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  • Lack of Diversity in Simulation Technology: An Educational Simulation in Healthcare

    Lack of Diversity in Simulation Technology: An Educational Simulation in Healthcare

    From the Westchester Medical Center (R.L.C.), New York Medical College, Valhalla; Eastern Kentucky University (K.D.P.), Richmond, KY; and Department of Behavioral Science (T.D.S.), University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY.

    Correspondence to: Rosemarie L. Conigliaro, MD, Section Chief, General Internal Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, Professor of Clinical Medicine, New York Medical College, 100 Woods Rd, Taylor Pavilion, Suite D342, Valhalla, NY 10595 (e-mail: Rconigli2@nymc.edu).

    The authors declare no conflict of interest.

    The original preparation of this manuscript took place while all authors were affiliated with the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

    This content was originally published here.

  • The rise of diversity and inclusion in the USA | Leadership

    The rise of diversity and inclusion in the USA | Leadership

    Business Chief speaks with workplace culture experts to discuss the current state of diversity and inclusion in the United States.

    In recent years, Dr. Rosanna Duncan MCIPD, Chief Diversity Officer at Palladium, has “seen giant strides not only in America, but globally, as more women gain a seat at the top table.” Both Dr Nancy Doyle, psychologist, founder and CEO of Genius Within and Patricia Hume, CEO of Canvas GFX, agrees with Dr. Duncan that “the diversity conversation in corporate America is louder and more widespread than it’s ever been before, and that is having an impact. Even more emphasis is being placed on the need for a diverse workforce and the benefits this can bring,” says Humes. ”The barriers have really been broken down thanks to role models, solid data collection and legal statutes. However, although there is now a heightened awareness when it comes to diversity and inclusion, as well as some solid breakthroughs, we’re still not there yet,” adds Dr. Doyle. Agreeing with Dr. Doyle, Dr. Duncan highlights that it is important to remember amidst this positive growth, that “diversity and inclusion in business is much more than just gender. There cannot be a meaningful impact beyond the boardroom if we fail to consider race and class. We know that diversity adds real value to the bottom line by improving decision-making at all levels. However, in the race to achieve gender parity, we risk treating women as a homogeneous group in which female board members come from similar racial and social backgrounds, and express similar perspectives to their mainly white male counterparts.”

    When it comes to increasing diversity and inclusion, Hume strongly believes that “education on the value diversity and inclusion can provide from an early age is essential. Making sure equal opportunities are available throughout the education process and within the workplace is vital. I believe that the more time people spend in diverse, collaborative communities, the less likely they are to focus on differences.” Both Dr. Doyle and Dr. Duncan further elaborate that to stand a chance of increasing diversity within America, organisations also need to turn their back on old-fashioned and outdated methods of recruitment. “One solution would be to introduce approaches that purely test capability and potential, as opposed to favouring candidates with postgraduate qualifications, even when a high level of technical expertise is not required. On the face of it, this may seem an equitable differentiator. But this can exclude some groups including African Americans or other racial minorities, as well as those from low income backgrounds. It’s not due to their lack of ability, but a lack of opportunity and considerable financial constraints,” comments Dr. Duncan, who highlights that according to a study by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, “less than a third of nursery school children from low-income families – who achieve high test scores – end up with a college education and a decent-paying entry-level job. By contrast, those from families in the highest-income brackets with low test scores have a 70% chance of reaching the same education and job level. It is not surprising then that many low-income students, who have had access to fewer resources, struggle to maintain the advantages they may have had as infants. Employers need to look at a wider range of educational pathways including those who have studied part-time, flexibly, and even vocational qualifications.”

