CHICAGO - Parents throughout Illinois have been attending local school board meetings to voice their objection to three policies their local public schools are implementing this school year: COVID mask mandates, Critical Race Theory and explicit Sex Ed curriculum - all supported and promoted by the Pritzker Administration.
Indeed, despite pleas from parents at school meetings over the past few months, the governor signed into law SB 818 late last Friday afternoon - opening the way for a sex education curriculum that Bloomington parent Becky Swan began opposing in June. At that time, she predicted the governor would sign the measure.
"I'd like to see Governor Pritzker veto SB 818, but let's be honest, I don't think he will. The next step is that the superintendents and the school boards in every district must pass a resolution to denounce this bill and say they will not teach this...," she told Illinois Review. "If they don't do that, we need to have our teachers wear body cams. We want our police officers to be accountable - so should the teachers if they insist on moving forward."
With the new sex education standards enacted, parents will be able to "opt out" - which means they must notify the schools of their desire for their children to not be included in the classes. If there is no notification from parents, it will be assumed they approve of their children's participation in the classes.
With SB 8181, among other topics, Grades K-2 students will learn to identify different kinds of families; define gender, gender identity and gender-role stereotypes; also learn medically-accurate names for genitals.
Grades 3-5 students will learn about romantic and sexual feelings, masturbation, mood swings, timing of pubertal onset; describe the role hormones play in the physical, social, cognitive, and emotional changes during adolescence and the potential role of hormone blockers on young people who identify as transgender; define and explain differences between cisgender, transgender, gender non-binary, gender expansive, and gender identity. Explain that gender expression and gender identity exist along a spectrum
Grades 6-8 students will learn details about vaginal, oral, and anal sex; sexual identity and explain a range of identities related to sexual orientation (e.g., heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, twospirit, asexual, pansexual), as well as about at least four methods of contraception that are available without a prescription (e.g., abstinence, condoms, emergency contraception, withdrawal)
Grades 9-12 'ers will learn to differentiate between sex assigned at birth, gender identity, and gender expression; how to identify factors that impact the risk of unintended pregnancy and potential transmission of STDs, including HIV, from a variety of sexual behaviors, including vaginal, oral, and anal sex; and also define reproductive justice and explain its history and how it relates to sexual health.
The second bill Pritzker signed requires sex ed classes to discuss sexting.
From Governor Pritzker's office on Friday, August 20, 2021:
SPRINGFIELD — Building on efforts to modernize and strengthen Illinois’ education system, Governor JB Pritzker signed two bills today that update the state’s sex education standards in K-12 schools. The voluntary standards will emphasize health, safety, and inclusivity with age-appropriate resources. The standards do not need to be adopted in school districts that do not provide comprehensive sexual health education and parents may choose to opt their children out.
“Modernizing our sex education standards will help keep our children safe and ensure important lessons like consent and internet safety are taught in classrooms,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “By working together, we’ll continue to strengthen our education system and deliver the bright future our kids deserve.”
Senate Bill 818 brings Illinois’ sexual health education into the 21st century by adding new personal health and safety education standards in kindergarten through 5th grade, and making comprehensive health education more inclusive in grades 6 through 12. School districts do not have to adopt the voluntary standards unless they are teaching comprehensive sexual health education, and parents can choose to opt out.
Course material and instruction will help students learn about concepts like consent and will develop self-advocacy skills for effective communication with parents or guardians, health and social service professionals, other trusted adults, and peers about health and relationships.
The Illinois State Board of Education will develop and adopt these new voluntary learning standards in consultation with stakeholders, including parents, sexual health and violence prevention experts, health care providers, and education advocates. They will make these free resources available online no later than August 1, 2022.
SB 818 takes effect immediately.
“No student should feel stigmatized or excluded in the classroom,” said State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago). “This legislation puts forth guidelines for an inclusive, culturally competent curriculum to keep students safe and healthy.”
“As a legislator, assuring that young people have all the tools to make healthy decisions has been a priority for me,” said State Representative Camille Lilly (D-Chicago). “Seven years ago when we fought to move sexual health education in Illinois beyond abstinence-only education, we knew there was more work to be done. Today marks another step in our efforts to ensure that young people receive a full toolbox of knowledge and skills to reduce harm and support overall health for their entire lives. I thank all those who have worked on the Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Act as well as all those who voted to pass it. We know that the need of young people evolves, we must keep pace.”
House Bill 24 requires classes that teach sex education to include an age-appropriate discussion regarding sexting. The discussion will include:
• information regarding the possible consequences of sharing or forwarding sexually explicit or suggestive content
• the identification of situations in which bullying or harassment may result as a consequence of sexting
• the potential for long-term legal, social, academic, and other consequences from possessing sexual content,
• the importance of internet safety,
• the identification of people who could be of assistance on this issue to students
• and the development of strategies to resist peer pressure.
HB 24 takes effect immediately.
“Technology has grown a lot in the last decade, and our education needs to adapt as well,” said State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This new law requires those schools that teach sex education to include a lesson on sexting, so students can learn about the real-life consequences of the virtual act.”
“With the evolution of technology and the increasing access for our children, it is vital that they understand the consequences of sexting. And now they will,” said State Representative Maurice West (D-Rockford). “I want to thank Governor Pritzker and my colleagues in the General Assembly for their support in passing this important legislation.”
