BY MALIA ZIMMERMAN – HONOLULU, Hawaii — State Rep. Bob McDermott is mad, and he thinks you should be as well.
The Ewa Republican is outraged that the state Department of Education won’t release a copy of its controversial sex-education curriculum, Pono Choices, now being taught to the state’s 11-, 12- and 13-year-olds in public middle schools.
As a parent, taxpayer and legislator, McDermott said he should be able to get a copy of the 10-hour curriculum from either the state Department of Education or the University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies, which developed the $800,000 pilot program.
“We are asking the public to demand that all materials used in the Pono Choices program be released to the public, whose tax money has already paid for it to be developed, so that they can be informed as to what is being put in front of their innocent children in our public education system,” McDermott said Wednesday.
Some 1,700 public middle school students already have been through the Pono Choices curriculum. “Pono” means “the right way” or “doing what is right” in the Hawaiian language.
The DOE has called the program “medically accurate,” adding it informs teens about pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. But many parents have found its content offensive, graphic and inappropriate for their children. It includes sections on same-sex relationships.
Some parents also were concerned when their 11-year-olds learned about anal, vaginal and oral sex, McDermott said. Other parents complained when they were discovered their children learned to put a condom on a cucumber or wooden replica of a penis.
Because parents complained, the DOE’s plans to expand the Pono Choices from 12 to 19 schools was put on hold last month while the pilot curriculum was reviewed. However, two weeks later, the program was reinstated.
Donalyn Dela Cruz, director of communications and community affairs for the Hawaii State Department of Education, told McDermott in an email the course material would not be made public, but offered to have the lead researcher “address any questions.”
That researcher, Kelly Robert, told McDermott in a follow-up email: “We are not releasing the curriculum or associated materials to anyone who has not gone through the Pono Choices training.”
McDermott said the DOE is trying to hide its “pro-gay agenda.”
“They now have chosen to hide this material because they claim to know better than parents and state legislators what material is appropriate for their children and will not tolerate interference with their plans,” McDermott said. “You, as a parent, are no longer needed or wanted in the loop.”
Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom, R-Hawaii Kai-Diamond Head, said his office ran into the same roadblocks as McDermott.
“We made a formal request as representatives of the people to get information, which is funded by the taxpayers. It was denied,” Slom said. “A government that hides public information is antithetical to democracy. Particularly now when have our state government and state administration talking so much about transparency. There is a total lack of transparency here.”
They didn't like… don't ask don't tell, now you ask but they don't tell?! I thought all the dirty laundry was out of the closet now you want to hide it? Pono… Really!? Don't miss use the meaning to suit your agenda, keep true to the meaning for everyone and everything. What is good for the goose is good for the gander…. No can your double standard!
Shaftalley – You want to keep the duly elected representatives of the people "out of it," and leave "what's best for us" to non elected bureaucrats in the bowels of the Department of Education? I'm not sure that's an improvement. Your suggestion that parents should fork over their tax money and then start home schooling or pay for private school is insulting. Why should we have nothing to say about how Abercrombie's socialist regieme spends our money and indoctrinates our children? Representative McDermott IS a parent of young children in public schools. He was unable to get Pono Choices curriculum materials as either a parent OR as an elected official. This is wrong.
KHON2 FINALLY reporting about this, but leaving out Bob's frustration of DOE rejecting his info request. KHON report DOE stating; "Presentshomosexual behavior in the situational scenarios as a healthy, equivalent behavior to male/female relationships,"
A little more info can be found at; https://www.khon2.com/news/lawmaker-complains-abou…
Curious why they would be reluctant to disclose. “We are not releasing the curriculum or associated materials to anyone who has not gone through the Pono Choices training.” Simple enough. Have one of the kids that have been through it make the request.
Maybe DOE wants to promote "Men loving young boys" clubs/organizations, or same sex marriage, without being too obvious? Nah!
Perhaps the Education Department could enlighten us on their definition of "Pono". What may be pono for some liberals may NOT be pono for the majority of Hawaii's parents and concerned citizens.
Now that Gay Marriage is OK in Hawaii, will we be seeing gay sex how to? introduced to school children in sex ed class. Especially the schools where our politicians children learn?
Governor Abercrombie cockiness goes throughout his administration as his DOE people includes Senator Brian Shatz's brother. And also a endorsed by, President B.O. for re-election.
Governor Abercrombie stated.
"I am deeply honored and gratified by President Obama's endorsement. I share the President's vision of a nation and a state that improves the lives of all families and communities. I am eager and ready to continue working with him and his administration on an agenda for Hawai'i and the United States. With him I say, 'yes we can!'"
Read; https://www.khon2.com/news/president-obama-backs-a…
Good contents are hard to find. Some are very useful when doing research which I need it desperately. Thank you for being one of them. Etsy
With Obamacare's online healthcare marketplace and Hawaii's "Connector," it was a resounding "NO, WE CAN'T."
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