JustSayDontKnow.org TX Freedom Network

[sonias]

You have to check out the videos they've done for this campaign. Brilliant!

Did you know that Texas has one of the highest teen birth rates in the nation, and annually spends almost $1 billion on costs associated with teen pregnancy?

As a TFN supporter, I wanted you to be among the first to hear about a major new study from the TFN Education Fund detailing how public schools in our state teach young people about sexuality and health.

I am sorry to say that the news is not good.

Our new report -- Just Say Don’t Know: Sexuality Education in Texas Public Schools -- conclusively demonstrates that Texas is failing families and students when it comes to sexuality education. Less than 4 percent of Texas school districts give young people any information about responsible pregnancy and disease prevention. Even worse, the information students do receive about sexuality and health is often grossly distorted or simply wrong.

You can get an idea of the type of appalling materials students learn in sex education by viewing the videos to the right. The information in these videos comes straight from actual materials used in Texas classrooms. You can also go to www.JustSayDontKnow.org to read an executive summary or the full report.

The stakes are simply too high for Texas to continue to support abstinence-only programs that fail our young people. I hope you will join our campaign for medically-accurate, responsible sexuality education in Texas by signing our petition.

Finally, I ask that you make an urgently-needed donation to support the next phase of this campaign. Your tax-deductible gift to Texas Freedom Network Education Fund will provide critical resources to help maximize our impact -- both in the media and at the Texas Capitol.

Thank you,

Kathy Miller
TFN President

P.S. If you are unable to view the videos, go to www.JustSayDontKnow.org to see them and read the report.

:bounce::applause::bounce:

Sonia

[MagickMuffin]

1. A Friend of mine worked @ Planned Parenthood, she told us about the teenagers coming in STD's

Sometimes it was the same girl coming back repeatedly, PP tried to talk the girl into using condoms but was told "no way", so she just kept coming back to be treated.

Even when I was in school there really wasn't much of a sex ed program to speak of, however, I'm sure it is a lot worse now.:-(


I'll check out the videos later.

[sonias]

2. Highest teenage pregnancy rate in the nation

Or maybe second highest. I think California is the highest in numbers but not by much. And we can't point to Mississippi or Louisiana either. They both are way far below Texas in the rankings.

Very interesting website for this kind of data
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnanacy and Unplanned Pregnancy

Yes I shudder to think what kind of education kids are getting in Texas. We know the Southern Baptist Taliban don't want Texas school kids learning about anything except for abstinence and evolution.

:crazy:

Sonia

[babylonsister]

3. Report sharply criticizes sex education in Texas schools

Was just coming over here to post about this appalling report...

Report sharply criticizes sex education in Texas schools
By MATT FRAZIER


The overwhelming majority of Texas schools use scare tactics and spread myths in place of teaching basic sex and health information that students can use to protect themselves and others, according to a report released today by watchdog group Texas Freedom Network.

TFN’s two-year study of education materials from 990 Texas school districts showed that about 94 percent of public schools use abstinence-only programs that usually pass moral judgments while either downplaying or ignoring contraception and health screenings.

Two percent ignore sex education, according to the report, written by David Wiley, professor of health education at Texas State University, and Kelly Wilson, assistant professor of health education at Texas State.

They put much of the blame on school administrators’ fear of controversy and religious groups that teach that sex is shameful.

Texas continues to have one of the nation’s highest teen pregnancy rates despite receiving more federal abstinence funding than any other state.

more...

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1223435.html