Last month, the MA Board of Elementary and Secondary Education did something they hadn’t done since last century: they made long overdue updates to the state’s sex ed curriculum framework.

That’s right: they had last revised it in 1999. For years, people have been calling for updates to the curriculum so that schools offer sex education that is comprehensive, medically accurate, LGBTQ-inclusive, and consent-informed.

Because of the advocacy of people like you, the new curriculum framework is much stronger, but we can and must do better for your young people.

That’s why the Healthy Youth Act (H.544 / S.268) is still so important.

The Healthy Youth Act would provide minimum standards with which school districts that teach sex ed must comply and contains critical provisions around data collection so that we know what districts are doing.

We can’t wait another two decades for the next update to the health education curriculum, and the Healthy Youth Act establishes a process for routine updates.

Earlier this week, the Joint Committee on Education heard testimony about this and other bills about school curricula. And if they haven’t already, they need to hear from you.

Can you write to the Committee about the importance of comprehensive sex ed and urge them to swiftly advance the Healthy Youth Act?

Email the Committee
Write your own testimony

Across the country — and unfortunately, here in Massachusetts — we are seeing right-wing advocates mobilizing on behalf of narrowing school curricula, banning books, and erasing the experiences of LGBTQ youth.

That’s why we were happy when Governor Healey took a step to move Massachusetts in the opposite direction–that of inclusion.

It may come as a shock, but the sex ed curriculum framework for schools here in Massachusetts was last updated in 1999.

Healey’s proposed updated curriculum framework reflects the Healthy Youth Act in requiring that sex ed is comprehensive, medically accurate, age-appropriate, consent-based, and inclusive — as it should be, and as it should have been a generation ago.

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is soliciting public comment on this new draft comprehensive health and physical education curriculum framework through Monday, August 28.

Can we count on you to join us in submitting supportive comments by the 28th? Can you think of 5 friends, family,colleagues or neighbors who care about kids getting the comprehensive education they need to make smart and healthy choices? Can you ask them to join us? This is how the opposition is gathering comments and we need to meet this challenge.

You can find the Healthy Youth Coalition’s toolkit and a sample template below. In solidarity,

You can submit public comment one of three ways:

1. Submit using the Public Comment Survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6646350/Comprehensive-Health-and-Physical-Education-Framework-Public-Comment
2. Email to Kristen McKinnon at chpef@mass.gov
3. Mail to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Attention: Kristen McKinnon, 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 0213

How to Write a Comment:

The Healthy Youth Coalition has helpful guide for submitting public comment, with talking points here.

Here’s a sample for you to use if you want to get started:

I am writing today in full support of the new comprehensive health and physical education curriculum framework. Having an updated framework that is grounded in science and reflects best practices will help health educators teach students what they need to know at every grade level.

It is especially important that students have a health curriculum that emphasizes the importance of consent to healthy relationships and one that is inclusive of students of all gender identities and sexual orientations.

I urge BESE to vote to adopt this new Framework and I look forward to learning how DESE will support educators to implement it in their classrooms.