Kings Park sex ed raises eyebrows
Many parents object to program's graphic nature, kids' ages, and fact it was taught to boys, girls together
BY CHRISTINE ARMARIO
STAFF WRITER
February 1, 2006
KINGS PARK, NY - A demonstration of an opened tampon held up against a model of the female anatomy to show Kings Park fifth-grade boys and girls how feminine hygiene products work as part of their lesson on puberty has angered a number of parents and sparked a debate within the community.
The presentation, given to some 350 students - boys and girls seated together - at the RJO Intermediate School last week, has divided parents on an ideology the school district inherently adopted with the program: that at 10 years old, students should be explained things they hear about on the playground anyway.
Rosemary Molaro, whose son attended the program, said she was flabbergasted when her son came home and told her, "I know exactly what you do with that thing in the bathroom with the string attached to it."
"I was caught off guard," said Molaro, who was unaware that the assembly was taking place. "I just turned completely red."
Molaro was among a number of parents who have expressed concerns about the presentation. They cite its graphic nature, the age of the students and the fact that boys and girls watched it together.
But the Kings Park Central School District is defending its choice for the program, saying it is a better option than the video shown to children in previous years and that presenter Andy Rosenberg's mother, Ellen Rosenberg, developed the program over 20 years and has gotten many good reviews.
"It develops some real respect," Superintendent Mary DeRose said of the presentation. "We're both dealing with issues about maturing. Let's not make fun of one another. There was a really good message, I thought."
Many of the parents agree with the district. "We don't live in a vacuum," said Michelle Stein, parent of a son at the school. "He needed to know this is scientific information, not just what he hears."
But others, who plan to raise their concerns at the upcoming Board of Education meeting, say they were misinformed about the program's content, and object to Rosenberg's qualifications. Though he has taught children for 18 years, he does not hold any degrees in education or health.
DeRose said there are no district guidelines for a presenter's qualifications, or for the content of the fifth-grade program. The state has no requirement for public schools to teach sex education.
"We don't know who he is," said Gina Sicoli, whose son was only allowed to attend the first part of the two-day program last Wednesday and Thursday.
Rosenberg, a ski instructor during the winter, and who last night was in Inwood briefing parents about his upcoming presentation to students there, said the information is basic enough. "What really makes the program so effective and unique is the way the material is presented - the atmosphere created, the trust that's created and making kids comfortable."
The school district sent out a questionnaire to parents on Monday, asking them things like whether boys and girls should be taught together and if the program should be offered after school instead. If the district finds many objections, officials said they may readjust the program.
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