Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Neutrality Policy on Homosexuality?

In 2009 the Minnesota school district adopted a curriculum policy that bars teachers from taking a position on homosexuality in the classroom. It has come to be known as the "Neutrality Policy", and opponents of the policy claim that it's a censorship policy. Currently five students in Minnesota's Anoka-Hennepin School District are suing the district, alleging that the policy enables a hostile environment toward students who are either gay, or are perceived to be.

The official district policy, “Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy” (SOCP), reads as follows:

“Teaching about sexual orientation is not a part of the District adopted curriculum; rather, such matters are best addressed within individual family homes, churches, or community organizations. Anoka-Hennepin staff, in the course of their professional duties, shall remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation including but not limited to student led discussions. If and when staff address sexual orientation, it is important that staff do so in a respectful manner that is age-appropriate, factual, and pertinent to the relevant curriculum. Staff are encouraged to take into consideration individual student needs and refer students to the appropriate social worker or licensed school counselor.”

Using the skills and strategies that you have been learning this semester in deconstructing arguments, recognizing their strengths and weaknesses and why, as well as questioning critically any issue or topic to understand it from a multi-dimensional perspective, watch the interview conducted by Sanjay Gupta on CNN with Candy Kushman and Rosalind Wiseman and write a response on your blog.