| Republican presidential candidate and
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| | education. New Jersey, my home state,
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| former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney
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| | mandates sex education for all grades K
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| has fired two salvos on sex education
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| | through 12. Human relations and sexuality
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| since July, attacking Democratic
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| | are one of six modules of a comprehensive
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| candidate Barack Obama for his support of
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| | health and physical education program.
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| age-appropriate, medically accurate sex
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| | The Garden State mandates 150 minutes of
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| education for elementary school children,
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| | health education per week for all
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| then going after the broader Democratic
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| | students and has a graduation requirement
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| field for not rejecting the inclusion of
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| | of 3 ¾ credits per year for high school
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| gay-related issues in sex education for
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| | students. However, New Jersey law does
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| second-graders. "Not one candidate was
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| | not state how much time must be devoted
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| uncomfortable with young children
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| | to sex education, probably to allow
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| learning about same-sex marriage in the
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| | educators flexibility to address a bigger
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| second grade," Romney said on September
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| | health and fitness picture. Does the
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| 26. "This is a subject that should be
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| | Garden State suggest that second graders
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| left to parents, not public school
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| | learn about same-sex marriage? The
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| teachers," he said. Democratic
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| | answer: no, only that a second grader
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| front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton
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| | should be able identify different kinds
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| shared Romney's view, in my opinion,
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| | of families and understand that families
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| saying that it should be parental
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| | may differ for many reasons. There is no
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| discretion to discuss same-sex marriage
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| | mention of same-sex relationships; that
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| with young children. Clinton also favors
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| | leaves such instruction in the hands of
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| civil unions over same-sex marriage; she
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| | parents and teachers. I wonder why
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| might be aiming for consistency in her
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| | Governor Romney keeps up the attack on
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| views on these two issues. But would a
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| | sex education, when it's essentially a
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| second grader understand civil unions, or
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| | non-issue in the presidential campaigns.
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| even care? First, I wanted to find out if
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| | Sex education policies, for better or
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| same-sex marriage is taught in states
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| | worse, are ratified by state
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| that offer sex education to second
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| | legislatures; national guidelines have
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| graders; Illinois, for instance, Senator
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| | almost no chance for passage by a highly
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| Obama's home state, does not mandate sex
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| | partisan Congress. If parents and
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| education before the sixth grade. The
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| | teachers have been able to work together,
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| Sexuality and Education Council of the
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| | must the President be involved? There
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| United States (SIECUS) provides
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| | are numerous policies and practices among
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| guidelines for comprehensive sex
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| | the states from comprehensive approaches,
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| education for grades K-12. These
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| | to abstinence is best to abstinence-only
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| guidelines recommend introductory
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| | to abstinence until marriage. Governors,
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| instruction on homosexuality and
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| | including New Jersey's Jon Corzine, have
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| tolerance in the early elementary grades
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| | refused money for
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| (ages 5 through 8) and that "two people
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| | abstinence-until-marriage instruction
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| of the same gender can live in loving,
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| | under federal guidelines; their medical
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| lifelong committed relationships." No
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| | accuracy and educational value has been
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| mention of marriage or civil unions;
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| | put in question in academic circles, as
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| those are not the only such
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| | well as political circles. Romney
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| relationships. So, SIECUS, the leading
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| | says his Democratic opponents are out of
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| advocates for sex education instruction,
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| | touch with the American people on sex
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| advises teaching a bigger picture,
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| | education. It's Romney who is out of
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| knowing that same-sex couples cannot have
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| | touch; the voters in every state have
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| legally recognized marriages in some
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| | already told their governor and
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| states. They are not asking parents and
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| | legislators, as well as their teachers
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| children to lend political support for
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| | and school boards, about the sex
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| same-sex marriage. They are educators,
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| | education they want-and they don't want
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| not politicians. Sex education
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| | to lose the chance to change their minds.
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| professionals rely on these guidelines;
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| | I doubt they want Mitt Romney, or any
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| they were developed over 40 years ago,
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| | other candidate who grabs the brass ring,
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| continually revised as science advanced
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| | to take that chance away from them.
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| and policies changed. Educators and
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| | Stuart Nachbar has been involved with
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| parents must work together towards a
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| | education politics, policy and technology
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| successful sex education curriculum, not
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| | as a student, urban planner, government
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| in an adversarial relationship. That view
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| | affairs manager, software executive, and
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| is shared by sex educators and those who
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| | now as author of The Sex Ed Chronicles.
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| historically oppose some units of sex
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|
