Principal Fran Thomas told Fox News Radio that students were indeed given the survey – and admits it was graphic. But Thomas said the school has nothing to do with the content and they were required to administer the survey to fulfill a grant requirement.No, you can't take responsibility for what's on the survey, but you darned sure better take responsibility for giving the survey. "We're getting grant money for giving it" and "the district told me to" are pathetic excuses.
“I can take no responsibility for what’s on that survey,” Thomas said. “It’s not generated by the school system.”
Thomas said the survey was funded by a federal grant and administered by LUK Inc., a local social services agency -- in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control...
“It was not optional,” he said. “It’s part of a grant that they applied for and the district said you have to administer this survey.”
Education, politics, and anything else that catches my attention.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
What A Pathetic Excuse
Don't you love this loser of a principal's attempted excuse for why 7th graders are taking a sexually explicit questionnaire?
My guess...and this is coming from working in a school heavy with grants and grant requirements...that noone even looked at the survey before it was given.
ReplyDeleteHere's an example from my experience. It goes something like this...(very last minute)
Announcement over the PA 1st period: Teachers, please look at your email.
And, the email says: Teachers we have realized for grant requirements, we have to give the students a survey, and it has to be done today to meet the deadline. Please email the number of students you have in your 4th period class. Someone from the office will be hand-delivering your surveys during 3rd period. The whole school will be giving the survey during 4th. When your class is finished, please have a student bring the surveys to the office immediately. Please let us know if you need extra pencils.
So, like I stated before, if this was due to a grant requirement, they just handed it out to get it done. I bet no one read it before hand.
But, Darren, I agree, the administration should admit responsibility for it. But in my opinion, administrators take very little responsibility for anything these days.
If the previous comment is accurate, then so much for parental "opt in/out" notifications, right!
ReplyDeleteIf the principal is going with the "I'm not responsible" excuse then what does the school need a principal for?
Save the school some $$! Fire the principle.
The MS YRBS is completely benign. This woman is being irrational if she expects that her kids have never heard of oral sex or if they are terrifically upset by this thing.
ReplyDeleteFirst, it's anonymous and no one is allowed to see the survey sheets after they're filled out. There's a whole script dealing with it.
Second "Completing the survey is voluntary. Whether or not you answer the questions will not affect your grade in this class. If you are not comfortable answering a question, just leave it blank."
Third, these are all the questions that refer to sex:
"The next 4 questions ask about sexual intercourse.
34. Have you ever had sexual intercourse?
A. Yes
B. No
35. How old were you when you had sexual intercourse for the first time?
A. I have never had sexual intercourse
B. 8 years old or younger
C. 9 years old
D. 10 years old
E. 11 years old
F. 12 years old
G. 13 years old or older
36. With how many people have you ever had sexual intercourse?
A. I have never had sexual intercourse
B. 1 person
C. 2 people
D. 3 people
E. 4 people
F. 5 people
G. 6 or more people
37. The last time you had sexual intercourse, did you or your partner use a condom?
A. I have never had sexual intercourse
B. Yes
C. No"
A problem? Really?
Yes, really. Some people don't want their children exposed to that kind of material, and whether or not *you* think it's OK, they're not *your* children.
ReplyDeleteNo, actually, this is all material that is covered in the *required* health class. In far more detail.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct; these are not my children. If parents don't want their child to see or hear it, sign the exclusion paperwork. If they don't want their child in health class, sign the exclusion paperwork.
If they can't figure that out, perhaps the child isn't the problem.
Oral sex is covered in "health" class? Then the health classes at your school are significantly different than the health classes at my school.
ReplyDelete