A Wisconsin school board introduced new sex education for its K-12 students for the first time in a decade that includes lessons on transgenderism starting as young as the fourth grade.
The Wauwatosa School District on Monday voted in favor of its Human Growth and Development committee’s proposed curriculum revisions for kindergarten to high school.
As part of the recommended revision first presented on Aug. 8, the fourth-grade curriculum — developed for students around 9 or 10 years of age — lists a lesson on "gender identity and expression."
By the end of the lesson, the learning targets and standards say students will be able to "Have awareness of different definitions for gender, including transgender, cisgender, and non-binary;" "Understand that individuals may identify beyond male and female;" "Understand the use of pronouns around gender identity;" "Understand that a label may not describe someone perfectly;" and "Identify at least 1 trusted adult they can talk to if they have questions."
The "standards alignment" says the lesson should "Explain how some people may or may not differ between biological sex at birth and gender identity." It also aims to "define cisgender, transgender, gender non-binary, gender expansive, and gender identity."
Another lesson for fourth-grade students on "sexual orientation and identity" aims to have students "Understand the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity." It also lists "characteristics of a trusted adult and identify trusted adults in the child's life."
Meanwhile, the third-grade curriculum for students even younger also has a "gender identity and expression" lesson that mainly focuses on understanding the use of different gender pronouns.
Other aspects of the curriculum focus on consent and healthy relationships, anatomy and physiology, puberty and identifying interpersonal violence, such as sexual abuse and sexual harassment.
The committee’s purpose statement says, "Together with a community of educators and families, students in the WSD will be empowered to develop healthy relationships, to engage in respectful communication, and to practice responsible decision-making that is grounded in the importance of self-worth and the dignity of others. Prepared instructors will provide grade level appropriate information on sexual health that is current, factual, consistent, and inclusive."
Wauwatosa Superintendent Demond Means told WISN on Monday that up to about 13% of students in the district are identifying themselves with different sexual orientations. He argued that most of the feedback on the curriculum changes has been positive from parents, educators and students.
"What we're finding is that a lot of our students are experiencing dating violence and sexual violence," Means said Monday. "We're also recognizing a lot of our students are identifying themselves with different sexual orientations. That number is up to 13%."
During an Aug. 8 school board meeting, meanwhile, one frustrated parent said of the new curriculum, "This isn't education. It's indoctrination. It's my job as a parent to talk to my kids about this, not yours."
