want the topics taught at all. Of 582
to the holes in the standards when he
respondents, 218 said they wanted sexual
served on a committee to shape them
orientation issues discussed in middle
starting in 2004 and objected to them in
school, 132 in high school, and 153 not at
a lengthy memo to the state Board of
all. A sex education advisory committee
Education in June 2006, noting that
was scheduled to recommend changes to
they made no mention of presidents like
Howell's sex education curriculum in
Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt,
May.142
and Ronald Reagan, important figures
· Grosse Pointe--In March, the Grosse
like Rosa Parks and Henry Ford, and
major events such as Watergate and the
Pointe Public School's new sex education
Holocaust. State Superintendent Mike
and health curriculum was under fire
Flanagan agreed with many of Warren's
before it was even implemented. Parents
objections to the proposed standards,
across the district felt that the new cur-
adding that "the people have to have
riculum was too explicit for the fourth-
faith that we're not propagandizing,"
through eighth-grade students at whom
and removed consideration of them
it was targeted, and many felt it had been
from the Board's June agenda.140
thrown together too quickly. "I won't let
my children be experimented on because
this is an untested program. Nobody
Integration vs. Self-Determination
· Detroit--State lawmakers took up legisla-
knows the impact this might have on
them or anyone else," said parent Emmy
tion that would allow single-sex schools in
Georgeson. District assistant superinten-
Detroit, a move aimed to help stanch the
dent Susan Allan was disappointed by
city's constant loss of students and give
the controversy created by the new cur-
city parents a new educational choice.
riculum. "It's always a very difficult
Detroit Public Schools spokesman Lekan
process when people are this divided,"
Oguntoyinbo said that there was "tremen-
she lamented.143
dous support" for the idea of letting par-
ents choose single-sex schools. Parent
Shari Lemonious certainly supported the
Minnesota
idea. "It takes away a level of distraction,"
Religion
· Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District--The
she said. "Boys definitely (wouldn't be)
competing to get the girls and vice versa."
Child Evangelism Fellowship of Burnsville
The ACLU, however, threatened to go to
asked that District 191 hand out informa-
court if the legislation passed. "It's segre-
tion about the group's Good News Club
gation--segregation based on gender
at the start of the 200506 school year.
rather than race," said Shelli Weisberg of
The district refused to do so, saying that its
the ACLU's Michigan chapter. In July,
policy is only to give out information
despite the ACLU's threat, Gov. Jennifer
about itself or local community-based
Granholm signed the legislation.141
groups with which it works. After the
refusal, Liberty Council, a civil liberties
group, joined the fellowship in threaten-
Sex Education
· Howell--The results of a survey of Howell
ing legal action against the district for vio-
lating the group's First Amendment
parents released in April revealed that no
rights. "The concept of First Amendment
matter what the schools teach about sex,
legal access is pretty straightforward" said
a large number of parents will be unhap-
Liberty Council general counsel Matt
py. According to the poll, 247 out of 579
Staver. "Whatever you do for one group
respondents said they wanted contracep-
you must allow for others." District super-
tion taught in middle school, 189 said in
intendent Benjamin Kanninen responded
high school, and 112 said they didn't
37