For The Family Or The Classroom

Recently, Susan Braverman, a kindergarten teacher at Council Rock Primary School, a k-2 school in a suburb of Rochester, NY, showed her class a video depicting a live human birth. The video caused some controversy among district parents. The following is excerpted from an article in the Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester's local paper:

The video started by telling a story through illustrations and dialogue from the children’s book On the Day You Were Born. The video then follows the story of a family whose members are waiting to welcome a new daughter.

Council Rock Principal Janet Gibbons apologized in a June 9 letter mailed to parents. She went on to say that she believed the video was well done but that some portions were not appropriate for a kindergarten audience.

When teachers are planning on using sensitive material in the classroom, the policy is to inform parents beforehand, Gibbons said.

”Parents must be informed and given a chance to preview the materials prior to instruction,” she wrote.

Prior consent would have eliminated or prevented any concern because parents could have chosen whether their child should view the video.

The district is investigating why the policy was not followed. Also, Gibbons said the school and district would examine the Change curriculum and whether the video was necessary.

According to Gibbons’ letter, Stephen Lian has been added as a co-teacher in the classroom.

Superintendent Henry Peris said that Braverman said she had used the video before.

No other district teacher has used the video.

Peris said the material was important to teach children about changes to their families over time, but parents should have been given an option.

”It’s probably more suitable for a family than a classroom of children,” Peris said.

Indeed, some controversy may have been avoided had Braverman adhered to the district's usual policy, but I think that this story illustrates some basic taboos in American society when it comes to sexual reproduction.

Historically, in-depth discussion of sexuality hasn't been popular in America. The superintendent's comment that the discussion of birth is more suitable for the family than the classroom leaves one to wonder what the classroom is for if not for learning precisely that kind of material, and it shows the kind of mentality that surrounds reproductive education. Braverman is coming under fire for educating her students; ostensibly, that's what she gets paid for. The students were shown an educational video and they were in an educational environment conducive to discussion and questions. If that doesn't include a little education about the biological functions that create life, then we have some important questions to ask. Is sex such a taboo subject that we'll avoid its natural result, birth, just to shield our children from it? What makes the family more suitable for such a conversation than the classroom?

I expect that a lot more will come of this story as the school administration hasn't decided what action to take yet. Should Braverman have followed district policy? Probably. Should she punished for doing her job? Absolutely not. If I pay taxes, I like to know that they are funding a complete education.