As a former VA school teacher, I strongly believe in protecting children and advocating for their safety and well-being. Bullying is never acceptable anywhere, in any form. However, as a VA resident and mother of school-aged children, I am very concerned about the guidelines proposed in this document. "There are no regulations requiring school staff to notify a parent or guardian of a student’s request to affirm their gender identity...” It is completely unacceptable that the school/government would propose to allow the exclusion of parents from something so important as the sexual development/gender identity of their child. While I believe it is important to create safe spaces for children who struggle with gender dysphoria, the parents must be informed/included in the process. There are many other parts of this policy that are highly concerning and it must be rejected.