High school health class could become elective
Photo 
Kate Baldwin
Photo
Kim F. Ehrhardt
JANESVILLE — Health class would no longer be required at Craig and Parker high schools under a proposal by the administration, a move that one critic calls "very shortsighted."
A school board committee Tuesday voted to recommend that the required ninth-grade class become an elective.
The full board likely will see the first reading of the policy change when it meets Jan. 10, said committee Chairwoman Kristin Hesselbacher.
Health classes include an anti-alcohol and anti-drug-abuse curriculum.
Kate Baldwin, executive director of Partners in Prevention of Rock County, said that if the anti-drug/alcohol message is not continually reinforced, it loses its effectiveness.
Baldwin predicted more drug abuse, more truants and discipline problems if the health class is no longer required.
Baldwin pointed out that Wisconsin is a national leader in binge drinking.
"We in Wisconsin and in Rock County are very good at reacting. We're not proactive. Until we start being proactive about drugs and alcohol, we're always going to be behind the game and losing kids along the way, unfortunately," Baldwin said.
Kim Ehrhardt, the district's director of instruction, said phy ed and health teachers will meet in January to work on integrating health topics into the rest of the curriculum.
"We believe that the ongoing attention to this topic across the curriculum in each grade will be more viable than just focusing attention in grade 9, as the current curriculum calls for," Ehrhardt said.
The state requires one health class, anywhere in grades 7-12. Janesville has one-semester health classes in both eighth and ninth grades.
The courses also cover wellness, nutrition, mental health and human growth and development.
The move was proposed as a way of eliminating duplication of the eighth-grade course and to give students more choices, Ehrhardt said.
Students could take a class in art or music, or they could take classes designed to help those who struggle in math or English, for example.
Ehrhardt said he has discussed the change with teachers, who have said health is a strong, popular class, and that they believe significant numbers of students will sign up even if it is not required.
Students will sign up for next year's elective courses at the end of January.
The district also will have more counselors for the high schools starting in January, and one of those workers' many jobs will be identifying students who could use alcohol/drug education and running counseling groups, said Yolanda Cargile, director of at-risk programming.
The district lost four high school counselors this year because of budget cuts, Cargile said.
But a grant application written two years ago has brought in a federal grant that will support 4.5 counselor jobs for three years.
Dec 22, 2011 at 6:51 p.m.
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totally the wrong decision. It's also hard to measure efficacy in a prevention program. Just because there are not "statistics", does not mean it is not effective. These courses help to lay the foundation for healthy choices, decision-making, and life skills.
Dec 22, 2011 at 6:47 p.m.
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Technically, you can google any topic - so does that mean we should cut Science classes too? No, I don't think so either. Health class provides basic information that every kid needs - a lot of them are already carrying around the burden of parents who don't parent - they are the ones who need this the most.
Dec 22, 2011 at 6:16 p.m.
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Should be required. It is required now and look how many unplanned pregnancies. Imagine how many w/o it being a required course.
Parents cannot teach them everything and some are not smart enough to even get the kids the basics.
Dec 22, 2011 at 2:10 p.m.
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If being proactive is the solution-incorporate this in 3rd or 4th grade and continue through 8th grade.
My annecdotal experience in the JSD was that kids began experimenting with drugs and alcohol about 6th grade. Pot was prevealant by 8th grade and if you wanted it-easily found in high school-as was alcohol.
If the district really wants to address these issues-be realistic and start earlier. I would be curious to know how Ms Baldwin currently measures the efficacy of the program today-how do we know its effective in its current form?
Dec 22, 2011 at 1:46 p.m.
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drop health. what they need as a required course is "morals, ethics, and etiquette 101". "strong popular class"....of course it is. they get to talk about sex drugs and alcohol.
Dec 22, 2011 at 11:55 a.m.
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vatoloco, I would agree that parents have the big R on this...but some parents truly are ignorant (defined as uneducated) in some of the areas addressed by this class, and why should we have the shortcomings of the parents perpetuated through the next generations of society at our taxpayer cost? I have a feeling the costs to taxpayers for this class are SO much less than those for unmarried, unemployed, uninsured teens having babies we all get to pay for raising because their own parents couldn't or wouldn't educate them properly.
Dec 22, 2011 at 11:03 a.m.
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Why nothing ever gets cut.
Dec 22, 2011 at 10:18 a.m.
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" Substance abuse prevention information, mental health issues, wellness, nutrition - seems to be the wrong thing to cut, in a town full of bars and unemployment, in a nation full of obesity."
Until it can be proved that a health class reaps benefits for students, I don't see anything wrong with this move. What about parent responsibility? You can google any topic if you need more information.
Dec 22, 2011 at 9:59 a.m.
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Carpe Diem !
Dec 22, 2011 at 8:18 a.m.
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Sorry to see this course lose it's required status at the high schools. The up-to-date, accurate information presented in these classes is not easily available elsewhere for these students. I agree we need to be proactive for our kids.
Dec 22, 2011 at 7:48 a.m.
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There's no way they can "integrate" an entire semester's worth of knowledge gained from health class into gym class. Substance abuse prevention information, mental health issues, wellness, nutrition - seems to be the wrong thing to cut, in a town full of bars and unemployment, in a nation full of obesity.
Dec 21, 2011 at 6:57 p.m.
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I think health class will serve an individual better in their life skills than either art or music. (Note I did not discuss how art or music would serve their talents or careers, only their life skills.)
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