The Board also got an overview of the process for Schools of Choice and the Permeable Boundary process from Gail Gillengerten, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent. She is then also functioning as a vendor of her own curriculum product, ‘Puberty: The Wonder Years.’ We are therefore paying her twice as taxpayers-once to consult for us on which curriculum we should use, and then again to sell us her curriculum.” Dreger said she’d brought this to the attention of two board members since 2015 and have received no response from them. “She is functioning as a consultant paid by our government to tell us about our sex ed curriculum options.
“Wendy Sellers is playing two conflicting roles, and this has to stop,” said Dreger. She said she hoped the Board of Education would make sure it was now in compliance.ĭreger also stated that it was inappropriate for Wendy Sellers to function in what she called “dual roles” with regards to sex ed curriculum. (Dreger is the Publisher and Board President of ELi, but was speaking only for herself at the meeting.) Dreger expressed her concern that the District had previously been out of compliance with State of Michigan requirements for sex ed, and had risked up to $80,000 in fines as the result.
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Parents also have full access to the materials if they come in to school and ask to see the binders.ĭuring public comment on the sex ed curriculum, one person, Alice Dreger, parent of a junior in the high school, addressed the Board of Education. Some parent resources will be available online, while other materials may be seen only by asking the curriculum’s author, Wendy Sellers. The Sex Ed Advisory Board will recommend adopting units on genetics and refusal skills, but needs more study before adopting a lesson instructing sixth grade students on use of condoms. According to Vrbanac, the new edition “offers some very beneficial updates” and reordering of materials including separation into different binders, rubrics, a “teacher-friendly website,” more support for parents on gender identity issues, the use of gender-neutral names, and pre- and post-testing. The Advisory Board has also looked at 2015 edition of “Puberty: The Wonder Years,” which is sex ed curriculum for grades four, five and six. Although the video is not currently available for online viewing, it may be viewed by making an appointment with Vrbanac. She said that that the sex ed Advisory Board had found a video called “I Wish” sponsored by United Way of Jackson County that did a good job of showing the consequences of teen pregnancy from multiple perspectives. The public hearing on sex ed began with a presentation by ELPS Sex Education Director Mary Ellen Vrbanac, who reported that the District’s Sex Ed Advisory Board was currently working on a number of things, including high school curriculum aimed at reducing rates of teen pregnancy. Last night’s meeting of the East Lansing Board of Education included a public hearing on sex ed curriculum as well as a presentation on Schools of Choice and Permeable Boundaries. Above: Mary Ellen Vrbanac presenting to the School Board last night.