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Exploring Changes To Washoe County’s Sex Ed. Curriculum

Illustrated by Stephanie Serrano

In June, the Board of Trustees for the Washoe County School District approved five updated lessons, but a lesson on sexual orientation and gender identity was sent back to the committee to be revised. Rochelle Proctor is the district’s sexual education coordinator. She’s been working with a team of advisors for over a year redefining the district’s sex ed. high school curriculum. KUNR’s Stephanie Serrano spoke to Proctor about the reasoning behind the curriculum changes and edits made to lesson 1.

Proctor has been the program’s coordinator for about three years. She says when she first saw the  curriculum, she was left in shock and was convinced multiple changes were needed.

“The videos are what got to me first because I think they might have been filmed when I was in high school and I’m kind of old. That being said, I observed several classrooms at the high school level,” Proctor said.

The revised lessons that have already been approved will include conversations surrounding consent, communication and a person’s digital footprint. 

The Board of Trustees will take another look at lesson 1 Tuesday to determine whether or not its revised language will be approved.

Stephanie Serrano (she/her/ella) is an award-winning multimedia bilingual journalist based in Reno, Nevada. Her reporting is powered by character-driven stories and is rooted in sound-rich audio. Her storytelling works to share the experiences of unserved communities in regards to education, race, affordable housing and sports.
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