Hide Transcript Show Transcript IMAGES. A GROWING STORM OF PROTEST OVER THESE SEX ED BOOKS, WITH DRAWINGS SO GRAPHIC WE CAN’T SHOW THEM TO YOU ON TV. >> WE TRY TO KEEP OUR KIDS OUT OF ADULT BOOK STORES. BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS BRINGING ADULT BOOK STORES TO US. MIKE: A LONG LINE OF PARENTS PROTESTING THE BOOKS THAT ARE NOT MANDATORY BUT TO BE USED AS ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS CURIOUSABOUT THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR JUST WANTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SEXUAL ACTIVITIES. >> AND DIFFERENT SEXUAL AC THAT ARE EXTREMELY HARMFUL TO THEM THAT ARE GOING TO PUT THEM IN PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HARM. MIKE: BUT THE BOOKS ALSO HAVE THEIR SUPPORTERS INCLUDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD. >> WE DON’T WANT STUDENTS AND CHILDREN AND PARENTS TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY JUST MINDLESSLY SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO FIND. MIKE: THE BOOKS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE MEDICALLY ACCURATE AND PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR KIDS WHO ARE CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THEIR BODIES ARE CHANGING AS THEY REACH PUBERTY. ACCORDING TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD. >> A LOT OF THESE MATERIALS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED ARE BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS I DIFFERENT AGE LEVELS FROM KINDERGARTEN TO 12TH GRADE. THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT THESE STUDENTS ARE ASKING. MIKE: BUT THEN A SURPRISING DEVELOPMENT, AFTER PLENTY PARENTAL PUSH BACK, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NOW URGING THE STATE BOARD TO PULL THE BOOKS FROM A RECOMMENDED LIST OF RESOURCES. THE CONCE Advertisement California changes sex ed guidelines: What you need to know Share Shares Copy Link Copy California has overhauled its sex education guidance for public school teachers, encouraging them to talk about gender identity with kindergartners and giving advice to help LGBT teenagers navigate relationships and practice safe sex.LGBT advocates praised the new recommendations for giving such attention to a community that often is left out of sex education policies. But some parents and conservative groups said the guidelines are an assault on parental rights, arguing those issues should be taught by parents in the home.The guidance approved Wednesday by the California State Board of Education does not require educators to teach anything. The more than 700-page document is designed as a guide for teachers to meet state standards on health education, such as nutrition, physical activity and combating alcohol and drug abuse.Much of the pushback focused not on the framework of the guide, but on the books it recommends students read. The new guidelines approved by the board don't include the controversial books.Here are 3 things to know about the guidelines:1) Which books were pulled from the resource list?Six books prompted a lot of protest. Hundreds of parents lined up in opposition outside the Department of Education building on N Street in Sacramento. Some of the parents said the books were sexually explicit. “This information is so graphic," said Greg Burt with of the California Family Council. "It’s as if they want kids earlier and earlier to start participating in sexual activities. "An earlier draft of the document suggested high schoolers read the book: "S.E.X. : The All-You-Need-to-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties." It includes descriptions of anal sex, bondage and other sexual activity. The books on the list were:My Princess BoyWho are You? The Kids Guide to Gender IdentityChanging You! A Guide to Body Changes & SexualityWhat's Happening to My Body (for girls)What's Happening to My Body (for boys)S.E.X. : The All-You-Need-to-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties“There’s just a distraction,” said David Sapp, a deputy policy director for the State Board of Education. “The goal is that the curriculum framework be useful.”2) Who supported keeping the books on the list?Planned Parenthood enthusiastically supported the books as additional resource materials for students who needed them.“A lot of these materials that are being presented are based on feedback from students in different age levels, from kindergarten through 12th grade,” said Cheri Greven, with Planned Parenthood. Greven said the books answer questions the students are asking.“These are conversations these students are having," Greven said. "So do we meet them with no information at all -- or do we meet them where they are at and give them medically accurate information that they can make the healthy decisions for their own lives?” 3) How do parents feel about Wednesday's vote?Parents protesting the books feel that the vote is more of a relief than a celebration. “I wish it felt like we were winning,” said Kelly Schenkosy, a parent from Monterey County. “To me, it’s sad they made it (to the list) in the first place.”