I was watching the local news and they mentioned a controversial issue on an Ohio school board agenda. They were very vague with the details but said that a controversial group would be teaching the Constitution and that the school board wants to teach Creationism. I wonder if Creationism is even involved or they're just using that to keep things like Agenda 21 from being mentioned in the class room?
I got this off the school boards website...
Just thought this was kind of interesting...
2240 - CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES[additions in bold type, no deletions]
The Board of Education believes that training for effective citizenship is one of the major purposes of education. This can be done by recognizing that many important areas of study involve issues on which differing positions are held by individuals or groups.
Properly introduced and conducted, the consideration of such issues can help students think critically, learn to identify important issues, explore fully and fairly all sides of an issue, weigh carefully the values and factors involved, and develop techniques for formulating and evaluating positions.
For purposes of this policy, controversial issues include:
religion when not used in a historical or factual context, sex education, legalization of drugs, evolution/creation, pro-life/abortion, contraception/abstinence, conservatism/liberalism,
politics, gun rights, global warming and climate change, UN Agenda 21 and sustainable development, and any other topic on which opposing points of view have been promulgated by responsible opinion and/or likely to arouse both support and opposition in the community.
The Board permits the introduction and proper educational use of controversial issues provided that their use in the instructional program:
is related to the instructional goals of the course of study and level of maturity of the students;
does not tend to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view;
encourages open-mindedness and is conducted in a spirit of scholarly inquiry.Controversial issues related to the program may be initiated by the students themselves provided they are presented in the ordinary course of classroom instruction and it is not substantially disruptive to the educational setting.
When controversial issues have not been specified in the course of study, the Board will permit the instructional use of only those issues which have been approved by the principal.
The role of the teacher in the presentation of assigned issues is vitally important. All sides of the issue should be given to the students in a dispassionate manner. The goal is for the students to be taught to think clearly on all matters of importance, and to make decisions in the light of all the material that has been presented or can be researched on the issues.
The Board recognizes that a course of study or certain instructional materials may contain content and/or activities that some parents find objectionable. If after careful, personal review of the program lessons and/or materials, a parent indicates to the school that either the content or activities conflicts with his/her religious beliefs or value system, the school will honor a written request for his/her child to be excused from a particular class for specified reasons. The student, however, will not be excused from participating in the course and will be provided alternate learning activities during times of such parent requested absences.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for dealing with controversial issues and with parental concerns about program content or the use of particular materials.
R.C. 3313.601
Revised 3/22/99
Revised 1/21/03
Revised 4/25/13
