Does Your School District Have A Sex Education Advisory Board (SEAB)?
By law, if there is a sex education curriculum for your district, there needs to be a Sex Education Advisory Board (SEAB) which is required to be formed at least once every two years. In addition, this board needs to meet specific criteria as to those who serve on it: parents, pupils, educators, local clergy and community health professionals.
The purpose of the SEAB is to review and recommend any changes in the sex-ed curriculum as well as updates. This must be presented to the public and the board of education (BOE) at two public meetings. The BOE then will vote whether to accept all or some of the recommendations.
The Michigan law governing this is very clear (MCL380.1507). There should be no outside or supplemental sex-ed material used by teachers unless it has been reviewed by the SEAB and approved by the BOE. If there is, it is a violation of law and there is a legal process to report this in Michigan law. You can contact GSI to assist you in this complaint process.
We recommend that you send a letter of inquiry to your local school superintendent and school board members. Here is the link to a sample letter from GSI which may be copied or modified as needed:
Also, be aware that the SEAB is required to establish goals and plans for reducing the rates of sex, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. At least once every two years, the SEAB is to evaluate and assess whether progress has been made on these objectives. The BOE is then legally required to make this information available to parents.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Investigate and determine if your District has a legally compliant SEAB.
Report any SEAB violations to GSI. The GSI team may be able to help.
Consider serving on an SEAB board in your district. This is a great way to learn about what is being taught as well as influence the curriculum.
In summary, any public school in Michigan that is teaching Sex Education must have a legally compliant SEAB. If the school district does NOT have a compliant SEAB, the district may NOT teach sex education. The SEAB is specifically designed to keep parents informed and provide an orderly means to influence the curriculum. Make sure your school is following the law and protecting your children.