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Fall River board keeps human growth curriculum intact, shifts "healthy living" out of sixth grade
Summary
After more than an hour of public comment and committee review, the Fall River School Board voted to make no material changes to the district's human growth and development curriculum but approved moving "healthy living" lessons out of sixth grade into fifth, seventh and ninth grades.
After extended public comment, the Fall River School Board voted to retain the district's human growth and development curriculum with no material changes while moving the district's ‘‘healthy living''' lessons out of sixth grade into fifth, seventh and ninth grades.
The decision follows a week of petitions and public testimony: multiple speakers told the board a petition asking to dissolve a section of the curriculum had gathered 269 signatures. Parent Cody Ennis said he intended to opt his child out of nurse-related lessons and described what he called "inappropriate conversations" in classrooms; he told the board, "269 signatures from people who wish to protect our children." Another commenter, Connie Volley, said the petition sought to remove material that discusses gender orientation and identities as sensitive topics that should be handled by families.
Supporters of the existing curriculum also spoke. Tom Polish, a teacher of 29 years, said removing content about gender identity would harm students, saying schools should be ‘‘a safe and welcoming place for all students.'’ Child mental-health clinician Rachel Parks told the board exclusion of gender diversity marginalizes students and can cause negative psychological outcomes.
District administrators and the education advisory committee recommended no substantial content changes, saying the curriculum is age-appropriate and medically accurate and pointing to an existing parental opt-out for specific human growth and development lessons. The education committee chair told the board the committee had a broad mix of perspectives and recommended enhanced communication to ensure parents know when lessons will be taught and how to opt out.
Board member Ken moved to accept administration's recommendation to make no material changes and to move healthy-living lessons out of sixth grade; the motion was seconded by Nate and carried on a board vote.
The board recorded no further immediate revisions; administrators said they would increase transparency by providing more detailed, week-by-week lesson notices and explicit parental opt-out materials."
