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.
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1/13/21  11:14 pm
Commenter: Janet Matthews

Transgender saftey
 

I am a grandmother of a transgender, I watched and listened for many years the struggles they had living life of who they were, from middle school through high school. The bully's, the name calling, the misunderstanding of who this person really was. The teachers who didn't intervene, the parents who didn't understand, the siblings that didn't get what this was all about. This was a human being with a loving heart, that only wanted to be who they felt they were. In the wrong body, not doing things to embarrass anyone only wanting to live their life free and happy. My grandchild just turned 18, they stopped going to school but continued their education through the GED program, safer, less anxiety, but socially withdrawn. There have been a handful that have stood by my grandchild through this process, myself included, it's been a long bumpy road. We need to make our schools safe, without bully's, and with teachers looking out for these kids not looking the other way. I support 100%. We need to make this a safe world for transgenders, free to learn, free to live, free to love. 

CommentID: 89948