Various requests for public records from your school district
Dear Union County Vocational Technical School,
In accordance with the New Jersey open public records Act, we hereby request for response to the following request hold
1) Please provide documents indicating the total number of students enrolled in all public schools and charter schools in your District for the 2022-2023 school year;
2) Please provide documents indicating the total number of students whose parents have availed themselves of the opt-out provisions of N.J.S.A.18A:35-4.7 and opted their child out of all or a portion of the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE mandate or curriculum promulgated in accordance thereto for the 2022-2023 school year. Please provide documents indicating the number of opt-outs by individual grade levels.
3) Please provide a copy of the document(s) used by the district by which parents can opt-out or opt-in their children from all or a portion of the curriculum mandated by the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE in your district.
4) Please provide documents showing how you implemented the “parent opt-out” for the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE and Health & Physical Education curriculum and a copy of the document by which parents can opt-out their children from all or a portion of the curriculum mandated by the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE in your district. Including but not limited to forms, flyers, emails to parents and/or a website.
4) Please provide documents showing how the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE mandate was implemented in your district, for example: a) in the classroom; b) at home by parents; c) as a homework assignment; d) in an assembly; e) as a webinar; f) being taught on the last day of school; g) any methods but with elements removed; h) not at all.
6) Copies of the BOE policies and regulations regarding the composition of your “Book Review Committee,” as well as policies controlling book reviews or book removal requests.
7) Copies of any book removal or review requests made by residents of your school district since November 1, 2022 to present.
8) If any books have been removed from curriculum or from public school libraries as a result of a demand for removal or by the Board action in accordance with your book removal policy, copies of all documents relating to the review or removal.
9) Any documents, policies or regulations relating to the review of current textbooks or the review of new textbooks or textbooks being considered for purchase.
10) Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside council from January 1, 2023 to present
Yours faithfully,
Michael Gottesman, Individually and as Founder of the
New Jersey Public Education Coalition
Mr. Michael Gottesman
Founder
New Jersey Public Education Coalition
Dear Mr. Gottesman:
Please be advised that this firm represents the Union County Vocational
School.
In response to your OPRA request emailed to Ms. Janet Behrman dated August
5, 2023, we are requesting a 21-day-extension
due to the vacation schedules of those responsible for gathering the
authorized requested documents.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need any
additional information regarding your aforementioned OPRA request.
Respectfully,
Willie L. Parker, Esq., LLM
Please copy my assistant, Katie Seyler, [1][email address], on all
correspondence.
Willie L. Parker, Esq., LLM
Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC
430 Mountain Avenue, Suite 103
New Providence, NJ 07974
Direct Dial: 201.373.8943
Office: 201.843.5858
Cell: 908-328-6409
Fax: 201.843.5877
[2][email address]
[3]www.floriolaw.com
[4]small
STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY: The information contained in this
transmission including any attached documentation is privileged and
confidential. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity
named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient,
you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copy of
this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli
Tipton & Taylor LLC immediately by replying to this e-mail. Please delete
all copies of this message and any attachments immediately.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY: The information contained in this
transmission including any attached documentation is privileged and
confidential. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entity
named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient,
you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copy of
this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli
Tipton & Taylor LLC immediately by replying to this e-mail. Please delete
all copies of this message and any attachments immediately.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.floriolaw.com/
Dear. Mr. Gottesman,
On behalf of Business Administrator and Board Secretary Janet Behrmann,
please find attached letter and request for extension, per your
correspondence.
Sincerely,
Gwendolyn S. Ryan
Superintendent of Schools
Union County Vocational-Technical Schools
1776 Raritan Road
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908)889-8288 ext. 120
See below questions pertaining to the OPRA request received regarding
various requests for public records from your school district.
I would ask that you confirm receipt of this email as it pertains to the
requested information.
