NIXA, MO — Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll was a phrase to describe a changing culture in the 1960s.
Now it’s sex, drugs, and self-harm.
Concerned Parents of the Ozarks, a citizens group on Facebook, began advocating for keeping explicit sex, drug culture, and self-harm/suicide topics away from vulnerable and impressionable students in Nixa amid similar national topics surfacing in recent times.
The group also focuses on keeping Critical Race Theory and transgender activism out of schools
NIXA MISSOURI SURVEY CONCERN
Concerned Parents of the Ozarks met recently in Nixa to discuss indoctrination they say stems from what’s known as the Missouri Safe Schools Survey.
Group leaders say the most recent survey was conducted at Nixa Junior High in March. The 60+ page digital survey detailed drug use questions, cited examples of OTC meds that can be used to get high, asked multiple questions about suicide, note that drug use can be due to needing to reduce stress, help one feel “happier”, lose weight, increase energy, fit in with friends, have a good time and reduce physical and emotional pain.
“The surveys even provide examples of where and how to get drugs, cigarettes and alcohol,” Jenn Rosebrock, co-founder of Concerned Parents of the Ozarks, told the Christian County Trumpet.
About 20 concerned citizens, including Bob Titus, candidate for 139th District MO House of Representatives, met at Walkabout Coffee recently to discuss surveys and other topics.
“Parents can request their child opt out,” Rosebrock said. “But sometimes, we hear about parents not knowing about the surveys or about their child taking the survey even after they opt out.”
Carissa Corson, fellow co-founder for Concerned Parents of the Ozarks, agrees. “My daughter would have taken the survey even though I formally opted her out, had she not known about it in advance.”
SURVEY MOCKS FAMILY DYNAMICS
“What’s most particularly disturbing is immediately following drug questions, family involvement is questioned,” Rosebrock said. “It finishes up asking how often family members yell at or insult one another and questions the participant’s honesty in filling out the survey.”
ANONYMOUS? REALLY?
Participation is supposed to be anonymous, but information is logged into a database. “The schools can trace each survey to the students’ Chromebook, because that’s what they use to take the survey,” Corson said.
Chromebooks are online learning devices. (For you older folks, kids don’t normally use textbooks much anymore.)
“Instructing your child not to participate in the survey is perhaps the most effective solution,” Corson said.
IRONY THICKER THAN PEA SOUP
Beyond the survey situation, school libraries are inconsistent with the law, say group leaders. “Nixa is proactive in protecting students from explicit sexuality on Chromebooks for classroom courses, but their library is okay with it in books offered there,” says Corson.
Ironic much?
The Concerned Parents group formed because the Nixa School library was not responding to concerns about explicit books. They had to be formally removed.
The high school librarian gave the resistance. The junior high librarian worked with the group. So, there’s that.
“The junior high librarian was very open to us and our involvement,” Corson said. “They didn’t have sexually explicit books there. It was more CRT. To her credit, she removed a couple books without a challenge.”
After the resistance from the high school library, the group formally challenged the books.
“We got two books removed completely from the library. Ten other books were restricted. Each book has a form a parent must fill out to grant their child permission at the library,” Corson said.
“The Nixa School Board made a procedure to not allow sexually explicit books to be acquired in the future,” Corson said. “We will keep monitoring books as they are ordered.”
Opposition to the group says they are on a witch hunt to censor freedom of speech. But a law was implemented in August to restrict schools from accessing sexually explicit picture books, so Corson simply hopes the school follows the law.
“The law supersedes any school policy,” she said.
The school library doesn’t want to seek approval from the public when they order books.
In their library catalogue, they have a section on new books.
Nixa is proactive about sexually explicit filters on school materials but not their library.
“I feel like they put the burden of proof on parents even though we aren’t paid by the district,” Corson said.
“People paid by the district should be proactive to protect children.”
She added, “It’s a shame so many parents have defaulted to the school.”