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New sex ed program aims to decrease teen pregnancy

Date: 9/1/2009

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD -- The School Committee approved a program for the city's schools at its meeting Aug. 27 that is designed to address the city's high unintended teen pregnancy rate.

Mayor Domenic Sarno announced the new curriculum on sex education at a press conference on Aug. 26 -- the result of the work of his Adolescent Sexual Health Advisory Board.

Commissioner of Health and Human Services Helen Caulton Harris said over the past decade, the city has either been first or second in the state or unintended teen pregnancies. Presently the city has 3.5 times the number of such pregnancies than the state average.

"We are in a crisis when it comes to teen pregnancies," she said.

Sarno said the unplanned pregnancies have created a "viscous cycle of non-empowerment, poverty and, at times, unfortunate illicit activities."

"We will lead with abstinence, but we have to be realistic," he said of the new program.

Sarno said his office had received letters and petitions with over 1,000 signatures urging action on the problems. He said he addressed the issue with former School Superintendent Joseph Burke, but it was not advanced.

Juan Gerena, the executive director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Council, and a member of the advisory board, said although over 63 percent of the pregnancies are among Latino youth, "this is an issue that transcends ethnicity."

"The only ones who don't talk about sex are the adults," Gerena said. "We need to be bold enough to address this subject head on."

The new curriculum will be implemented during the seventh grade and the ninth grade. It is based on a program developed by the King County school district in Washington. That curriculum can be seen at www.kingcounty.gov/health/flash.

School Superintendent Dr. Alan Ingram said, "There is no silver bullet solution to this work."

He explained that parents will be able to speak with teachers about the curriculum and they will be able to remove their children from the classes if they object.

Ingram noted, though, "far too many of our children are comprising their future by some poor decisions."

Colleen Walsh, the school's physical education, health and family and consumer science department director, said the new curriculum has "much better instructional techniques, much better than those we've had before. It's a piece of a comprehensive health curriculum."

Assistant Superintendent for Academics Dr. Ann Southworth said part of the program would be to bring in speakers from the community for the students.

Caulton Harris said the advisory board is "very committed" to speaking with parents about the new program and giving them training to help them discuss such issues with their children.

She added that children today are raised in a "sex negative society" with very strong media messages.

"We as adults fail our children when we fail to engage them," she said.