Best
Janet
Janet Behrmann
Union County Vocational-Technical Schools
School Business Administrator/Board Secretary
[1][UCVTS request email]
908-889-8288 x115
[2]Union_County_Vocational_Technical_School_1380021
From: Walt Smolenski <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2023 1:56 PM
To: Janet Behrmann <[UCVTS request email]>
Cc: Gwen Ryan <[email address]>
Subject: OPRA Information
Janet,
Here are the OPRA answers for you.
1. 2148
2. 1
3. Attached Board Policy
4. See email below which is an anonymized correspondence showing how we
responded to a parent request.
6. N/A
7. N/A
8. N/A
9. N/A
From:
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2023 11:43 AM
To:
Cc:
Subject: Fwd: Health Content
Good Afternoon,
We only have one lesson regarding gender identity and expression defining
terms and discussing the influences (SSH.1). There is then one assignment
where the students have guided research on the current social issues and
how they believe changes in behavior or policies can promote dignity and
respect with regard to the issues they read about (SSH.2 &3). This lesson
was taught on February 15/16, before I received your email. The assignment
is not due until today for class but I spoke
with him yesterday to let him know he was exempt from the assignment. I
apologize that our communication was not able to happen sooner.
To answer your question regarding resources for the benefits of
abstinence, we will using the American Pregnancy Association’s
information. You can find a quick link to it here:
[3]https://americanpregnancy.org/unplanned-...
Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Thank you,
UCVTS
Health and Fitness Teacher
Begin forwarded message:
From:
Date: February 19, 2023 at 5:06:48 PM EST
To:
Cc: Subject: Re: Health Content
Hello,
Hope you are enjoying the long weekend. Thank you for providing this. I am
choosing based upon our religious and moral beliefs to opt my son out of
some portions of health.
I also want to know more about section 2.12 SSH.6 “Analyze the benefits
of abstinence from sexual activity using reliable resources”. What
resources would that be?
Thank you,
On Feb 6, 2023, at 11:36 AM, wrote:
Good morning,
let me know that you were interested in seeing the Health curriculum.
Releases of curriculum information go through my administrators so I
reached out to the Teaching Supervisor but he has not gotten the documents
back to me yet. has expressed the urgency of getting this information so I
am including below the general topic order we will go through in class and
all of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards that we will cover. There
are a lot of standards to cover so we don’t stray too far from those.
Hopefully this will be enough information to give you a good idea of the
content we are covering. Please let me know if you have any additional
questions.
Thank you for your interest in learning.
Sincerely,
Health and Fitness
UCVTS
Topics
1. Social and Sexual Health
1. Healthy/Unhealthy/ Abusive Relationships
2. Puberty Trends/Self-exams
3. Gender Identity/Expression/Etc
4. Reproductive Anatomy and Processes
5. Contraception
6. STIs
2. Pregnancy and Parenting
1. Pregnancy
2. Parenting
State Standards
1. Pregnancy and Parenting
1. • 2.1.12.PP.1: Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages
of contraceptive and disease prevention methods (e.g., abstinence,
condoms, emergency contraception, dental dams).
2. • 2.1.12.PP.2: Develop a plan to eliminate or reduce risk for
unintended pregnancy and/or STIs (including HIV) and identify ways to
overcome potential barriers to prevention.
3. • 2.1.12.PP.3: Identify trusted adults, including family members,
caregivers, school staff, and health care professionals to ask
questions and discuss pregnancy and other health topics.
4. • 2.1.12.PP.4: List the major milestones of each trimester of fetal
development utilizing medically accurate information.
5. • 2.1.12.PP.5: Analyze factors that can impact the health of a baby
(e.g., fetal alcohol syndrome, sudden infant death syndrome, low
birth weight, premature birth, genetics).
6. • 2.1.12.PP.6: Analyze personal and societal factors that can
influence decisions about pregnancy options, including parenting,
abortion, safe haven, and adoption.
7. • 2.1.12.PP.7: Analyze the emotional, social, physical, and financial
effects of being a teen or young adult parent.
8. • 2.1.12.PP.8: Assess the skills needed to be an effective parent.
