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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1/12/21  1:08 am
Commenter: Sarah Y Fanning

Support 100%
 

All people deserve to be recognized for who they are and treated with respect and equality. This absolutely includes all trans and nonbinary people. 

Schools must be a safe and welcoming place for all students - and this includes trans and nonbinary students. Sometimes, school may be the safest place they have, as unfortunately not all families are accepting and loving the way they should be. And this less to abuse and death more than in any other demographic. 

Providing a safe and accepting space that respects the needs of trans and nonbinary students should not even be up for debate. This is a basic human right. They are not harming anyone by just being who they are. But denying them this is causing irreparable harm. 

Schools must accomodate trans and nonbinary students by respecting their pronouns and names, ensuring they have proper restroom and locker room privileges that make the feel safe and not singled out, training for teachers, staff, counselors and social workers for handling the challenges faced by these students and advocating for their rights, as well as knowing how to ensure they are safe outside of school. 

CommentID: 89622