For the first time ever, the Nebraska Department of Education created health education standards for local school districts, but they must first be approved by the Nebraska State Board of Education.
The proposed health education standards incorporate comprehensive sex education, promote abortion and transgenderism, and teach young children age-inappropriate information and ideas about sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity—beginning in Kindergarten and 1st Grade.
The State Board of Education listened to public comment on the draft health education standards at their meeting on Friday, April 2nd.
Out of the 80 people who provided public testimony, more than 60 spoke in opposition to the gender identity and sex education components of the health education standards.
The testimonies added to the flood of online and written comments submitted to the Department of Education, including more than 700 written comments, over 2,000 emails, and 4,000 responses to an online survey.
It has become clear that Nebraskans are overwhelmingly against the sex education and human growth and development portions of the proposed health education standards.
Governor Pete Ricketts and 28 state senators (a majority of our state legislature) have also criticized the age-inappropriate content in the proposed health education standards.
What Happens Now?
The draft standards that were presented to the State Board of Education are the first step in an ongoing process, and the Board has taken no immediate action on the standards.
Now, after the initial phase of public input, a second draft will be written.
Nebraska Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt said the next step is to rewrite the draft standards in light of the public’s response. The next version will likely not be released until midsummer, after which the public can weigh in again.
The Nebraska State Board of Education is expected to vote on final health education standards in the fall of 2021.
Nebraska Family Alliance is calling on the Department of Education to scrap the politicized, age-inappropriate sex education proposal from the health education standards—and we need your help.
It is critical that the initial public input phase is not the only time the State Board of Education hears from parents and community members across Nebraska.
What You Can Do
1. Contact your representative on the State Board of Education directly, and urge them to oppose the gender identity and sex education topics in the health education standards.
2. Share this information with your family, friends, and neighbors, and encourage them to contact their State Board of Education member.
3. Join NFA’s network to stay up to date and receive important updates and action alerts on the health education standards and issues impacting family, freedom, and life in Nebraska.