Parents know their children better than anyone and schools should allow parents to choose what is best for their children as it relates to content of curriculum containing sexually explicit content. Under Virginia law, parents are ensured this right and this bill (SB 656) and model policies are needed to confirm that this is upheld. 

I support these critically important model policies in order to protect children from inappropriate sexual content at school and to respect parents’ right to determine whether their children are exposed to this content. Not only do parents have a fundamental right to make these decisions, but they are also in the best position to know what is appropriate for their unique children. Please also make sure through this document that there are certain specific actions that every school MUST take in order to ensure sexually explicit materials are correctly identified and seen by parents first. I am concerned that, unless certain minimum standards are expressly mandated (as opposed to providing examples or suggestions), many schools may find ways around what they consider to be mere guidance.