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Written by Steve Cannon for USSA News.
The Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) in Texas has been forced to halt its plans to implement an unapproved sex education curriculum after receiving backlash from parents and community members. This decision follows a heated school board meeting on Jan. 24 where over two dozen parents and community members spoke out against the HealthSmart program, which the district had approved for a $2.6 million purchase last spring.
Superintendent Angélica Ramsey informed families in her weekly email on Jan. 27 that the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) would restart its sexual education curriculum process, stating that “there is not an approved, adopted, or recommended Human Sexuality Curriculum for the 2022-2023 school year.” The delay will suspend the instructional delivery process of the sexual education unit for the 2022-2023 school year, according to Ramsey.
Parents’ Concerns Parents and community members had several objections to the HealthSmart program, including its use of language and graphic images that they deemed inappropriate for children. Parent Kathryn Pompa, who is also a registered nurse and SHAC member, criticized the curriculum for promoting “gender identity ideology” and denying scientific truth.
Caleb Backholm, a father of three and candidate for the Fort Worth City Council, raised concerns about the curriculum teaching religion wrongly and “attacking basic Christian doctrine in our schools.”
Transparency Issues Parents also expressed frustration with the lack of transparency from the district regarding the sex-ed curriculum, with some saying they had to make an open-records request to get access to the program.
State Board of Education Weighs In Longtime State Board of Education member Pat Hardy explained that the HealthSmart curriculum does not align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, the standard set by the state. Hardy praised Ramsey for her decision to halt the implementation of the curriculum, saying, “My hat’s off to her.”
Hailey Sinclair, a nurse and parent, was the only one who spoke in favor of the curriculum, expressing her concern about the high rate of sexually transmitted infections among students and the need for improvement in the district’s sex education.
In conclusion, the Fort Worth ISD has been forced to halt its controversial sex ed curriculum after receiving significant backlash from parents and community members. The district will now restart its process of creating a sex education curriculum that aligns with state law and meets the needs of its students and families.
