Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
State Board of Education
 
Guidance Document Change: The Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools guidance document was developed in response to House Bill 145 and Senate Bill 161, enacted by the 2020 Virginia General Assembly, which directed the Virginia Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board model policies concerning the treatment of transgender students in public elementary and secondary schools. These guidelines address common issues regarding transgender students in accordance with evidence-based best practices and include information, guidance, procedures, and standards relating to: compliance with applicable nondiscrimination laws; maintenance of a safe and supportive learning environment free from discrimination and harassment for all students; prevention of and response to bullying and harassment; maintenance of student records; identification of students; protection of student privacy and the confidentiality of sensitive information; enforcement of sex-based dress codes; and student participation in sex-specific school activities, events, and use of school facilities.
Previous Comment     Next Comment     Back to List of Comments
2/3/21  9:08 am
Commenter: Lindsey Schultz

Parents must be consulted: Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students
 

Pages 12 and 13 of the guidance document for the treatment of transgender students state that information may be purposefully withheld from "unsupportive parents." The status of a student's sexual identity is more a personal matter than an educational one. If a student is exploring their identity, especially if they plan to transition, it is a medical and social/emotional matter. Parents should not be able to tell the school what and how to teach the students. In the same way, the school should not allow a child make such huge, life altering decisions without the knowledge or consent of their parents, even if a school staff member disagrees with the parents' response. A family may already have supports and plans in place for the particular student. The school should never interfere with how a student is being raised. As an educator, that is not my job.

CommentID: 94911