Video by anti-abortion group included in new JCS family life curriculum as required by state
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Some Johnson City Schools (JCS) parents are concerned about a state-required video depicting prenatal development.
JCS has made updates to the family life curriculum, including updates due to state requirements.
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Gov. Bill Lee signed the “Baby Olivia” Act last month which requires an almost three-minute long video, either an animation or ultra-sound of early fetal development.
A school leader said the “Meet Baby Olivia” video is included in the curriculum to meet the requirement. The video is produced by anti-abortion advocacy organization Live Action.
Carnegy Hodges has reviewed the video.
“[The video] is going more along what we hear the faith side of things being taught, that this is a baby as soon as the egg gets sperm inside it,” Hodges said. “It’s not yet.”
She suggests a combination of faith-based ideas and science in education.
“I’d be more okay with that and let kids start to ask questions and figure that out, but right now, they’re teaching that as fact and that’s not okay with us,” Hodges said.
The video is one part of state requirements for family life curriculums. Supervisor for Secondary and Instructional Technology David Timbs said more emphasis has been put on human trafficking awareness and understanding healthy and unhealthy relationships.
“Those two in particular are ones that we’re very pleased to have revised and really have the most updated statistics and curriculum to be able to put in front of our students this fall,” Timbs said.
Timbs said the course will be taught by a male and female team, with a counselor present on the day health relationships are discussed. JCS’s proposed curriculum is a six-day course and also covers reproductive health, consequences of sexual activity, prenatal development, and care of babies.
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Tennessee is an abstinence-first state, so the curriculum also focuses on avoidance.
Timbs said there’s a possibility of another day being added to cover potential pitfalls of internet activity and internet safety.
Members of JCS staff from departments like anatomy and physiology to child development helped with putting this course together.
“Having all of these voices at the table and bringing all of their content expertise and developing this curriculum that is purely designed and developed for Johnson City Schools students, we feel like we’ve had a lot of perspectives and a lot of voice into what we’re putting in front of students,” Timbs said.
Hodges said she wants to review the curriculum fully before making the decision but has considered not allowing her student to take the course.
“We can go and research and do our own teaching, but I don’t think that’s fair to every kid,” Hodges said. “Everybody needs to have a good scientific understanding of what is part of sex and life and recreation and all that.”
The proposed curriculum is available at JCS’s Central Office for review. A form is also available for parents to provide feedback. Parents can stop by from May 13-18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to review the curriculum.
The Board of Education will review the proposed curriculum and community feedback on June 3. Timbs said this curriculum will not be delivered until October.
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