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Legislators OK Plan for Schools to Teach About Abusive RelationshipsBy Meredith Rigsby, Capital News Service Sunday, March 13, 2011 RICHMOND – All public schools in Virginia must follow the state’s Standards of Learning for core courses like math, science and history. Beginning next year, they’ll also have to ensure that students learn about abusive relationships, too.A bill passed by the General Assembly requires that the SOL objectives on dating violence and abusive relationships be taught at least once during middle school and twice during high school. Senate Bill 906, sponsored Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of Charlottesville, received unanimous approval from the House and Senate. It now needs Gov. Bob McDonnell’s signature to become law. The measure builds on a law passed by the assembly in 2007. That year, legislators required the Virginia Board of Education to include “dating violence and the characteristics of abusive relationships” in the state’s family life education curriculum. SB 906 will ensure that secondary school students are exposed to the material. A 2009 study found that schools already are meeting the intent of the bill. The legislation grew out of a final project students presented in June for the College Leaders Program at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. Deeds was one of the judges of the projects. In their project, Hassan Abdelhalim, Emily Bowles, Christopher Diming, Katherine Hunter, Lena Morrill and Sarah Ulmer presented an outline for what later became SB 906, Deeds said. Then the students asked Deeds to sponsor the measure in the 2011 legislative session. “They not only pestered me and got in touch with me and attained my commitment,” Deeds said. They also “showed up at all of the committee meetings, and they were dead serious about this.” Tragedies like the killing of U.Va. student Yeardley Love last year have underscored the need for education about abusive relationships. Authorities have charged Love’s former boyfriend with her murder. But some educators wonder if mandating SOLs on relationship issues is a bit much. “I think it overreaches, but almost all the SOLs of late are of the same caliber. The public schools are asked to solve every problem – to cover every possible contingency – and this is just another thing that has been added,” said Kitty Boitnott, president of the Virginia Education Association. But Boitnott added: “Let’s face it – SOLs drive everything in the classroom. So if it wasn’t part of an SOL, it probably wouldn’t be taught.” |
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Comments
Teachers don't want to have to do this. They already have too much that they are required to do to meet the overbearing state regulations as it is.
This is being forced on teachers, principals, and school boards by the State of Virginia.
And what additional compensation are school personnel receiving, in step with these absurd and burdensome additional requirements. Absolutely none. So if schools are forced to do this, how seriously do you think they'll take it anyway?
Help a teacher today. Call Governor McDonnell today and tell him to VETO this ridiculous bill.
Why are teachers to blame for this bill? And why is it part of a liberal agenda? Did you see who sponsored the bill?According to this article, a group of UVA political science students provided at least part of the impetus for its sponsorship. The president of the Va. Education Assoc. is the one quoted as saying the bill might be overreaching.
It is tragic that such incidents of violence occur in our schools or in life, but they do. In a perfect world, all people would do the right thing, all parents would set good examples, and all children would make good choices. But I think we all know that doesn't happen. Would I prefer our teachers were able to get back to basics and just teach core subjects -- sure, but even the simplest of math problems can be better taught if given a real-world application. Life and the world will and should come into our classrooms at times. Our kids are under the guidance of people other than their parents for half of their waking day. Teachers, administrators, Sunday school teachers, camp counselors all have to mend wounds, break up fights and handle the emotions of kids all the time, simply because they are the adults present. Sometimes it does take a village to raise our children, and that doesn't have to be part of a liberal agenda, it's just life.
We expect government agencies to take care of us in our old age through Social Security, Medicaid, etc.
In our working years in between, we complain about high taxes and lament what we percieve to be a transition to a socialist societY.
Astounding.