Decades ago, I skipped some of my high school biology classes so I would not have to dissect a frog. The smell of formaldehyde was objectionable, but what I really couldn’t stomach was the sight of those frog bodies pinned to the table—a cruel and unnecessary waste of lives.

In January, Maryland State Senator Ron Young and his wife, Delegate Karen Lewis Young, again introduced legislation (HB0206/SB0188) to allow students the right to opt out of dissection and instead choose humane alternatives. Unfortunately, the bill did not even get out of either chamber’s committee. Apparently, the State Board of Superintendents claims that Maryland school districts already ensure a student’s right to choose a dissection alternative. But according to National Antivivisection Society, policies across the state are inconsistent, and in fact many counties actually have no such policies in place. In other words, students may presumably have a choice when it comes to opting out of dissection, but in reality such choices are by no means guaranteed.

Last autumn, my former science teacher told me that he ended all animal dissection after becoming head of the department  in the 1980s. When I thanked him for being such a great educator, he laughed and said, “How would you know? You skipped so many of my classes.” While I did not learn how to dissect a frog or other dead animals, I learned something far more valuable: to stick to my ethics without fear of repercussions. And that important lesson led me on a path to a career in animal protection and a life lived accordingly.

There are all sorts of humane alternatives to dissection available for students and educators. Check out Animal Learn.