    Ultimately, “there’s no silver bullet” when it comes to increasing diversity and inclusion within a business, says Dr. Duncan. “Real change takes time and can only be achieved when everyone works together. The difficulty can lie in helping organisation to think about diversity beyond gender, and to see that everyone is responsible – from executives to the front line – for creating a diverse and inclusive environment. Whilst having conversations on gender parity has over time become an easier conversation and is now part of the zeitgeist, I’m afraid that racial and socioeconomic parity in the workplace has been neglected.” However, Duncan does explain that there are steps, that when put together, can help move an organisation in the right direction. “The first of these is to give diversity and inclusion a place at the top table. One of the biggest risks is the perception that diversity and inclusion is a bolt-on to HR, or of too little strategic value to merit proper commitment. Secondly, senior leaders should be held accountable. At Palladium, we hold quarterly forums and require senior leaders to be transparent, reporting on our KPIs to all staff, including targets on equal pay and blind recruitment. Additionally, the conversation needs to be flowing – internally and externally – constantly sharing ideas, debating issues, and encouraging people at all levels to develop their own thought leadership on the subject. Finally, behaviours which are unacceptable should be called out. Creating a diverse workforce is pointless unless you create an inclusive environment where everybody can feel safe, that they belong, and can reach their full potential.” Agreeing with Dr. Duncan, Hume adds that, “when we bring our differences together in an environment where people feel respected, accepted, and included, amazing things happen. It is crucial to remember that diversity is fundamentally good for business, a diverse team is better at serving a diverse audience.”

    Business Chief speaks with workplace culture experts to discuss the current state of diversity and inclusion in the United States.

    In recent years, Dr. Rosanna Duncan MCIPD, Chief Diversity Officer at Palladium, has “seen giant strides not only in America, but globally, as more women gain a seat at the top table.” Both Dr Nancy Doyle, psychologist, founder and CEO of Genius Within and Patricia Hume, CEO of Canvas GFX, agrees with Dr. Duncan that “the diversity conversation in corporate America is louder and more widespread than it’s ever been before, and that is having an impact. Even more emphasis is being placed on the need for a diverse workforce and the benefits this can bring,” says Humes. ”The barriers have really been broken down thanks to role models, solid data collection and legal statutes. However, although there is now a heightened awareness when it comes to diversity and inclusion, as well as some solid breakthroughs, we’re still not there yet,” adds Dr. Doyle. Agreeing with Dr. Doyle, Dr. Duncan highlights that it is important to remember amidst this positive growth, that “diversity and inclusion in business is much more than just gender. There cannot be a meaningful impact beyond the boardroom if we fail to consider race and class. We know that diversity adds real value to the bottom line by improving decision-making at all levels. However, in the race to achieve gender parity, we risk treating women as a homogeneous group in which female board members come from similar racial and social backgrounds, and express similar perspectives to their mainly white male counterparts.”

    When it comes to increasing diversity and inclusion, Hume strongly believes that “education on the value diversity and inclusion can provide from an early age is essential. Making sure equal opportunities are available throughout the education process and within the workplace is vital. I believe that the more time people spend in diverse, collaborative communities, the less likely they are to focus on differences.” Both Dr. Doyle and Dr. Duncan further elaborate that to stand a chance of increasing diversity within America, organisations also need to turn their back on old-fashioned and outdated methods of recruitment. “One solution would be to introduce approaches that purely test capability and potential, as opposed to favouring candidates with postgraduate qualifications, even when a high level of technical expertise is not required. On the face of it, this may seem an equitable differentiator. But this can exclude some groups including African Americans or other racial minorities, as well as those from low income backgrounds. It’s not due to their lack of ability, but a lack of opportunity and considerable financial constraints,” comments Dr. Duncan, who highlights that according to a study by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, “less than a third of nursery school children from low-income families – who achieve high test scores – end up with a college education and a decent-paying entry-level job. By contrast, those from families in the highest-income brackets with low test scores have a 70% chance of reaching the same education and job level. It is not surprising then that many low-income students, who have had access to fewer resources, struggle to maintain the advantages they may have had as infants. Employers need to look at a wider range of educational pathways including those who have studied part-time, flexibly, and even vocational qualifications.”

    Ultimately, “there’s no silver bullet” when it comes to increasing diversity and inclusion within a business, says Dr. Duncan. “Real change takes time and can only be achieved when everyone works together. The difficulty can lie in helping organisation to think about diversity beyond gender, and to see that everyone is responsible – from executives to the front line – for creating a diverse and inclusive environment. Whilst having conversations on gender parity has over time become an easier conversation and is now part of the zeitgeist, I’m afraid that racial and socioeconomic parity in the workplace has been neglected.” However, Duncan does explain that there are steps, that when put together, can help move an organisation in the right direction. “The first of these is to give diversity and inclusion a place at the top table. One of the biggest risks is the perception that diversity and inclusion is a bolt-on to HR, or of too little strategic value to merit proper commitment. Secondly, senior leaders should be held accountable. At Palladium, we hold quarterly forums and require senior leaders to be transparent, reporting on our KPIs to all staff, including targets on equal pay and blind recruitment. Additionally, the conversation needs to be flowing – internally and externally – constantly sharing ideas, debating issues, and encouraging people at all levels to develop their own thought leadership on the subject. Finally, behaviours which are unacceptable should be called out. Creating a diverse workforce is pointless unless you create an inclusive environment where everybody can feel safe, that they belong, and can reach their full potential.” Agreeing with Dr. Duncan, Hume adds that, “when we bring our differences together in an environment where people feel respected, accepted, and included, amazing things happen. It is crucial to remember that diversity is fundamentally good for business, a diverse team is better at serving a diverse audience.”

