Sex Education

Local Control, Parental Control

A BIG THANK YOU for all the time, energy and money spent to help the effort to get signatures for Initiative 1109!  Unfortunately we fell short of the minimum needed to turn in to Olympia.

This has been an extraordinary year of miracle highs and lows but one constant has been the waking up of families to the realities of what the schools are teaching to our children.  This is not the end and Common Sense Sex Ed will continue to fight to protect our children. 

We encourage you to stay connected with us.   We will be keeping our email so feel free to contact us with your concerns and questions.   We may be moving our website but the information will still be available for you to share with others on another link. 

THANK YOU AGAIN for your support in our efforts. 

Georgene Faries

Game Changer: Going beyond R90

R90 rolled back the very partisan ESSB5395 that mandated explicit comprehensive Sex Education in all districts. The focus of most parents was on curriculum content. That content is controlled by the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), not at the local district by local parents. The choices that schools were given is like the story of Henry Ford. What color do you want your car? All the cars come in only black. All the curriculum has the same tone, information and philosophical foundation.

Initiative 1109 gives back the control of the guidelines, standards and curriculum choice or content to the local board. Now, even if R90 passes, OSPI can change the standards and choices of curriculum. Local school boards must have OSPI approval in accordance to their philosophy. 1109 also rolls back the Healthy Youth Act of 2007 that forfeited local control to OSPI.

The same is true about parental control. With Initiative 1109, parents sign their child into the program (usually 10-30 days in length) not out of the program. The goal is to reduce peer pressure, as well as risk-taking.

Initiative 1109 is a positive replacement for the comprehensive sex education that schools are already teaching. R90 does not change those districts already teaching sex ed.

WHAT IS PREVENTION? Prevention activities are typically categorized by the following three definitions: 1. Primary Prevention—intervening before health effects occur, through measures such as vaccinations, altering risky behaviors (poor eating habits, tobacco use), and banning substances known to be associated with a disease or health condition.

2. Secondary Prevention—screening to identify diseases in the earliest stages, before the onset of signs and symptoms, through measures such as mammography and regular blood pressure testing.

3. Tertiary Prevention—managing disease post diagnosis to slow or stop disease progression through measures such as chemotherapy, rehabilitation, and screening for complications.1

WHAT IS OPTIMAL HEALTH? "Optimal health is a dynamic balance of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health…Lifestyle change can be facilitated through a combination of learning experiences that enhance awareness, increase motivation, and build skills and, most important, through the creation of opportunities that open access to environments that make positive health practices the easiest choice." 2 3

1 https://www.cdc.gov/pictureofamerica/pdfs/picture_of_america_prevention.pdf

2 https://www.hhs.gov/opa/reproductive-health/optimal-health/index.html#ftn1

3 O’Donnell, M. P. (2009). Definition of Health Promotion 2.0: Embracing Passion, Enhancing Motivation, Recognizing Dynamic Balance, and Creating Opportunities. American Journal of Health Promotion, 24(1), iv-iv. doi:10.4278/ajhp.24.1.iv

What is needed?

  1. Leaders to organize drive-by events since all events in the state have been canceled
  2. Signature gatherers
  3. Locations for gathering signatures
  4. Opportunity to speak on a Zoom type board or group meeting to explain the initiative
  5. Financial supporters for this campaign

 

Below you will find the campaign headquarters information.