Liberty Common School Won't Teach Sex Ed According To New Law
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - Another school says it will not follow the state's new sex education law. Liberty Common School in Fort Collins says it has applied for a waiver. The Coloradoan reports the school's headmaster has been outspoken about the law. He says pre-marital abstinence is consistent with the school's virtues.
The new law requires schools to teach a more comprehensive version of sex education which includes information about contraception.
Kelly Notarfrancesco, chair of the Liberty Common School Board of Directors, issued the following statement to CBS4:
"Liberty's parent-led Board of Directors is grateful for Colorado's commitment to diversity and choice in education, and appreciates our state's support of parents' rights to direct our children's education. Our Board of Directors, by adopted resolution, opposes any state curriculum mandate, regardless of subject matter, as a state curriculum mandate is in direct conflict with the state's constitutional standard of local curricular control."
According to Notarfrancesco, Liberty uses an academic approach to teaching human reproduction based on the Core Knowledge Sequence developed by Dr. E.D. Hirsch. Human reproduction is taught strictly within the context of science instruction in accordance with the Core Knowledge Curriculum. Biology and anatomy units are taught in fifth grade science and continue with cell division and genetics during seventh grade science.
Liberty Common officials submitted a request for contract renewal in November 2018, marking the start of the negotiations process. PSD's Board of Education approved the Liberty Common School second amended charter school contract at its June 27 meeting. The waiver still needs to be approved by the Colorado Department of Education.
Last week, District 38 in Monument announced it will not follow the new law. It claims a state requirement takes away the authority of local school districts.
