The Senate Republican leadership team has called on Governor Phil Murphy and Senate Speaker Nicholas Scutari to suspend implementation of New Jersey’s controversial new sex-ed standards and hold public hearings on curriculum changes to empower parents who feel ignored.

The senators made the demands in separate letters to Murphy and Scutari as public outcry continues to grow as more parents learn the extreme nature of the lessons that would be taught to children as young as first and second year.

The full text of the letter to Governor Murphy (click here for PDF):

Dear Governor Murphy,

We have heard from a growing number of parents who are extremely concerned after learning about changes to state curriculum standards related to sex education that they believe are inappropriate for their children or conflict with their values. .

As you probably know, the New Jersey State Board of Education adopted the Revised New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Physical and Health Education in 2020, when most people were focused on managing the many daily impacts of the pandemic.

In fact, when the State Council passed the new standards on June 3, 2020, more than one million New Jerseyans were struggling with unemployment due to your executive orders and mandates, and parents of 1, 4 million children juggled their new roles as homeschoolers with all their other jobs and responsibilities.

It’s no surprise, then, that parents were completely unaware of these changes or the impact they would have on classrooms until local school districts began sharing resources recently to demonstrate how topics such as sexual activity, masturbation and gender can be discussed with children at different levels. grade levels to comply with new curriculum standards.

Simply put, parents tell us they don’t understand how standards they consider extreme and age inappropriate were passed by an unelected and politically appointed council, and they are outraged at how your administration implements them through the New Jersey Department of Education. .

We urge you to listen to the concerns of New Jersey parents and immediately suspend implementation of the new sex education standards.

The process of passing controversial curriculum changes such as these should be more open and transparent, and it should be done by the Legislative Assembly in a widely publicized manner.

We need to empower parents, not ignore them.

Sincerely,

Steven Orho
Leader

Robert Singer
Deputy Head

Joe Pennacchio
Deputy Head

Kristin Corrado
Conference manager

Holly Schepisi
Deputy Head of Conference

Anthony M. Bucco
Whisk

Michael Doherty
Ranking Member – Judiciary

Declan O’Scanlon
Budget manager

The full text of the letter to Senate President Scutari (click here for PDF):

Dear Senate President Scutari,

We have heard from a growing number of parents who are extremely concerned after learning about changes to state curriculum standards related to sex education that they believe are inappropriate for their children or conflict with their values. .

As you are likely aware, the revised New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Physical and Health Education was passed by the New Jersey State Board of Education in 2020, and laws addressing the requirements of the diversity and inclusion program were enacted in 2019 and 2021.

Parents contacting us were unaware of these changes or the impact they would have in classrooms until local school districts began sharing resources recently to show how topics such as sexual activity, masturbation and gender can be discussed with children at different grade levels to meet new educational standards.

They have serious questions about the appropriateness of these new requirements, including, for example, that children in grades one and two receive education about gender expression and identity.

There’s obvious frustration and anger expressed by parents who don’t understand how the standards they see as extreme and age inappropriate were passed, and they don’t feel like they’ve ever had a real opportunity to make their voices heard.

Given these extremely serious concerns, we believe the Legislative Assembly should call a special session to suspend the implementation of these controversial curriculum standards.

Further, we believe that the Legislative Assembly should publicize and hold public hearings to give parents the forum they desire to discuss their various program concerns, including the content and process of adoption and implementing changes. We need to empower parents, not ignore them.

The Legislative Assembly has a responsibility, as an equal branch of government, to intervene when a legitimate political concern of such importance as the education of our children has been raised by so many.

We should not shy away from being the model of open, transparent, and responsive government New Jersey parents deserve.

Sincerely,

Steven Orho
Leader

Robert Singer
Deputy Head

Joe Pennacchio
Deputy Head

Kristin Corrado
Conference manager

Holly Schepisi
Deputy Head of Conference

Anthony M. Bucco
Whisk

Michael Doherty
Ranking Member – Judiciary

Declan O’Scanlon
Budget manager