---The Associated Press contributed to this story<doc-sep>California education officials have agreed on a sweeping new framework for sex education in the classroom, sparking intense debate about whether some of the proposal’s teacher material is too graphic and explicit. The guidance is meant for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and though not a mandate, is intended to provide teachers with information to use in a sex education curriculum. The updated Health Education Curriculum Framework includes the suggested use of gender-neutral and LGBTQ-inclusive language, material on consent and sex-trafficking and the continued teaching of HIV prevention, which was enacted into law under the California Healthy Youth Act in 2016. The framework also includes guidance on nutrition and physical activity, tobacco and alcohol and skin care. “There’s a lot of social and emotional learning embedded throughout,” said Stephanie Gregson, director of the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division at the California Department of Education. Advertisement But it’s the portion on sex education that has stirred some controversy. The guidance has prompted protest among parents, conservative groups and teachers — most notably around some of the books that were suggested as resources, including “S.E.X. : The All-You-Need-to-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties,” which includes descriptions of anal sex and bondage; and “Changing You,” which includes cartoon illustrations of female and male genitalia. Both books were recommended for removal. “It’s important to know the board is not trying to ban books. We’re not saying that the books are bad,” State Board of Education member Feliza I. Ortiz-Licon said. “But the removal will help avoid the misunderstanding that California is mandating the use of these books.” Though the framework differentiates lessons for transitional kindergarten through third grade, fourth through sixth grade, seventh and eighth grade, and ninth through 12th grade, concerns over children’s ability to handle some material at the youngest ages have persisted. A Change.org petition in the Fremont School District has gained more than 8,000 signatures, with concerns over children’s ability to handle such material at younger ages. “The content in the new sex education curriculum is NOT age appropriate,” petitioner Alice Lu wrote. But the California State School Board of Education believes that the provision of this type of information will benefit students in the long run. “Life has become exponentially more complex in the last few decades,” Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education and of the Learning Policy Institute, said in a statement. “The Health Curriculum Framework — developed by educators for educators — gives district administrators and educators the guidance and resources they need to develop curriculum and instruction that can help students adopt healthy behaviors that support their physical and mental well-being and navigate through the sometimes complicated situations that will come their way.” Advertisement Roughly 200 protesters showed up outside the state Capitol on Wednesday, some with their children in tow, holding signs that read “No to Explicit Sex Ed” and “Too Much Too Soon.” “It’s just scary what they are going to be teaching. It’s pornography,” Anaheim Hills resident Patricia Reyes told CBS News. “If this continues, I’m not sending them to school.” What we really wanted was that families have age-appropriate, medically accurate information to make their own choices for their health. Rick Oculto, the director of education at Our Family Coalition When it comes to the framework’s inclusion of transgender language, several opponents have raised concerns over whether children need that information at early ages. Gregson said the framework offers tools to teachers so they know how to appropriately address every student, and ensure that each individual feels valued. Advertisement “It’s not about gender identity. It’s about acceptance of people for who they are,” she said. “Kindergarten is the foundational grade level to create understanding with all of our students and create an environment that’s bullying-free.” Rick Oculto, the director of education at Our Family Coalition, said his organization pushed for LGBTQ inclusion to ensure that information regarding sexual health applies to all students, especially when it comes to historically marginalized youths. “What we really wanted was that families have age-appropriate, medically accurate information to make their own choices for their health,” he said. Every district has autonomy over its curriculum and what they use from the recommended guidance. Parents also have the right to opt out of sex education lessons for their children under the California Healthy Youth Act, though that does not include the exclusion of language teachers may adopt from the health education framework. Last year in Oceanside, school officials shelved the program for the district’s youngest students after parents complained the material was too graphic and undermined their religious values. Advertisement Since the 1970s, sex education has been widely supported in schools. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 24 states — including California — and the District of Columbia mandate sex education in classrooms. California also requires that sex and HIV education be “age appropriate.” colleen.shalby@latimes.com @cshalby<doc-sep>
