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The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
At the beginning of each school year, children in the Metro Nashville Public School System (MNPS) were given a student handbook that contained many pages of opt-out forms. This year, MNPS opted to not provide a printed student handbook. Instead, they gave students a single sheet of paper with urls to the forms.
Previously, parents had to complete the opt-out forms provided in the student handbook and send them back to the school. Student’s teachers also had to be notified that the student was opted-out of certain activities.
This year, however, instead of a printed student handbook, students were given a single sheet that contained urls to the opt-out forms online where parents could opt children out, print the forms and send them back to the school or they could also ask for a printed version of the handbook.
An MNPS parent told us that this is concerning because not every child has a computer and printer at home.
The parent tells us that these forms are “very important” because students who do not opt-out are automatically opted-in to such things as having a psychologist, a social worker, covid-19 testing and school climate surveys.
Further inspection of the forms reveals that in addition, unless the student is opted-out, students will be automatically opted-in to health screenings, youth risk behavior surveys and something they call a “universal behavior screener.”
MNPS defines this as, “The Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Universal Screening Process provides a starting point for identification of students who may need additional support using nationally normed assessments. As part of MTSS, all students are screened for behavior risks so educators can better identify a student’s needs.”
In addition, unless a student is opted-out, they will automatically be enrolled in “Family Life & Sexual Health Education.”
The form states that if parents/guardians do not submit a written request to opt-out, the student will participate in all lessons concerning:
- Abstinence
- Self-esteem
- Healthy relationships
- Gender identity
- Sexual orientation
- Consent
- Reproductive systems
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS
- Methods of protection
- Pregnancy
- Adoption
- Safe Haven law
- Tennessee Human Trafficking Law
- Erin’s Law
Instead of sending home the student handbook as in previous years, MNPS chose to send home a package for parents to fill out regarding health issues.
The MNPS parent said, “The school system wants to become your child’s primary care provider outside of what the child already has. This gives the school system the opportunity to not have to fill out HIPPA forms to get medical information. There are nurse practitioners that can come to diagnose, treat and provide your child prescriptions all in the name of convenience. The parent doesn’t even have to be present. This is taking all authority away from the parent. There is absolutely no reason why the school is checking blood pressure, vision, dental, or even doing any kind of bloodwork or testing any child for covid-19 at school.”
The parent tells us that he checked with other MNPS parents in his neighborhood to see if they were aware of all the aforementioned, and they were not.
“There is absolutely no reason why we parents are even automatically opted in. This should be against the law as this is big government,” the parents said, “As a parent I do not co-parent with them. I have the sole authority of my children. Parents are very unaware that their rights are being taken away.”
You can view / download the MNPS 2022-23 Student Parent Handbook HERE.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
7 Responses
Take your children out of public school!
First, take your children out of public schools, second go to war with the school board by attending every meeting and voicing you opinion. Third file class action suits demanding the removal of officials that repeatedly ignore parental concerns. One other thing that might help, although it could get expensive is to send registered letters to all of the heads involve opting out your children from all the activities without a written permission from you as the parent. Do everything you can to clog the system. The Feds already call parents who disagree with these people “Domestic Terrorists”, so why not band together and play the part.
Opt -out these brain washing liberal schools. When enrolment goes down, tax dollars coming in goes down, Things change!!
Parents need to forward auto enrollment concerns about sex education classes and content objections to their schoolboard and representatives to regulate. Not all parents have the option to remove children from Public schools. Clean up the program!
HIPPA laws are clear, if medical data is collected for the purpose of protecting children while in school, the database has to be secured, schools do provide secured RX routine meds during school hours and Nurses, HIPPA bound, need health cautions before giving a child anything not routinely prescribed, parent contacted when child expresses RX changes, if child is in critical condition, parent notified, meet child at ER. Many children don’t have regular health checks and basic screening can alert parents to undetected illnesses, vision, hearing, high BP, etc.
We can’t walk away, abandon Public schools, not care about All children.
Why aren’t the libs upset for the school automatically opting in like Facebook used to have. Shouldn’t they use the same rules they wanted Facebook to abide by. Opt out unless we send the form in.
Again this is about a bigger issue, that of total control by the government. They slowly get a few children opted-in at a time until you have a majority of the population consenting and then it can become mandatory. Create home schooling groups so that everyone’s talents can be used to provide children with quality education and social development. The government thinks that we need them and pushes this so we believe it. Well we don’t need them. Actually they have made things worse ever since it became involved in the education of our children.
Remember it’s all about control…..
Hi, just wanted to share as an MNPS teacher and parent that this information is inaccurate. First, regarding the handbook, all the forms can be completed online and via phone, so parents do not need to have a computer or printer as stated here. Physical copies of the handbook are also available to any parent who would like one.
Second, the “Well Child” forms that are pictured are NOT mandatory and NOT an opt-out. They are optional forms that provide healthcare for students who may not have insurance or other healthcare options. This is supporting parents, not taking away any rights.
Third, the “universal screener” that was made to sound so scary is a basic screening for learning disabilities that has been used for decades. Nothing new and nothing to be alarmed by!
I hope this information eases some concerns. I feel that the article was a bit alarmist, and the fact that the article does not quote anyone actually working within MNPS makes it seem as though all the information that the article is based on came from one parent’s limited understanding. It’s important for us to seek out information for ourselves and not become outraged over what we hear secondhand. 🙂