9. • 2.1.12.PP.9: Evaluate parenting strategies used at various stages
of child development based on reliable sources of information
2. Social and Sexual Health
1. • 2.1.12.SSH.1: Analyze the influences of peers, family, media,
social norms and culture on the expression of gender, sexual
orientation, and identity.
2. • 2.1.12.SSH.2: Advocate for school and community policies and
programs that promote dignity and respect for people of all genders,
gender expressions, gender identities, and sexual orientations.
3. • 2.1.12.SSH.3: Analyze current social issues affecting perceptions
of sexuality, culture, ethnicity, disability status and make
recommendations to address those issues.
4. • 2.1.12.SSH.4: Demonstrate strategies to prevent, manage, or resolve
interpersonal conflicts without harming self or others (defining and
understanding the laws of consent and dating violence).
5. • 2.1.12.SSH.5: Demonstrate ways to show respect for the boundaries
of others as they relate to intimacy and sexual behavior.
6. • 2.1.12.SSH.6: Analyze the benefits of abstinence from sexual
activity using reliable resources.
7. • 2.1.12.SSH.7: Analyze factors that influence the choices, and
effectiveness of safer sex methods and contraception, including
risk-reduction and risk-elimination strategies.
8. • 2.1.12.SSH.8: Describe the human sexual response cycle, including
the role of hormones and pleasure.
9. • 2.1.12.SSH.9: Analyze the personal and societal factors that could
keep someone from leaving an unhealthy relationship.
10. • 2.1.12.SSH.10: Analyze the state and federal laws related to
minors’ ability to give and receive sexual consent and their
association with sexually explicit media.
11. • 2.1.8.SSH.11: Develop a plan to eliminate or reduce risk of
unintended pregnancy and STIs (including HIV).
3. Community Health Services and Support
1. • 2.1.12. CHSS.3: Explain the purpose of the Safe Haven Law and
identify locations in your community.
2. • 2.1.12.CHSS.4: Identify medically accurate sources of information
and local services that provide contraceptive methods (including
emergency contraception and condoms) and pregnancy options (including
parenting, abortion, safe haven, adoption, and prenatal care).
3. • 2.1.12.CHSS.5: Analyze a variety of health products and services
based on cost, availability, accessibility, benefits and
accreditation in the home, school, and in the community (e.g.,
suicide prevention, breast/testicular self-examination, CPR/AED, life
skills training, menstrual products).
4. • 2.1.12.CHSS.6: Evaluate the validity of health information,
resources, services, in school, home and in the community.
4. Personal Safety
1. • 2.3.12.PS.1: Apply a thoughtful decision-making process to evaluate
situations and influences that could lead to healthy or unhealthy
consequences (e.g., peers, media).
2. • 2.3.12.PS.2: Analyze the short- and long-term consequences of
sharing sexually explicit images (sexting) or messages with
individuals or posting online.
3. • 2.3.12.PS.5: Identify the state and federal laws related to
intimate partner and sexual violence (e.g., sexual harassment, sexual
abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence).
4. • 2.3.12.PS.6: Describe the types of abuse (e.g., physical,
emotional, psychological, financial, sexual) and the cycle of
violence as it relates to sexual abuse, domestic violence, dating
violence, and gender-based violence.
5. • 2.3.12.PS.7: Analyze recruitment tactics that sex
traffickers/exploiters use to exploit vulnerabilities and recruit
youth.
6. • 2.3.12.PS.8: Develop strategies to communicate effectively, safely,
and with empathy when using digital devices in a variety of
situations (e.g., cyberbullying, sexting).
7. • 2.3.12.PS.10: Analyze the short- and long-term consequences of
sharing sexually explicit images (sexting) or messages with
individuals or posting online.
5. Health Conditions, Diseases and Medicines
1. • 2.3.12.HCDM.3: Evaluate the benefits of biomedical approaches to
prevent STIs (e.g., hepatitis B vaccine, HPV vaccine) and HIV (e.g.,
PrEP, PEP).
6.
UCVTS
Health and Fitness Teacher
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[UCVTS request email]
3. https://americanpregnancy.org/unplanned-...