Purpose:

The Purpose for the Comprehensive Sexual Health Curriculum Identification Taskforce is to recommend curriculum and educational materials for use for sexual health instruction in alignment with the requirements of Senate Bill 5395, passed by the State Legislature in 2020.

Basis for Establishment:

Senate Bill 5395, passed by the Legislature and Washington voters in 2020, went into effect on December 3, 2020. It requires all public schools to provide comprehensive sexual health education (CSHE) by the 2022–23 school year, with some requirements beginning in the 2020-21 school year. Instruction must be consistent with Health Education K-12 Learning Standards, which provide a framework for comprehensive instruction and the provisions of the law. Instruction must also be age-appropriate, medically and scientifically accurate, and inclusive of all students, using language and strategies that recognize all members of protected classes.

Plan of Work:

Membership:

The task force will consist of Meridian teachers, staff, parents, and guardians/community members. District staff membership is based on their teaching assignment or role. Detailed review and rating of materials will be done by grade band. When applying to participate on the task force, please indicate which grade band you would be interested in reviewing.

Task Force Members:

  • Natalie Eining, elementary teacher

  • Suzanne Lange, elementary teacher
  • Caitlin Sana, elementary teacher
  • Courtney Stacy, middle School teacher
  • Aaliyah Fuentes, high school student
  • Sara Meadows, high school Special Education teacher
  • Elliot Brubaker, high school teacher
  • Malia Pickett, parent/community member
  • Melissa Henry, parent/community member
  • Facilitators: Adrienne Somera, Director of Teaching and Learning and Christine Hagstrom, Cardea Services

Meeting Schedule:

  • Nov. 9, 2021, noon to 3 p.m.
    • Overview of the purpose and charge of the committee.
    • Review background on Comprehensive Sexual Health Education including requirements of the statute.
    • Draft criteria for reviewing curricular materials using guidelines from OSPI and taking into consideration input from families and the needs of students and teachers.
  • Nov. 29, 2021, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    • Finalize criteria for reviewing curriculum materials and calibrate scoring.
    • Work in grade level teams to begin a review and scoring of curricular materials.
    • Initial discussion of topics beyond those required by statute that should be included.
    • Based on initial review, the elementary team determined that they would eliminate FLASH from further review for 4th-5th grades.
  • Feb. 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Meetings will take place in our Professional Development/Board Room on the MHS campus.

Vaccination:

Volunteers serving on committees are on campus for a period of time and work in close physical proximity to others while on site. Therefore, they would be considered “on-site volunteers” and subject to the vaccination requirement. Before parents or guardians/community members could engage in work on the committee, the District would be required to verify the members’ vaccination status or entitlement to an accommodation or exemption.

Questions:

Please contact Adrienne Somera, Director of Teaching and Learning.

Committees and Advisory Groups