• How the Curriculum is Taught

    Who is approved and qualified to teach the sex education unit in the classroom?

    All teachers teaching the curriculum have been professionally prepared by attending the Department of Education 20 hour inservice as well as subject-specific inservice. This requirement may be waived if a teacher is highly qualified in the area of health education.

    Teachers are trained by the Supervisor of Reproductive Health on the Okemos sexual health education curriculum.

    Who is allowed to be a guest speaker in the classroom?

    All guest speakers must be approved by the Personal Health and Sexuality Education (PHASE) Advisory Board.

    How and when do I request approval for a guest speaker?

    The PHASE Advisory Board approves all guest speakers. A teacher must fill out the "Guest Speaker Recommendation" form and submit it to the Advisory Board for approval. Recommendation forms should be forwarded to the Supervisor of Reproductive Health at Chippewa Middle School. The teacher will then be notified by the supervisor of reproductive health on the status of the approval. Requests need to be made in advance of the advisory board's regularly scheduled meetings. Ask the supervisor for meeting dates.

    Once a speaker is approved, what are the teacher's responsibilities?

    The teacher makes sure the speaker understands the legal regulations and district guidelines for discussing sexual health in the classroom. The teacher will ensure the speaker understands how their presentation fits into the curriculum.

    The teacher must be in the classroom at all times when the guest speaker is presenting and ensures that the presentation is in compliance with the approved curriculum.

    What if parents or teachers have questions or concerns about parts of the curriculum, or are unsure of how to present certain concepts? Is there someone who can help?

    Contact the Supervisor of Reproductive Health for Okemos Public Schools, or your building principal.