Back in February, the Austin Independent School District gave preliminary approval for a major overhaul to its sexual education curriculum, formally called “Human Sexuality and Responsibility.” Long the subject of intense debate, the district held multiple public sessions over the course of a few years, and opted to implement the changes despite the pushback from worried parents and teachers.
“Do you want instructors whose personal values may be at odds with yours to encourage your kids to question what they’ve been taught at home, and in church?” asked former AISD teacher Caryl Ayala, who is also the co-founder of the group “Concerned Parents of Austin.”
This week, AISD’s Student Health Advisory Committee met to discuss the new curriculum, as well as the potential impact that Senate Bill 22 may have moving forward. That legislation would effectively ban local governments and other public entities from partnering up with abortion providers. And the sticking point for AISD is that its new sex ed curriculum was written and designed by Planned Parenthood.
Angie Phillips is one of the parents who got a chance to see the full curriculum when it was on display for several days in May. She told KXAN she was very concerned about what she saw, and how it may impact her son as he enters 7th grade.
“To be explaining stuff that is far beyond his social and emotional ability at this point, as a newly 12-year-old, is extremely concerning,” she told KXAN.
Senate Bill 22 currently sits on the desk of Governor Greg Abbott. If signed, it could signal big problems for AISD because it would almost certainly force the district to completely scrap its new curriculum and start back at square one.
A final vote had been planned for June 17, however, due to the uncertainty that surrounds SB22’s impact, the school board has moved its final vote back to August in hopes there will be some resolution to the issue prior to that date.
