Q&A
LGBTQ+ inclusivity in sexual health education
0:50:36
·
153 sec
Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about measures to ensure LGBTQ+ inclusivity in sexual health education. Key points from the DOE representatives' responses:
- The scope and sequence explicitly outlines age-appropriate LGBTQ content for each grade level
- Content progresses from foundational concepts in kindergarten to more specific topics in high school
- Recommended curricula use inclusive language and diverse images/examples
- There's some thematic overlap with the LGBTQ curriculum used in social studies classes, particularly around advocacy
- LGBTQ-focused training is provided for health teachers
- The DOE aims to support LGBTQ students through messaging to teachers, principals, and superintendents
- The new HIV curriculum includes the history of HIV advocacy, which overlaps with the Hidden Voices curriculum
Rita Joseph
0:50:36
Okay.
0:50:36
Thank you.
0:50:38
What measures are in place to ensure that sexual health education is inclusive for LGBTQ plus perspectives?
Narrator in Shown Video
0:50:46
Sure.
0:50:46
I can talk about that.
0:50:48
So our scope and sequence explicitly outlines the, as I mentioned, the content that students should learn at every grade level, and that includes what age appropriate content they should learn related to LGBTQ identities.
0:50:58
So, you know, starting out very foundationally in kindergarten, we all have things that make us unique and special.
0:51:05
Moving on up to by middle school, you're learning more specifically about concepts and terms related to our identities, gender, and sexual orientation, and by high school, learning more about safer sex methods and other, you know, more specific topics that older students need.
0:51:21
So the scope and sequence very clearly outlines, how topics that really center and include LGBTQ students are included at each step of the at each grade of the of the curriculum.
0:51:32
And the curriculum we recommend also, you know, use inclusive language, include, variety of images and examples, so that students can hopefully see themselves in the curriculum, you know, including our including our LGBTQ students.
Rita Joseph
0:51:46
Is there over any overlap in this with the LGBTQ curriculum inside of New York City public schools?
0:51:53
Is there any overlap?
Narrator in Shown Video
0:51:56
With the you're talking about, like, the
CJ Sanchez
0:51:59
the New
Rita Joseph
0:52:00
York City Public School has a LGBTQ curriculum.
0:52:03
Is there overlap with this with this Yeah.
Narrator in Shown Video
0:52:05
So we, there isn't overlap in terms of the the curriculum content.
0:52:11
That one is more, I think, often used in social studies classes.
0:52:15
There are certainly themes that overlap such as advocacy.
0:52:19
So advocacy is one of the core health education skills that students learn throughout their time.
0:52:23
So as an example, in the, in our new HIV curriculum, the history of HIV advocacy is, you know, a big topic, which also shows up in the, Hidden Voices curriculum.
Despina Zaharakis
0:52:33
And we also I'm sorry.
0:52:35
Mhmm.
0:52:35
We also have trainings not only in comprehensive health education, including sexual health education, trainings in sexual health education, and LGBTQ focused training for our health teachers.
0:52:48
So we wanna make sure and the messaging crosses across all trainings.
0:52:53
But we really wanna make sure that we are, advocates, we are supporters, and we really wanna make sure that our students are supported at their schools.
0:53:03
And we can do so by messaging to their teachers, their principals, their superintendents.
0:53:09
Yeah.
