Last week, the State Board of Education delayed taking any action on the Healthy Kids Colorado survey.
Some parents and state board members have expressed concerns about how parents are notified about the survey, which includes questions about sex, drugs and suicide. Currently, districts can choose between “passive consent,” which means students are administered the survey unless parents sign a form opting them out, and “active consent,” under which districts must receive parental permission before administering the survey. An official from the state health department who spoke at the meeting emphasized that the survey is voluntary at every level—for districts, schools, teachers, and students. But by the end of the discussion there was still disagreement about whether it’s truly voluntary or if the wording amounts to semantics.
That brings us to our question of the week:
Once you’ve chosen your side, sound off in the comments below.
Each week, we ask readers a question about a timely or timeless question about their experiences in education. Readers who want to share their opinions should leave a response in the comment section below, tweet us @ChalkbeatCO, send an email, or leave a comment on our Facebook wall. Every Friday we round up the responses.