Last month, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released a draft framework updating the state's health and physical education curriculum for public preschool through high school students (see public comment announcement and draft framework). This framework was last updated in 1999, and we welcome the opportunity to update this curriculum with inclusive, medically-accurate and age-appropriate information.
 
Unfortunately, this framework creates a new role for law enforcement officers in education, by naming school resource officers (SROs) as authorized educators for this curriculum. This framework authorizes the conflation of the law enforcement purpose of school police with “educators”, “counselors” and “social workers.” In addition to encroaching on the expertise of these educational professionals, research shows that conflating law enforcement with counselors and educators leads to harmful impacts on students, including an increased likelihood of entering the school to prison pipeline.
 
Please join us in asking DESE to approve the new Healthy Youth Framework but to only authorize educators, school psychologists, nurses and counselors to educate and implement the health and physical education curriculum.  Public comment will be accepted until August 28th:

  • Option 1: Join us in signing onto an organizational public comment letter here. Sign on deadline is 5pm on Friday, August 18th. 

  • Option 2: You may also submit your comments on this survey, if you would also like to comment on other sections of the framework. Please use question #7 to recommend removing SROs from the list of approved staff to administer the curriculum.

Thank you!