As a retired elementary school teacher, I am strongly opposed to the new guidelines about eradicating distinctions between males and females. Baldrige in education says that school is all about learning, learning, learning not constant chaos and arguments. Anything that disrupts the teaching of SOLs needs to go. Thus this policy needs to be tossed.
I cannot tell you the number of times a boy pretended to enter the girls' restroom for giggles and the turmoil that seethed out into the classroom all that day. ALL students have the right to privacy. No student's individual gender choice should overcome this right of a free appropriate education for the whole group.
During this time of the pandemic, teachers and students do NOT need one more thing interrupting the teaching of basics. Students are woefully behind and need a safe, calm environment to catch up.
Again, I am strongly opposed to these guidelines since they will be detrimental to the learning process.