    This content was originally published here.

  • Utah higher education board affirms support for LGBTQ college community

    Utah higher education board affirms support for LGBTQ college community

    Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

    SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Board of Higher Education gave unanimous support Friday to a resolution to affirm and support the Utah System of Higher Education’s LGBTQ+ community.

    The resolution, a continuation of the board’s ongoing work on diversity, equity and inclusion, “acknowledges the resilience and courage of LGBTQ+ youth and young adults as they often experience higher rates of stress, depression, anxiety, isolation, difficulty with schoolwork and suicidal ideation due to experiences of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity.”

    Tanner Marcum, a student member of the higher education board, told the board that LGBTQ+ youth and adults “are underserved, underrepresented and often misunderstood, right? It’s a catastrophic cocktail, if you will, that has mental health implications, student success implications, and nobody asked for it. But it’s the reality for so many.”

    The resolution recognizes the discrimination LGBTQ+ individuals face and that they experience disproportionate rates of depression, suicide ideation, isolation and difficulty with schoolwork, said Marcum, who is a graduate student at Utah State University.

    “The resolution makes that clear but also acknowledges our recognition of the incredible resilience that these youth, young adult students, faculty and staff have in the face of the difficulties that they experience,” he said.

    The board adopted the resolution as the Utah Legislature voted the same day to override Gov. Spencer Cox’s veto of a bill banning transgender girls from participating in female high school sports.

    Stephenie Larsen, CEO and founder of Encircle, a Utah nonprofit organization that provides support and counseling for LGBTQ+ students and their families, thanked the board for its efforts.

    “I want to remind everyone that being a LGBTQ youth or being LGBTQ is not a choice, and that it is a very difficult journey for not only those who are LGBTQ but often their families,” she said during a meeting at the Mountainland Technical College’s campus in Lehi.

    Larsen said advocates for LGBTQ+ youths “see a lot of self-destructive behavior from young people because of the messages that they receive throughout their lives about who they are. They feel a lot of shame and they have a lot of self-hate. … That leads, often, to turning to drugs, alcohol and other self-harming behaviors.”

    When it comes to school, “They are not their full selves because of what they are dealing with,” she said.

    Since starting Encircle in 2017, one of the things the organization is most proud of is that it has not lost one of its youth to suicide, she said. LGBTQ youth are three times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers, Larsen said.

    “But merely surviving is not enough. Enircle’s mission became to bring the family and the community together to enable our LGBTQ youth to thrive. Five years later, Encircle has served over 100,000 LGBTQ youth and their parents” with the support of Utah’s colleges and universities, local high schools and junior highs, she said, adding, “The first people who showed up were BYU professors and students.”

    Larsen said Utah Valley University President Astrid Tuminez has met with her several times “and is always working to find ways to better support students.”

    Several partners are working to make Utah a safer and more loving place for LGBTQ youths to grow up, Larsen said.

    “Utah does community so well, and I hope that soon we will be the best place to grow up LGBTQ,” said Larsen, mother of six children, three who are college-age and three in K-12 education.

    Utah State University President Noelle Cockett shared a conversation she had Thursday evening with award-winning fashion designer Bibhu Mohapatra, a USU alum, who was on the Logan campus for a series of events.

    During his introduction at the reception, Mohapatra’s husband, Bobby, was introduced, Cockett said.

    “Later that night, Bibhu came up to me and said, ‘I really didn’t know that was going to happen and I hope that didn’t cause you problems.’ I thought that was so sad that that was something that he worried about. But with full confidence, I could tell him that our students and those of us that work at the university and now across all higher education, support him as he is as a person,” Cockett said.

