State health education standards, accreditation, and concerns

NORFOLK - The state of Nebraska is working to finally complete its standards of sex education - a measure that is drawing criticism from some groups of concerned parents.

"Nebraska currently does not have health education standards, so this is the first of its kind," said Lacey Peters, the Health Education Specialist for the department, "and it is the only content area currently that does not have standards at the state level."

The department has received feedback about the drafted standards- most recently capped with an hours-long hearing last week at the Norfolk Public Schools building.

Parents have also brought their concerns to the public schools themselves- as superintendent of Norfolk public schools, Jami Jo Thompson explains.

"Most of the feedback we have received about the state standards are in regards to concern about the age-appropriateness of some of the standards and about whether those topics should be taught in schools or should be taught in the home in the context of family values," she said.

Accreditation of schools requires that districts have standards or frameworks for all content areas, health education included.

One of the concerns raised by parents - school funding, and whether a school could potentially lose funding for not following the state standard.

Thompson wants to address any fears parents may have of enforcement.

"That is not the case," Thompson said, "our funding is not tied to it, our accreditation is not tied to it."

"Adopting those standards are completely optional for public schools."

Thompson says it is up to the school itself what standards it will implement, down to topics and vocabulary used, taking the state and federal standard only as advisement.

The state is currently revising its drafted standard in response to feedback, with a new version planned for release in the summer, and a finalized standard finished by Fall.

"We would encourage people on both sides of the issue to reach out to the Nebraska Department of Education and the state's School Board to provide feedback to them because that's going to."

While the surveys have closed for the first draft of standards, the education department is asking people to direct further comments, questions and concerns to [email protected]