Onslow Protect Our Students
Who we are...
We are a group of concerned parents, grandparents, and citizens who are concerned about the moral, physical and emotional health and welfare of all children, including teens, in Onslow County.
We believe, as parents and guardians, we have a RIGHT to ensure the healthiest message is given to the children entrusted to our care, especially in matters of sex education and human sexuality.
A little bit of our history...
Several years ago Onslow County Schools administration made the excellent decision to begin Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) Education in their middle and high schools. A community organization with an expert in this field provided this program AT NO COST TO THE SCHOOLS! The guest teacher was a certified Sexual Risk Avoidance Specialist.
REAL Essentials uses the "Whole Person" approach, it nurtures the body, mind and heart, rather than only focusing on sexual behavior. This program received excellent reviews from the students, staff and parents.
Unfortunately, REAL Essentials was cancelled in 2015 by the school administration and board of education because they partnered with an organization called SHIFT NC, who promotes a graphic type of sex ed called Comprehensive Sexuality Education.
OPOS is not against sex ed. We advocate for health education that promotes SRA education, prevents teen pregnancy, and reduces sexually transmitted diseases in Onslow County.
Well that sounds great, what's the problem?
In an acronym, SHIFTNC is/was the problem. Parents and community members were abruptly informed by the school administration that SRA would no longer be taught in the school system. No reason was given. The year had not even ended. This was very concerning to parents and those that worked so hard to get this program up and running, since up to this point they were told this was a great program with positive results.
A group of us began digging and investigating to find out what went wrong. It was not easy, as each lead provided a stumbling block and it became more curious as to the reasons, and at this point, the secrecy.
We eventually got a break and discovered SHIFTNC had been meeting with the administration in an attempt to bring in a comprehensive sexualized education program. SHIFTNC was also meeting with other youth involved organizations within the county. SHIFTNC had big money behind them and we quickly realized we needed to mobilize and mobilize quickly.
With big money, SHIFTNC had/has a lot of support to push their agenda. On the very thin surface, the program they present (backed by money and free stuff), sounds awesome. Who wouldn't want to reduce teen pregnancies, really?!
It did not take much digging to quickly discover they were using misleading statistics to get their foot in the door. It was this manipulation of statistics and facts that SHIFTNC used to receive a $5 MILLION grant to spread their program throughout North Carolina.