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  8:53 pm
Commenter: Denise Lee

Support and Educate
 

Having a gay child in high school who was bullied, I completely support this initiative. Every child deserves respect, dignity, and the right to an education in a safe space; not just certain children. If children could be educated about ways we are different and how those differences make us great, we could gain some tolerance. Thinking of Jane Elliot's "Blue eye/Brown Eyes" anti-racism exercise from the 60's; something simple like that can help children understand at an early age that it doesn't feel good to be discriminated against for any reason and we should all learn to be a little more empathetic. 

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