Tuesday, June 28, 2005

'Unprecedented victory for parents' against county school board

Montgomery County parents announced what their spokesman called an "unprecedented victory" over the public school system.

Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum and another group sued the Montgomery County Board of Education (BoE) to force the board to stop its "veggie sex" program, a supposed health curriculum that promoted premarital sex and sodomy. Earlier this year, a federal judge imposed a restraining order on the county school system that effectively banned the sex-ed curriculum, partly on the grounds that it discriminated against specific religious denominations. What follows is from the parent groups' news release, issued at 12:08 a.m. on June 28:

John Garza, an attorney for Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum issued the following statement:

“The agreement between the BOE and the Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum and Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays is an historic and unprecedented victory for parents. Never before have parents been able to stop implementation of a curriculum which so many parents found offensive.

“We feel vindicated in achieving our main three goals. We were able to stop the curriculum from being implemented in six pilot schools this year.

"Secondly, we were able to have the Citizens Advisory Committee, which was charged by the Board with the writing of the 8th and 10th grade Comprehensive Health Education curriculum, disbanded. The Committee used a variety of tactics to exclude viewpoints that differed with those supporting their social agenda. It held up to ridicule and derision the deeply held religious beliefs of many in this county.

"Finally, we were able to bring to the Board’s attention the nature of the faulty process that led to a badly flawed curriculum.”

Regina Griggs, PFOX’s executive director stated, “We believe in respect for all students, including the ex-gays.” She believes that “filing the suit was the right thing to do in light of the thousands of signatures against the curriculum and the clear ruling of law in the court case.”

According to the settlement, the Board will grant CRC and PFOX each a seat on a new 15 member Citizens Advisory Committee.

The Constitutionally questionable teacher resources which portrayed some religions as hateful and misguided because of their stand on homosexuality have been eliminated.

In addition, Montgomery County Public Schools has agreed to hold parent meetings informing them of the new curriculum at least 2 weeks in advance of new sex-ed classes and it has agreed to give parents at least 1 week notice of the meetings.
It will also make the new curriculum and teacher resources available at the parent meetings.

Any parental permission forms involving the new curriculum must include a statement that “sexual variations” will be taught, and sexual orientation will be discussed. . . .

Both parent groups promise to remain vigilant as the curriculum is rewritten and will keep parents informed as it is developed. They strongly encourage the BOE to reconstitute the Citizens Advisory Committee in a way that equitably represents the viewpoints of all citizens in the county.

School system still discriminates against ex-gays

Despite the parental victory over the Board of Education (BoE), the settlement on the sex-ed issue leaves Montgomery County in continued discrimination against students who have left the homosexual lifestyle.

That proves the county is still committed to promoting homosexuality among public school kids.

Board of Education blocks parental request to warn kids about AIDS lifestyle health risks

The Montgomery County Board of Education (BoE) is so committed to pushing its alternative lifestyle agenda that it has refused parents' requests that school sex-ed programs tell the whole truth about behavior that subjects kids to AIDS.

Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum (CRC) and Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) say the board "refused" their requests that future public school sex-ed curriculum "fully disclose the health risks associated with oral and anal sex."

CRC attorney John Garza said the refusal constitutes "outright contradictions of the BoE’s stated goals of tolerance and commitment to 'comprehensive, fact-based sexual education.'"

The original "veggie sex" video advised kids on how to have anal sex and failed to warn about the health risks. The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that anal sex is "simply too dangerous to practice."

According to CFC, "the Board has refused to add any information on this health risk."

Saturday, June 25, 2005

MCPS info indicates Weast lied about hate crimes

Montgomery Schools Superintendent Jerry Weast appears to have lied in 2002 about hate crimes in order to push his pro-homosexual agenda in public schools.

MCPS Public Information Director Brian Edwards tells Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum (CRC) that the school system keeps no records that would have allowed Weast to claim that gay kids were being bullied.

"Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum requested under the Maryland Public Information Act, that Montgomery County Public Schools provide documentation and support for Superintendent Dr. Jerry Weast’s repeated allegations of: 'emotional distress', 'physical violence', 'unsafe feelings', 'bullying' and 'hate' directed against Montgomery County Public School students because of their sexual orientation," according to a CRC notice.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

County thinks school system isn't serious about gangs

Montgomery County Council members questioned "how seriously Montgomery County Public Schools perceived the threat gangs presented to the county's young people," the Business Gazette reports.

"Whether we want to believe it or not, we have gangs in Montgomery County," Police Chief J. Thomas Manger told the County Council.

"In a memo describing its own anti-gang activities, the school system provided a lengthy list of programs designed to aid virtually all students, not just those at risk of joining gangs, including class size reduction and a high school wellness center," according to the Gazette.

The worst gang activity comes from the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), centered around illegal immigrants from El Salvador. The school system said not a word about the need to enforce immigration laws. (Neither did the County Council, which has a policy of protecting illegal immigrants from those who would enforce the law.)

"What is going to be Montgomery County Public Schools' role? At the moment, it's less than clear," said Council President Thomas E. Perez (D-Dist. 5) of Takoma Park.

The County is funding a number of social programs, but is failing to support the local police. According to the Gazette, "The police department sought $597,900 for gang task force unit officers and received only $133,230."