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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1/5/21  9:11 am
Commenter: Julie Keenan

Do Not Approve Proposed Transgender Guidelines
 

Please do not approve the proposed transgender guidelines! Students in elementary and secondary schools are children. They are growing and going through so many hormone changes and super-impressionable stages. By taking away more parental rights about what our young impressionable minds learn about and are exposed to leaves parents in the dark when their child comes home confused about things they should never be learning about at such young ages. The extremely small percentage of people that consider themselves transgender do not warrant any changes in our children's schools. We should always be on the lookout for bullying as no child should be bullied or brutally bullied as was my case. We need to remember that as children are growing and going through puberty they are and will be confused about themselves often. These feelings will not be solidified until they are in their twenties, not when they are 10! With the extremely small percentage of people with these feelings, we cannot bully the other 99.999 percent because one or two kids in a school feel this way. By allowing them to use the teacher's bathrooms the problem is solved. Now if the 30 percent of children that are bullied and feel like they have to do something, "or else", could get this much attention! Bullying in general has not been handled in any meaningful way! We cannot take away any parental rights, or interfere with their religious views. Every parent has the right to oversee every part of their child's education and their life choices until they are an adult!

CommentID: 88165