Miami-Dade School Board holding special meeting to discuss sex ed compliance

MIAMI – The Miami-Dade School Board will hold a special meeting to discuss what to do about sex education.

Last week, in a 5-4 vote, the board opted not to adopt two textbooks on human reproduction and disease education.

The school board staff and an independent hearing officer recommended the books. The School Board itself initially approved the textbooks in April.

The July decision leaves no books for the curriculum which is required by state law.

Thursday’s meeting centers around discussing the district’s compliance relative to the state’s health and reproductive education requirements. There is a chance to reverse course and provide the state-mandated curriculum.

Only board members who voted not to use the books may bring the matter back up for another discussion and vote.

Those against the books say they objected to content from how to report abuse to contraception methods, calling some of it not age appropriate.

Board Vice Chair Dr. Steve Gallon III, who voted to approve the books, said they have received hundreds of emails from concerned parents this week, asking the board to reconsider and approve the books.

He believes those against “deduced [the materials] to a sexual conversation.”

Gallon reviewed the materials himself.

He said the materials provide facts on HIV implications, human trafficking, AIDS, hygiene, how to report abuse, and many essential life skills.

If the school board does not revisit the textbooks, they may restart the process for new materials, which could take up to 8 months.

Gallon said he has not heard from the state Board of Education about potential ramifications for students or the district for lack of compliance to provide the curriculum.