    In fall 2021, USU’s Student Association passed an inclusion statement that at its heart says “You belong here,” Cockett said.

    The resolution adopted Friday by the higher education board, which oversees 16 state-supported universities, colleges and technical colleges, calls for the Utah System of Higher Education to develop LGBTQ+ best practices by December 2022.

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    This content was originally published here.

  • Diversity officers aren’t always so diverse

    Diversity officers aren’t always so diverse

    Who are the professionals that are being hired for role of chief diversity officer?

    Weber Shandwick, in partnership with United Minds and KRC Research, has published Chief Diversity Officers Today: Paving the Way for Diversity & Inclusion Success, which focuses on analyzing the role.

    [FREE DOWNLOAD: The 2020 Press Release Benchmark Report]

    According to the study, CDOs skew toward men, millennials and Gen X, and whites.

    This content was originally published here.

  • Why This Online Diversity Course Is Launching Now4

    Why This Online Diversity Course Is Launching Now4

    But for the team at North Carolina agency Walk West, there’s no better time for businesses to commit to diversity and inclusion. That’s why Walk West on Friday announced it is launching a new D&I consultancy, complete with an online course, called The Diversity Movement.

    “Diversity and inclusion is critical for communicating the right messages to the right audiences based on the makeup of the team that you have,” said The Diversity Movement vp of D&I and innovation Kurt Merriweather, who acknowledged that in many ways it “doesn’t seem like a normal time” to launch a new team strategy program for businesses.

    While diversity and inclusion is often thought of as a hiring and recruitment imperative, Merriweather said it’s even more important as a business case for continued growth, success and accurate brand messaging.

    “Especially at a time like this, it’s going to take folks being creative and inventive,” said Merriweather. “And making sure you’re taking advantage of the key ideas that come from everybody in the organization, because it’s going to require everyone’s creativity to figure out how to navigate the things that are happening right now.”

    Diversity from home

    There’s also never been a better time to launch a web-based diversity course. D&I trainings often take place in offices, led by outside consultants. What happens to those staff trainings while we’re all working from home?

    The Diversity Movement’s core program is a self-guided, eight-hour course called Diversity Beyond the Checkbox that delves into the business case for D&I, unconscious bias in the workplace and implementing an ongoing D&I initiative among other topics. It launches April 20, but is packaged alongside a range of blogs, podcasts and an e-book—initial offerings that the program expects to expand soon.

    Walk West, the digital marketing firm behind the new course, stands solidly as an example of diversity and inclusion at play. The agency is made up of 70% women and African Americans, with a black CEO (Donald Thompson) whose background as an entrepreneur and angel investor gives him a unique perspective on everything from timing to messaging in the brand marketing space.

    “As we have worked with clients to help them build brands, marketing strategies and plans, diversity, equity and inclusion has become an increasingly important element of creating business value,” said Thompson. “Being able to build resilient, high-performing teams to drive innovation is a source of competitive advantage.”

    Reaching the health industry

    Healthcare organizations are among the client roster at Walk West, something that Merriweather pointed to as a sector that is both growing and eager to expand multicultural messaging. As statistics begin to show that COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting communities of color and blue-collar workers, it’s vital that teams creating messaging around health and safety also represent the makeup of the communities they are trying to reach.

    Besides, Merriweather added, business leaders concerned about uncertain economic times should be looking at ways to reinforce growth and stability—something that diversity and inclusion efforts have been shown to do. Whether the data comes from the Harvard Business Review or from a McKinsey report on why diversity matters, there’s a clear correlation among companies between high diversity indexes and high financial returns.

    Is the team at The Diversity Movement concerned that cutbacks could mean D&I efforts go on the chopping block? Nah, not really.

    “It depends on how the organization approaches diversity and inclusion in the first place. If it’s a business imperative, then that shouldn’t change—in fact, it should be stronger,” said Merriweather.

    Merriweather said companies that have already committed to D&I have likely seen some rewards already, but adds that truly overhauling an office culture and the makeup of an organization is a marathon, not a sprint. With that in mind, The Diversity Movement was created as a long-term partnership that will continue past the point of course completion.

    “It’s not a one-time training exercise, but is really a program that has multiple interventions over time so that an organization can experience the benefits that really have to happen through transformation,” Merriweather said. “We’ll have opportunities to come back into organizations and work with leadership teams over a period of months and really years, because one of the things we’ve seen is it takes a while for diversity and inclusion programming to reach the right kind of benefit.”

