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  10:11 am
Commenter: Anonymous

Objections To Policies
 

I believe these policies place an undo burden upon teachers to comply with ever shifting goal posts. Teachers could be culpable for “perceived” discrimination, with many portions of these policies removing the parent from having knowledge of the child’s situation/mindset. I believe education starts at home, and to think parents would be removed from having the most intimate knowledge of their child would not protect the child, but rather create further divisions between parent and child. I cannot support these policies due to the administrative and daily burden it would create, as well as the ethical complication of removing the parent from parenting. 

CommentID: 88202