Virginia Regulatory Town Hall View Comments

Department of Education

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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1/5/21 1:05 pm

Commenter: Susan Lewis

I Support This Policy

As a teacher for over 42 years, I know how important it is for students to feel safe, accepted, and happy at school for learning to take place. Ample research supports this. Indeed, why would we not protect every single child in our schools? It is a simple conclusion that a rigorous policy is needed to protect a vulnerable group of students, not only to safeguard their education, but to allow them to thrive emotionally and socially. Any less of an effort will have lifelong (and possibly life threatening) negative consequences for them. Therefore I support this policy.

CommentID: 88304