Nassau CDF uncovers proposed curriculum that staff and NCSD had not seen or reviewed

UPDATE:  Wednesday FEB 21, 2024  9:00 PM
These are notes from curriculum review performed 2.21.24

There are no values or principles present. No mention of integrity, morality, courage, honesty, or accountability. Nothing to indicate that faith could play any part in a student’s life or that of his/her parents.

HS Students are perceived as on equal footing with their parents. Independence is stressed; no addressing the fact that they need to honor and respects their parents. No addressing the fact that the student is a minor.  In fact, there’s an over emphasis on valuing and respecting their friends. A student who’s forbidden to attend a party in a house when there are no adults present can’t just say that. They have to follow a 6-step process to effectively communicate that concept to their friends and be sure to respect their friends’ decision to party without adult supervision.

Influences that are mentioned and stressed are teen culture and societal culture. It’s all about responding to the culture but in a vacuum. No real discussion of parental or familial influence.

There’s no effort to build character or to develop good citizens. It’s simply awash in the self.

Further review of the Teacher’s guide and media cards are recommended before consideration for a vote.  Why did the School District not ask for the Teacher’s guide to review?


Jack Knocke & Rich Lamken of Nassau CDF reviewed the Botvin Student Guide provided.  Teachers guide and Media cards referenced were not made available to NCSD by Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare and therefore were not provided for review.

ORIGINAL POST

I could not believe my ears.  This revelation is astounding.  The NCSD was seeking to approve curriculum that was not in the possession of the school district, was not reviewed by staff, and was presented as a board agenda item for approval.  Burns presented for a vote, Cook and Braddock voted to approve!  Grooms, Hogue and Gaus voted against, whew.

On Thursday, January 25th, NCSD- agenda item F 3  Botvin Life Skills was presented to the Nassau County School Board (NCSB) to approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to update the contract to include new curriculum.  Botvin is another SEL (Social Emotional Learning) vendor certified by CASEL.org. (See SEL links below)

At the board meeting, concerns were expressed by Knocke with the school board and district staff bringing this to a vote.

Prior to the January 25 meeting, on January 24th, Jack Knocke, Nassau – Citizens Defending Freedom Executive Director requested public records regarding Botvin Lifeskills Training curriculum since it was on the agenda for approval.  As of February 21, we will finally be provided access in the afternoon.

As the board agenda item was presented to NCSB, curriculum paperwork was passed out to board members.  (Board meeting video on this item starts at 17:45 minute mark) Information handed out included curriculum for grades 3 and 4 along with pre-program tests and post-program tests.  When discussion proceeded, Board Member Hogue and Board Chair Grooms apologetically questioned the availability of curriculum for grades 9 and 10 which appeared to be absent from the handouts.

After board discussion, Rosalina Stelma, Coordinator of ESA program stated that the School District is working with Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare to get the curriculum so that they can review the materials.   I could not believe my ears.  This revelation is astounding.  The NCSD was seeking to approve curriculum that was not in the possession of the school district, was not reviewed by staff, and was presented as a board agenda item for approval.  Is there so much trust in Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare that the school district did not even do the basic due diligence to obtain curriculum and review it prior to a vote?

Recall, Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare is the mental health counseling organization where a counselor was captured on an amateur film during the 2023 Fernandina Beach pride festival stating that when an underage child presents questions about their gender, the Starting Point counselors would NOT include any mention of those gender issues in notes to the child’s parents in clear violation of Florida Statutes regarding parental rights.  (OANN story with video)

Nassau County parents are just becoming aware of the mental health services provided in the Nassau County Schools and the possible risks presented by mental health providers working within our schools.   Starting Point services are provided free to schools as a nonprofit funded by federal, state grants and Lutheran Services Florida (LSF).

Parents whose children are or have been through a counseling program at Nassau County School District should pay attention to the content being presented.  CDF staff has been told that children who go through these programs sometimes come out very different.

If you are interested in learning more about SEL and social emotional learning curriculum, below there are links to resources.

SEL content is created and funded by Rockefeller, Soros, Gates, Zuckerberg, Aspen Institute, LGBTQ organizations, and more.  No cost to the school district helps a lot.  But is it good for the kids?

If you have experienced an issue or if you have questions about this or other “mental health” program, contact us confidentially via the Nassau CDF Tip line

To get involved, visit our Nassau CDF volunteer page to learn of opportunities and sign up.

It is critically important that parents know what is in the curriculum.  The days of signing off and “trusting” the education system are over.  Teachers and parents need to be aware and speak out.