Superintendent addresses Health Curriculum concerns

Dear Community,

Over the weekend, Walla Walla Public Schools’ officials were informed of a Facebook post referencing two concerns over the district’s recently adopted 5^th-12^th grade, state-recommended health curriculum. We have heard the concerns and want to reassure our community that all worries expressed have been received and addressed.

Embedded in the nationally-aligned curriculum are two optional, teacher-led approaches, that will not be used in our classrooms. First, in accordance with district policy, we will continue to recognize students as either “boys” and “girls”, rather than other terms that the curriculum referenced as purely discretionary. The district never intended on using any alternate terminology and regrets any misunderstanding this may have caused.

The second concern referenced an optional middle school classroom discussion-starter in the teacher manual involving state issued standards around gender stereotypes. One of the prompts in the manual, among many other non-religious examples, included a reference of female roles within the Catholic Priesthood. This example, or any reference to any religious orthodoxy, will not be used in this curriculum.

I deeply appreciate those who contacted us directly to report these concerns so that we could clarify our intentions and response. This engagement serves as an excellent example of our community’s active involvement in our schools to help shape the program and outcome we want for all of our students. As your Superintendent, I welcome your continued input and thoughtful recommendations as we work in partnership to realize our vision; Developing Washington’s Most Sought-after Graduates.

Sincerely,

Superintendent Wade Smith