDE is required by state law to adopt measurable academic statewide assessments covering reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. The standards are to be used for testing student performance with respect to mastery of the content. Nowhere in the statute has the Nebraska Legislature tasked NDE to come up with a way to measure student performance in these content areas.
Local school boards are required by state law to have written health standards or frameworks for health education. Many use national health education standards, or their own locally developed standards. Nonetheless, this proposal, if approved, could be considered for local adoption.
Citizen input will be important in what is shaping up to be an emotional debate. NDE has a survey on its website for anyone interested in expressing their opinion with a deadline of June 1. Comments can also be shared via email at nde.standardsinput@nebraska.gov.
NDE officials need to hear loudly and clearly that it is both unnecessary and inappropriate to require educators to teach lessons better left to parents in the privacy of the home.
Kurt Johnson