The Carroll County public school system is accepting applications for new members for the Family Life Advisory Committee.
The 31-member, Board of Education-appointed group consults about family life instruction in public schools by reviewing all health curricula and providing recommendations to the school board. Applications will be accepted until July 26.
The committee is made up of 25 parents of public school students, as well as educators, healthcare professionals and a Board of Education member. Board member Donna Sivigny now fills that role.
Those selected will serve for only the 2024-2025 school year, though members are typically part of the committee for two years. According to the application, those selected will, “fill several open seats for the second year of the two-year term.”
Family Life Advisory Committee members look at Maryland state health standards and proposed materials to teach state indicators in Carroll County Public Schools, said Amanda Jozkowski, a current committee member. Jozkowski is also a candidate for the school board this year.
The committee votes to recommend that the school board adopt or reject proposed materials.
Recently, the committee recommended that the school board exclude “The Family Book,” by Todd Parr, and “The Great Big Book of Families,” by Mary Hoffman for use in the county’s elementary health curriculum. The books depict different family structures, including families with same-sex parents, adopted children, single parents and stepparents, but do not include any discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity.
At its July 10 meeting, the school board followed the committee’s recommendation and rejected the two books, in a 3-2 vote.
Committee members are appointed as elementary, middle or high school parents, or as a health professional or educator, and each school board member may appoint committee members. Jozkowski said she was appointed by school board member Patricia Dorsey.
During the past several years, community members have discussed whether the committee selection process is “truly representative” of the Carroll community, Jozkowski said.
“Oftentimes, if somebody’s particular value set or skill set doesn’t align with that board member, then they’re not going to select them,” Jozkowski said. “I do trust that the board members try to do their best and select people that they feel are most qualified, I’m not sure that’s always the case.”
Sivigny did not respond to an email requesting more information about the committee selection process.
The Maryland State Department of Education adopted a 51-page Comprehensive Health Education Framework in October 2019, which describes concepts children learn at each grade level. It includes guidelines for health education, including instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity taught in an age-appropriate manner from prekindergarten through 12th grade. Parents can opt their children out of lessons if they’re in fourth grade or higher, according to the framework.
In Carroll, parents of elementary, middle or high schoolers can choose to have their children continue in a state curriculum, opt in to a modified county version designed by the Family Life Advisory Committee, or opt their children out of all family life curricula entirely.
“They’re not recommending curriculum or materials, they’re recommending what they believe to be a good framework that is as consistent as possible with the state framework but is in more alignment with what our community thinks is appropriate for the curriculum writers to begin writing [the curriculum] to bring to us for approval,” Sivigny told the school board in May 2022, when the committee was crafting the health instruction option.
It’s important for people with multiple perspectives and opinions to be on the committee for it to serve its purpose, Jozkowski said.
Jozkowski said it is important for parents and community members to discuss their ideas about family life instruction.
“Because it’s a community advisory committee, it’s really meant to represent the community,” Jozkowski said.
New committee members will be approved at the Aug. 14 Board of Education meeting.