    This content was originally published here.

  • Proteomic and interatomic insights into the molecular basis of cell functional diversity

    Proteomic and interatomic insights into the molecular basis of cell functional diversity

    The ability of living systems to adapt to changing conditions originates from their capacity to change their molecular constitution. This is achieved by multiple mechanisms that modulate the quantitative composition and the diversity of the molecular inventory. Molecular diversification is particularly pronounced on the proteome level, at which multiple proteoforms derived from the same gene can in turn combinatorially form different protein complexes, thus expanding the repertoire of functional modules in the cell. The study of molecular and modular diversity and their involvement in responses to changing conditions has only recently become possible through the development of new ‘omics’-based screening technologies. This Review explores our current knowledge of the mechanisms regulating functional diversification along the axis of gene expression, with a focus on the proteome and interactome. We explore the interdependence between different molecular levels and how this contributes to functional diversity. Finally, we highlight several recent techniques for studying molecular diversity, with specific focus on mass spectrometry-based analysis of the proteome and its organization into functional modules, and examine future directions for this rapidly growing field. Cells maximize the repertoire of functions produced from their genome through introducing diversity at each stage of the gene expression process, including at the post-translational level. New advances in proteomics and interactomics have begun to shed light on the extent to which diversity is introduced on the proteome level and by the organization of proteins into modular interaction networks.

    This content was originally published here.

  • US Education Secretary calls on schools to increase parent involvement

    US Education Secretary calls on schools to increase parent involvement

    He chose the Hernández School, where children learn in Spanish and English, to highlight the work of a Spanish-speaking family liaison and a program that trains Spanish-speaking parents to work as teachers’ aides.

    “There’s a sense of community and sense of family here,” said Cardona, after visiting classes and speaking with parents.

    One mother said she received crucial help in Spanish from the family liaison at the school filling out an application for Section 8 housing.

    Another said the school and its psychologist had helped her family understand the mental health challenges her son, who had become hyperactive and aggressive, was having.

    “Through talking with the psychologist, we better understand what motivates our children and how to incentivize them to do better,” she said.

    Cardona, who grew up in a Puerto Rican family in Connecticut, spoke fluent Spanish with the group of parents and educators. He stressed that representation matters if schools want parents to get involved.

    “We need more people in schools who can connect with families … especially after the pandemic,” Cardona said in Spanish, mentioning that his wife worked as a school family liaison.

    Parent engagement has rarely gotten much attention as a national education priority, but the pandemic may have changed that.

    “The pandemic has shown a huge spotlight on the fact that many schools do not have deep engagement with families, because many schools didn’t even know how to contact parents,” said Rebecca Winthrop, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a D.C.-based left-leaning think tank.

    And online learning gave parents front row seats in the classroom, enabling them to watch their children’s online lessons, help their children troubleshoot technical problems, or teach them to read.

    “Parents now realize how important their role is,” said Ivelisse Caraballo, the executive director of the Collaborative Parent Leadership Action Network, a parent training organization based in Boston, that focuses on immigrant and low-income families.

    As Cardona solicited ideas Friday for improving parent engagement, parents pointed to a program started this fall at the Hernández K-8 to train parents to become teachers’ aides.

    The initiative was modeled after the Parent Mentor program run by St. Stephen’s Youth Services, which trains parents and caregivers at four Boston schools.

    School leaders were motivated to start their own program after hearing about the financial pressure some parents were feeling. Many mothers had given up their jobs to supervise their children during remote learning and hadn’t returned to work. The severe labor shortage also meant it might be hard finding classroom help, especially workers who spoke Spanish.

    So, the school started a small program to train mothers to work in classrooms with young children learning to read. The mothers spend two hours a day working with children and are paid for their time using federal COVID-19 relief money, according to school leaders.

    The program started as was a way to give mothers professional training and take advantage of their skills. But the program has also become a powerful parent engagement tool.

    “Now I feel like I can help my child with school work,” one mother participating in the program told Cardona in Spanish.

    Bianca Vázquez Toness can be reached at bianca.toness@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @biancavtoness.

    This content was originally published here.

