MASS. EDUCATORS GO WITH THE FLOW ON SSM: From Bay Windows

As same-sex marriage moved from theory to reality in the Bay State last spring, opponents warned that the impact of those marriages would be felt prominently in the schools, and predicted that dire consequences would follow. For instance, Gov. Mitt Romney, one of the state's most outspoken critics of same-sex marriage, testified in June before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee that schools across the Commonwealth would be forced to alter their curricula to promote same-sex marriage. ...

At least for the time being the fears of same-sex marriage opponents seem unwarranted; there has been no mandate from the state Department of Education to rewrite school curricula to promote same-sex marriage. While there is no comprehensive portrait of how schools across the state are reacting to the legalization of same-sex marriage, some parents and educators said that the topic of same-sex marriage is coming up in their schools, but not in the way that Romney and MFI might have imagined.

In some instances the topic was brought up not by teachers but by curious students. In another instance a private school worked with parents to ensure that their school treated same-sex marriage as just another form of family. In all of the cases examined by Bay Windows students appear more comfortable with same-sex marriage than their adult counterparts. ...

If teachers are steering clear of the subject, the same cannot be said of the students. Marc Lewis, an openly gay seventh grade social studies teacher at Acton's R.J. Grey Junior High School, said that all discussions of the topic in his classroom have been at the prompting of students.

...Lewis credits the increased tolerance among students to greater exposure to gay and lesbian people among their family and friends. He also explained that the school makes an effort to promote tolerance for GLBT people, for instance, by showing the documentary "That's a Family," which depicts diverse family structures, including those headed by same-sex couples, in the first week of school. This puts students more at ease to talk about the issue in the classroom, Lewis believes.

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