New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) released the following statement in response to the New York City public school system’s sex education mandate:

“I am troubled and dismayed that during his third term as Mayor, Michael Bloomberg intends to completely usurp the role of parents and implement a new sex education curriculum in the public schools.
In matters involving intimacy and human sexuality, parents have the right and the responsibility to be the primary educators. Many parents teach their children that these are private topics not to be discussed casually or in group settings.
Twenty years ago, a similar mandate was defeated. At the time, I was honored to stand beside Dr. Irene Impellizzeri when she served as Vice President of what was then the New York City Board of Education. During that time, there was opportunity for parental input. The parents were heard and they were respected. So were the children.
Now there is no formal arena for formal parental input. There is no opportunity for public hearings. There are no requirements that these regulations be open to public review and comment.
No accountability to the public, to the parents, and certainly not the children.
How sad for us all.”

Senator Diaz is rightly concerned about the new sex education mandate in New York City public schools being implemented without a public hearing. I agree that the DOE’s Panel for Educational Priorities should have held hearings but Sen. Diaz ignores that an opt-out provision applies.
I disagree with the curriculum because it does not seek to encourage monogamous marriage. Neither will the program strongly discourage sexual promiscuity nor will it discourage adolescent sexual relations.
It seems as though Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott allowed MTV to design the new sex ed curriculum. I can only hope that they won’t let VH1 design the alcohol and drug abuse awareness curriculum.
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