In my previous post I discussed the reactions of EL parents about ESSB 5395, the new sexual education law. I interviewed EL parents and my school’s social worker, Janice, to dive deeper into the issues relating to this controversial law. The question remains: how can schools and EL parents reach a common understanding regarding ESSB 5395 with cultural and linguistic barriers in place?
Even though the EL parents I interviewed opposed ESSB 5395 and their children’s participation in sexual education, many felt torn about the law in some ways. They agree with Jancie about sexual health being extremely important in preventing sexual abuse. As one parent said, “Some children suffer horrific sexual assaults and steps need to be taken in order to protect them.”
Janice shared an example of how the standard of Anatomy and Physiology serves to give students the linguistic tools needed to report abuse. She said, “When students disclose to us that ‘My brother pets my kitty,’ we think, ‘Oh, that’s sweet,’ when really, in their household, they call a vagina a kitty. I have had disclosures from students stating that someone was touching their ‘butt’ when, in actuality, it was much worse. But that student did not have a name for his penis; he called all of his private areas his ‘butt.’” The above example highlights the power of providing children with the correct language. Janice believes not naming medically accurate terms for bodies until 4th grade doesn’t go far enough.
Other ESSB 5395 standards include Healthy Relationships, which encourages children to tell a trusted adult about unwanted touch. Growth and Development standards, according to Janice, differ greatly by grade levels. She believes the changes in the bodies of 4th and 5th graders need to be targeted, because of exposure to body standards presented by social media. Janice, highlighting the link between Social Emotional Learning and puberty, says, “Understanding that bodies are different and grow at different rates can help eliminate the anxiety about normalcy that leads to eating disorders.”
Janice also addressed the standard of Self-Identity. She spoke of how the standard is about developing respect for all people. As of yet she is not sure whether the curriculum will introduce non-binary gender or sexual orientation. Janice says, “What we DO know about LGBTQ kids is that they are in the highest categorical risk for suicide among all children. They are the most at risk of being outcast by their families and not accepted at school. This isolation leads to hopelessness.”
The EL parents I spoke with are concerned with the graphic level of images and messages accompanying lessons related to these standards. The topic of self-identity is especially a topic of sensitivity to EL families. All immigrant children at one point struggle with the concept of identity. They grow within two worlds, the U.S. culture experienced at school and their home culture and community. Finding a sense of identity becomes even more difficult when they return for a visit to their home countries to find the people there not wholly like themselves. They are part of a brand new culture formed by mixing the U.S. culture with their original one. The immigrant EL parents shared their struggles to reconcile two differing worldviews. They worried how their children will be affected by introducing the concepts of sexuality and gender in the Self-Identity standard.
Maybe some reading the concerns of EL parents will dismiss them as baseless and paranoid. However, it is important to maintain sensitivity and consider the background of EL parents. In some countries schools do not have sexual education or even social emotional learning standards. That is why schools need to preemptively meet these fears with openness and clarity in communication.
Schools must take proactive steps in communication with EL parents. Many EL parents, especially those newly immigrated, will not bring their concerns to a principal or teacher because of uncertainty about how the school system functions. EL parents may lack awareness of their rights and fear overstepping boundaries and getting into trouble. Parents with certain immigration statuses may fear drawing attention to themselves.
The school’s duty lies in first providing accurate information about ESSB 5395 and its standards to EL parents and as Janice says, supporting their right to choose what is best for them. During the course of gathering research for this post, a parent stated they would like to “know more about what topics are covered in what grades and how it’s explained.”
Most of all, schools need to build a welcoming environment for all parents. This means lowering language and cultural barriers whether through the increase in the use of interpreter services or the hiring of more bilingual staff.
How do you see this issue playing out at your school?