West Valley School Board Discovers Mental Health Education Tucked into a P.E. Policy Proposal
Arizona schools are implementing a new policy directing gym teachers to teach mental health education. A West Valley school district not only rejects it, but terminates policy services with the ASBA.
A new school year. New policies.
We’ve been covering a shift in school boards turning away from the Arizona School Boards Association for policy services. As of today, 39 school boards have turned to competing providers for the policies they implement in their schools.
That’s up one district from our report earlier this week.
Monday night, stern words from Liberty Elementary School District Board President Michael Todd, Vice President Bryan Parks, and board member Kris Kenyon as the governing board votes 4-1 to pass a resolution terminating its contract with ASBA for policy services at the end of this year.
Board member Kris Kenyon says he’s seen the shift away from ASBA policy services - even among the state’s largest school districts.
Earlier this month, Ellen White - the Acting Director of the Arizona School Boards Association - explained how policies are passed down and implemented from her organization into the school districts.
After many years as ASBA policy partners, Liberty ESD Board President Michael Todd says he’s “extremely concerned” about an email he received from White threatening legal action. Legal action I first reported last week.
As it turns out, Todd was not the only school board member to receive the email. I was alerted to the warning letter by a school board member in another public school district.
The email from the ASBA explains a new competitor is offering a policy services product to compete with its Model Policy Manual®. “ASBA holds exclusive rights to the manual, which is protected by federal copyright law,” states the warning note. -Arizona School Boards Association | September 12, 2024
Todd replied to the ASBA warning letter and the exchange was referenced in the Liberty ESD meeting this week.
Listen.
Todd goes on to say ASBA policy is “garbage” and is the 4th vote to terminate Liberty ESD policy services.
ASBA RESPONSE TO DISTRICT DECISION TO TERMINATE SERVICES
West Valley Families provided the Arizona School Boards Association an opportunity to respond to Liberty Elementary School District’s vote to terminate policy services.
ASBA Director of Communications Heidi Vega responded and states, “Thank you for reaching out. While we hate seeing members go, we still deeply value their involvement and contributions as part of the ASBA community. We remain committed to supporting all districts in the vital work of serving Arizona’s students.” -September 17, 2024
NEW MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION POLICY
Despite cutting ties with ASBA, Liberty Elementary School District approved a number of ASBA policies to get them through the rest of this semester.
One of the recommended ASBA policies gives P.E. teachers authority to teach mental health education to students. (Hold on! LESD25 did not pass this!)
Additionally, the proposed policy incorporating mental health in physical education states it’s in compliance with A.R.S. 15-701.02.
We looked up A.R.S. 15-701.02. It makes no mention of mental health. In fact, it requires, “students be taught about the Holocaust and other genocides.”
Liberty ESD Vice President Bryan Parks not only points out the referenced state statute has nothing to do with mental health, but also questions what types of licensing P.E. teachers would need to implement such a rule change.
We pulled discussion on this policy from this week and from the first read of this suggestion in August for you to review the progression of the policy change.
Watch.
This new policy falls under ASBA’s document IHA - titled, “Basic Instructional Program”, and calls for curriculum serving the “education needs of all school-aged children” in member districts.
What’s more, ASBA’s IHA policy recommends doing away with technology skills…
Here, we provide the original policy suggestion by ASBA… and then the policy revision approved by the Liberty Elementary School District.
Also note, the physical education policy to instruct mental health does not include defined licensing requirements for P.E. teachers… a question Bryan Parks brought up during Monday’s governing board meeting.
Finally, the policy Liberty ESD ultimately approved removes the mental health education requirement and adds back technology skills.
MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION IN ARIZONA SCHOOLS
Three years.
Arizona’s public schools have been teaching mental health education - by law - for the past three years.
The Arizona legislature ordained by law A.R.S 15-701.03 which states, “the state board of education shall require that all health education instruction include mental health instruction.”
Here it is -
This document shows that not only does health/physical education include mental health instruction - but the law allows mental health instruction to be included in other subject areas.”
And the law comes with recommendations. The first one being, “taught by a certified health education teacher.”
The bill bringing this law forward, SB1376, was supported by Mental Health America of Arizona:
Requiring mental health instruction and social and emotional learning will help students develop a framework from which to understand their mental health, form healthy relationships, manage emotions, make responsible decisions, build resiliency, and establish coping skills to adapt to change and adversity.
THE MOVE FOR MENTAL HEALTH POLICY IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION
As it turns out, new National Physical Education Standards were released in March 2024 after a multi-year revision process.
SHAPE [Society of Health and Physical Educators] America’s National Physical Education Standards, “define what a student should know and be able to do as result of a highly effective physical education program. States and local school districts across the country use the National Physical Education Standards to develop or revise existing standards, frameworks and curricula.”
SHAPE “topic areas” include Title IX and transgender inclusion. SHAPE refers educators to GLSEN which it states is, “the preeminent K-12 organization that prompts LGBT cultural inclusion and awareness.”
SEL - Social Emotional Learning - in gym class is supported by teacher organizations across the country.
The National Education Association writes, “physical education promotes student well-being in a variety of ways.”
Physical Education (PE) is more than suiting up in gym clothes to run on a track, learning the basics of different sports, or participating in the presidential fitness test. It involves a lot of physical activity to be sure, but PE curriculum also includes mental, social, and emotional education.
-National Education Association | August 2023
Opinion: Is this the intended plan if funding dissolves for counselors?
As I wrap up writing this article, I’m going to make a huge leap…
If school counselors aren’t funded, incorporating SEL in gym class may be the key to keeping progressive policies in play.
ASBA’s White and I talked about SEL in Arizona’s public schools.
JEN’S TWO CENTS
Are P.E. teachers certified to be instructing mental health education in your school? Are they following the new national P.E. standards?
Go to your school district’s meeting documents and search “IHA”.
This year, watch board meeting agendas and attend meetings.
Voters also should be researching school board candidates. Ask candidates for their opinions on policy and proficiency scores and what they would do as a board member.
If they won’t answer these questions, take note.
IHA POLICY IN THE WEST VALLEY
Here are the local school districts that have either had a first read on the IHA policy or have implemented it:
Buckeye Union High School District: First read at its September 9th meeting. “Dr. Bebee explained that this is a first read only and no action is required at this time. The policies will be brought back to the Board in October for a second and final read.”
Litchfield Elementary School District: On August 27, 2024, the Litchfield Elementary School District unanimously passed the ASBA recommended policy to include mental health instruction as part of its physical education curriculum.
*If your school district implemented new IHA policy, with or without changes, please let me know. Email me at jen@news2jb.com.