The California Department of Education approved controversial sex education guidelines for public school teachers Wednesday that encourage classroom discussions about gender identity and LGBT relationships, but removed five resources and books, including one that explains sex to students as young as kindergarten. LGBT advocates praised the new recommendations for giving attention to a community that is often left out of sex education policies. But some parents and conservative groups assailed the more than 700-page document as an assault on parental rights, claiming it exposes children to ideas about sexuality and gender that should be taught at home. CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER RUNS STORY ABOUT STUDENT'S PORN CAREER AFTER WINNING FREE SPEECH BATTLE "It's just scary what they are going to be teaching. It's pornography," said Patricia Reyes, 45, a mother of six who traveled more than 400 miles to attend Wednesday's hearing in Sacramento, the state capital. "If this continues, I'm not sending them to school." "Not everything under the sun needs to be taught to our kids, with no moral judgment," Greg Burt, director of the California Family Council, told the Sacramento Bee. "Not everything under the sun needs to be taught to our kids, with no moral judgment." — Greg Burt, director, California Family Council But department administrators explained their view. “Our priority is to make all children feel comfortable at school,” the Department of Education said in a statement. “Dispelling myths, breaking down stereotypes and linking students to resources can help prevent bullying, self-harm, feelings of hopelessness, and serious considerations of suicide.” "Dispelling myths, breaking down stereotypes and linking students to resources can help prevent bullying, self-harm, feelings of hopelessness, and serious considerations of suicide." — California Department of Education statement AMAZON OPPOSES ANTI-LGBT TENNESSEE LEGISLATION AMID ACTIVIST PRESSURE The department considered changes to the state’s Health Education Framework during a public hearing in Sacramento on Wednesday, the Sacramento Bee reported. More than 120 people registered to speak at the hearing to support or oppose the new guidelines for K-12 health curriculum, as nearly 200 protesters rallied outside. After several organizations pushed back on “sexually explicit” and “offensive, reckless and immoral” books included in the document, the board decided to remove five books from the new framework. One book, titled, “Changing You,” which shows cartoon illustrations of male and female genitals and described what “having sex is” was originally recommended for transitional kindergarten through third-grade students, the Bee reported. "It's important to know the board is not trying to ban books. We're not saying that the books are bad," board member Feliza I. Ortiz-Licon told the Associated Press. "But the removal will help avoid the misunderstanding that California is mandating the use of these books." "It's important to know the board is not trying to ban books. We're not saying that the books are bad. But the removal will help avoid the misunderstanding that California is mandating the use of these books." — Feliza I. Ortiz-Licon, member of California State Board of Education An earlier draft of the guidelines also suggested high schoolers read the book: “S.E.X. : The All-You-Need-to-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties,” which includes descriptions of anal sex, bondage and other sexual activity. Ultimately, California’s finalized framework tells teachers that students in kindergarten can identify as transgender and offers tips for how to talk about that, adding “the goal is not to cause confusion about the gender of the child but to develop an awareness that other expressions exist.” The document also gives tips for discussing masturbation with middle-schoolers, including telling them it is not physically harmful, and for discussing puberty with transgender teens that creates “an environment that is inclusive and challenges binary concepts about gender.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Schools are not mandated to use the new framework in their curricula. The framework serves as a way to educate teachers and administrators on state standards about a wide range of health education topics, including nutrition, physical activity, combating alcohol and drug abuse in addition to sexual health. Students are able to opt-out from lessons about sexual health, the Bee reported. But the state requires students to attend lessons that explain gender identity, discrimination and social issues such as the Supreme Court ruling of same-sex marriage. The Associated Press contributed to this report.