  • Hawaii bill to add LGBTQ information to sex education advances | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

    Hawaii bill to add LGBTQ information to sex education advances | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

    A bill is advancing at the state Legislature to require Hawaii public schools to include “positive and accurate representations” of LGBTQ+ people, people of color and disabled people in sex education curriculum, but some people are protesting that it will legitimize explicit information they feel is inappropriate for schools.

    House Bill 1697 would require the state Department of Education “to provide comprehensive training for teachers and educational officers on sexual health topics that include positive and accurate representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, other sexual orientations and gender identities, persons of color, and disability communities to destigmatize and promote sexual health.”

    The bill also “requires sexual health education programs to include similar sexual health topics to destigmatize and promote sexual health.”

    The measure passed its third reading in the state House on Friday. Of the 51 state representatives, there were only four “no” votes, three “ayes” with reservations, and three excused absences. It has been sent to the Senate Education Committee for consideration.

    State Rep. Amy Perruso (D, Wahiawa-Whitmore-­Poamoho), who introduced the bill, said the concept was the top priority of the young people at the 2021 Hawaii Children and Youth Summit in October. At the annual event for residents age 24 and younger, organized by the Hawai‘i Keiki Caucus and the Hawai‘i Youth Services Network, scores of young people from around the state debated and voted on recommendations for the state Legislature.

    “The young people who talked to us expressed … about their feeling unsafe (in school) because of their sexual orientation,” Perruso said Monday in a Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser interview. Studies have indicated that young people in the LGBTQ population suffer a higher incidence of anxiety and depression “because of this particular kind of discrimination at school,” she said.

    “What the students asked us to do is address it through teacher training. They felt like teachers were unprepared to really adequately and positively respond to their needs.”

    The training would be not only for teachers who instruct in sexual health, Perruso said, “but all teachers, so that they (students) are not dismissed as evil or unnatural or dangerous or sinful.”

    The “persons of color” language is included in the measure, Perruso said, because sexual health education currently does not adequately address cultural and ethnic issues such as the concept of a third gender, which is known as mahu to Native Hawaiians and common in some other Polynesian cultures.

    The Keiki Caucus, which is made up of state legislators, community leaders and youth-centered organizations, has made the measure one of its top five priorities this session.

    State schools interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi testified to the Legislature that the state Department of Education supports the intent of HB 1697. The department is requesting $2.2 million to cover the training and provide substitute teachers.

    If the measure passes, it would be up to the state Board of Education and DOE to work out precisely what the curriculum and training would cover, Perruso said.

    However, state Rep. Bob McDermott (R, Ewa Beach), who is running for the U.S. Senate, held a news conference Monday to argue that the measure is an attempt by liberals at “social engineering.”

    LGBTQ sexual health issues are “still not mainstream, and it’s not considered normal,” McDermott said in a subsequent Star-­Advertiser interview. He voted against the measure in committee but was one of the excused absences during the third-reading vote Friday, due to illness, he said.

    In a House Finance Committee meeting March 1, the measure drew 121 pages of divided written testimony. Several parents said they feel the measure erodes parents’ rights to control what their children learn about such sensitive topics.

    When asked where LGBTQ youth ought to obtain accurate sexual-health information, McDermott said they should talk to their doctor or go to organizations such as Planned Parenthood. Schools aren’t the proper venue, he said.

    “Bizarro stuff that fringe people do doesn’t have to be presented to 10-year-olds,” McDermott said. “Don’t put that crap in front of my grandchildren.”

    The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities is among the multiple community organizations that have testified in support of the bill.

    “Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have been historically a stigmatized group regarding sexuality and sex education,” Daintry Bartoldus, the group’s executive administrator, said in testimony to the House Finance Committee. “While individuals with I/DD are becoming more integrated into our communities, there are still many misunderstandings and stigmatizations left around I/DD,” leaving them vulnerable to sexual violence and sexual exploitation.

    This content was originally published here.

  • Giving families resources and choices would stop the endless controversy and bring peace to public education

    Giving families resources and choices would stop the endless controversy and bring peace to public education

    As we all know, public schools in Washington state tend to foster controversy.  Instead of sticking to delivering a high-quality public education to every child, school officials and the powerful teachers union promote one politicized issue after another.  The results are high drop- out rates, falling academic standards and more families leaving the system.  November 2021 test scores show 70 percent of Washington’s students failed in math and 52 percent failed in English, and in the last two years over 40,000 families have pulled their children out of public schools.

