At an election forum for Aspen School District candidates last week, moderators asked about controversial curriculum decisions in neighboring school districts.
Particularly, they pressed the candidates to share their opinions on the Roaring Fork School District’s (RFSD) new health curriculum and the American Birthright Standard for social studies that the Garfield RE-2 school district is considering.
Candidate Sally Goulet said RFSD’s 3R health curriculum is important, but she felt some of the more sensitive conversations with elementary school kids should take place at home.
“I do believe that we need to be teaching our youngest children in age appropriate ways about their body, how to respect others, and what to do if someone crosses a line,” Goulet said. “However, I do believe that this is the role of the parent and not our elementary teachers. We do not want to place too heavy of burdens on our children or our teachers, as this will ultimately inhibit the success of our children in their education.”
RFSD has adopted the 3R health curriculum, which stands for “Rights, Respect, Responsibility;” it includes lessons on personal safety, healthy relationships, and basic anatomy and physiology for Kindergarten through fourth grade students. But the scope and sequence of this curriculum's rollout has not yet been determined, and parents have the ability to opt their children out of these lessons.
Candidates Sarah Daniels and incumbent Katy Frisch said they are in favor of offering more than what the state mandates for sex ed in middle school, and Cassie Harrelson noted she would check in with teachers and content experts before implementing any new forms of curricula.
With regard to American Birthright, a curriculum that was rejected by Colorado’s Board of Education, Frisch refused to discuss it and pointed to the work the current board has done to improve curriculum instead.
“In the last four years, we haven't made any curriculum changes without a lot of input from the educators from the administration,” Frisch said. “When it comes to teaching alternative views of American history, I have no interest in talking about that.”
Candidate Sarah Daniels agreed with Frisch and pointed to the process she would take when considering new curricula.
“Through the curriculum audits, we see where the holes are in the major curriculum, and what those holes are going to be filled with are thoughts from content experts in those areas,” Daniels said. “It's not going to be any fringe ideas.”
Candidate Cassie Harrelson said she will put her opinions aside and take direction from teachers and the community when it comes to curriculum decisions.
“We need to have systems in place where our educators can weigh in that would be using this curriculum,” Harrelson said.
Goulet, Frisch, Daniels and Harrelson are running for two open seats on Aspen School District’s Board of Education.
Election Day is Nov. 7.
Find more, updated information about this and other local elections in Aspen Public Radio’s voter guide.
