A Closer Look at Florida
August 2009
HPV vaccine a suggestion, not mandate, in U.S.
Aug 31, 2009, Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. - Only Virginia and the District of Columbia have moved toward requiring sixth-grade girls to get vaccinated for a potentially cancerous sexually transmitted disease, three years after federal health officials recommended the shots.
About two dozen states considered requiring the vaccine, but balked amid funding woes and parents' concerns it wasn't safe and would promote promiscuity. Publicity that a massive pharmaceutical company bankrolled the lobbying effort didn't help.
Communication is key in sex education
Your children are just starting school and trying to process all that they're learning -- whether it's in the classroom or on the playground.
So they pop the question: ``Where did I come from?''
You blink -- and after the initial shock, stammer a beginning lesson in sex education.
Good job, Mom and Dad!
Keep the communication open. Answer the questions honestly in an age-appropriate manner. Do not treat the question lightly. Do not change the subject until your child is satisfied.
Manatee targets teenage birth rate
August 19, 2009, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Manatee targets teenage birth rate
August 19, 2009, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Editorial: Sex education ... Collier teachers need cover of clear, districtwide policy
August 5, 2009, Naples Daily News
The Collier County School Board says its sex-education policy needs to be changed.
Members and Superintendent Dennis Thompson say the curriculum is all right; it’s the direction provided to teachers that is in need of clarification.
Although it sounds like a fine, bureaucratic distinction, that appears to be accurate. Board members, including Julie Sprague, a former health and sex-ed teacher, know some teachers do not follow the curriculum for fear of repercussions.
Collier officials not alone in discussing changes to sex education
August 1, 2009, Marco Island News
NAPLES — A change to the Collier County School Board’s sex education policy could come as early as November.
That was the timetable set forth by Board Vice Chairwoman Kathleen Curatolo, who said she would like to see the School Board hold a workshop in the next two months to work on the verbiage. She said she hoped it would lead to a first reading of a proposed policy change in October with a final vote in November. Thursday evening, the School Board voted 3 to 2 to revise the board’s policy. Board Chairwoman Pat Carroll and board member Steve Donovan dissented.