    Specifically, here are examples of what parents are concerned about:

    ●  Long-term learning delays created by 13 months of closed schools, at a time when most private and charter schools were open and operating;

    ●  Low-quality online courses forced on students at home;

    ●  Mandated instruction in Critical Race Training (CRT) and other racialist ideas that pull kids away from the study of core subjects;

    ●  Instructing children to separate themselves into “oppressors” and “victims” based on their outward appearance;

    ●  Months-long mask mandates that hinder the cognitive and social development of children;

    ●  Falling test scores at a time when schools are receiving $17,000 per student, and average teacher pay and benefits of over $100,000 for a nine-month school year.

    Education scholar Andrew Coulson found that forcing diverse students into a one-size-fits-all government education program, one that dates from the 19th century, virtually guarantees endless controversy.   The current education system is based on coercion, not choice, and does not account for the varying needs of children.   

    As a result, school officials create one controversy after another.  The solution is to give parents education options. Giving parents choices would meet the learning needs of students, while reducing social conflict. 

    Four innovative bills introduced this session, HB 1633, SB 5205, HB 1215 and HB 1555, would give families $6,000 to $10,000 a year in public funds to pay for education, including tuition at a private school.  These bills would have put families in charge of the education destinies of their own children.

    These bills were blocked in committee and apparently will not move forward this session, but their practicality in reducing conflict remains valid.  Providing resources and respecting the choices of parents is the best way to bring peace to public schools and, most importantly, provide the children in our state access to a great education.

    This content was originally published here.

  • Ron DeSantis Criticizes Disney’s ‘Woke’ Stance on Education Bill | National Review

    Ron DeSantis Criticizes Disney’s ‘Woke’ Stance on Education Bill | National Review

    Florida governor Ron DeSantis issued a sharp rebuke of Disney on Thursday, calling out the company’s “woke” stance on the state’s Parental Rights in Education bill and its ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

    A video obtained by Fox News shows DeSantis telling supporters in Boca Raton that Florida’s policies must be based on the “best interest of Florida citizens, not on the musings of woke corporations.” 

    In a video exclusively obtained by @FoxNews Digital. @GovRonDeSantis slams #Disney saying “In Florida, our policies got to be based on the best interest of Florida citizens, not on the musing of woke corporations.” pic.twitter.com/Op87xgsLzB

    — Kelly Laco (@kelly_laco) March 10, 2022

    DeSantis’s comments come one day after he fielded a concerned call from Disney CEO Bob Chapek and company executives over the bill, which prohibits gender-ideology and sexual-orientation curriculum for kindergartners through third-graders in the state. The bill passed the state legislature on Tuesday. DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law imminently. 

    Chapek said he called DeSantis on Wednesday morning to “express our disappointment and concern that if the legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary, and transgender kids and families,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. He said DeSantis agreed to a follow-up conversation and was “very open” to hearing him out.

    On Thursday, DeSantis said there is “zero” chance he will change his position on prohibiting the instruction of “transgenderism in kindergarten classrooms.”

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    “When you have companies that have made a fortune off being family friendly and catering to families and young kids, they should understand that parents of young kids do not want this injected into their kids’ kindergarten classroom,” he said.

    “You have companies, like at Disney, that are going to say and criticize parents’ rights, they’re going to criticize the fact that we don’t want transgenderism in kindergarten, in first-grade classrooms,” he added. “If that’s the hill they’re going to die on, then how do they possibly explain lining their pockets with their relationship from the Communist Party of China? Because that’s what they do, and they make a fortune, and they don’t say a word about the really brutal practices that you see over there at the hands of the CCP.”

    Chapek first came out against the bill during the company’s annual shareholder meeting when he announced Disney planned to donate $5 million to LGBTQ groups.

    “I understand that many are upset that we did not speak out against the bill,” Chapek said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “We were opposed to the bill from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes, working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.”

    While opponents of the bill have claimed it will prevent elementary-school students from expressing their gender identities and sexual orientations, the legislation’s language explicitly concerns classroom instruction and teaching material.

    DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw confirmed that Disney contacted the governor’s office on Wednesday and said it was the first time the administration had heard from the company regarding the bill.

    “The governor did take the call from Mr. Chapek,” she said. “The governor’s position has not changed. No in-person meeting has been scheduled yet.”

    This content was originally published here.

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