Sex Ed Curriculum To Be Reworked By Teacher In Chester Schools

CHESTER, NJ — In response to parents' concerns about the implementation of certain sex education curriculum standards for grades K-8 in the Chester School District, the Board of Education has announced that some curricula will be reworked.

During the June board meeting of the Chester School District, Superintendent Dr. Christina Van Woert recommended that a contracted paid staff member rework sections of the planned health curriculum over the summer.

Sara Kozlowski, a health teacher at Bragg Elementary School, has been appointed by the board to work on curriculum rework for up to eight hours per week during the summer.

Kozlowski has been contracted to a professional hourly rate of $62 for total compensation of up to $496, according to the board.

The sections of the health curriculum that Kozlowski is working on are the lesson plans for grades 3-5, the board said.

"We adopted a balanced, child-centered approach to the new standards and did not add any new objectives regarding sex education to the Health Curriculum in grades K-5. As previously noted, there will be an opt-out policy and procedure for the Health Curriculum in grades K-8 that we will outline in the fall prior to the start of the school year," Van Woert said.

The current curriculum for grades K-8 is now available for all parents to review, including specific lesson plans and topics of discussion.

Teachers will be the primary providers of the health curriculum during the science portion of the day because the district lacks a specialized health class at the lower elementary level. However, in grades 6-8, the district provides separate health courses that delve deeper into topics such as drugs and alcohol, pregnancy and parenting, various health conditions and more. These courses are typically taught by P.E. and health teachers.

Parents are encouraged to contact the educators if they have any questions about any of the lessons, and they also have the option to opt their child out of that instruction, Van Woert said.