I think it's surprisingly forward thinking that PAUSD is dealing with this issue. It brings up all kinds of conflicting feelings, though, because the district is in such a position of power with students who are definitely vulnerable, and we've witnessed district personnel use deliberate violation of student privacy to retaliate.

Any steps should also include specific mechanisms to get help when students feel threatened or are in a climate where they feel constantly unsafe or unwelcome.

The policy being discussed fits perfectly with many school districts within California and even across the nation. the key, as mentioned is training for the teachers and coaches. This will ensure an inviting positive climate for transgender and non-conforming students plus their classmates. California state assembly encourages these policies and would be supportive of such efforts. This policy would make our school a leader in inclusion and equality for every student. I encourage that we adopt this policy and establish more trainings through Gender Spectrum for the teachers and administrators. Great work Palo Alto School District!! Please pass it.

@Helen,
You are right, the district should pass this. But we already have so many situations in which the district talks a good game but doesn't walk the talk. And students who are more vulnerable than others see that vulnerability used against them in the school situation by staff when it serves other purposes.

I don't want to see us putting up another guardrail without also bolting it down. If everyone always did the right thing, we wouldn't need rules like this. Some better,neutral mechanisms for students to get help are appropriate.

"Wendy He, the board policy review committee's new parent liaison, asked how the district would plan to disseminate such a policy – along with the proper education that other parents in the community might need to fully understand it.

'If I were not in this meeting I would probably very much not understand and be against it immediately,' she said. 'It takes education.'"

Why should she be against it immediately? What is there possibly to be against? How is more tolerance, awareness, and support for kids an objectionable thing??

Just to clarify:
" Some better,neutral mechanisms for students to get help are appropriate." As an addendum to this.

The district should pass it.

This is truly fantastic. As a former middle school teacher, I know how vulnerable children are. Especially in a district that has been so impacted by suicides (surely many a result of bullying, pressure from other students, etc., read about them here: Web Link it's critical that measures like this are put in place to protect students anyway we can, and secure a right to an education for ALL students.

Wow I am so proud of my district for considering a more comprehensive policy! Thank you to the families who have been willing to speak on this important issue. We aspire to be an inclusive community and this demonstrates that.

Thank you to the citizens of the LGBTQQ Committee for your work on this. I'm proud to live in an inclusive community. There's quite a bit of education needed on this subject, both for adults and students. We'll just keep doing the work. I'm an ally.

"What the policy makes clear, Dauber said, is a "fundamental commitment to nondiscrimination and non-harassment and that doesn't require balancing against other interests. It's a commitment that has to be honored and exemplified.

"I think one of the concerns that I've heard expressed is that absent this kind of guidance, we get into a discussion about balancing where balancing isn't appropriate because we're talking about the rights of children to an education free of discrimination."

Ken Dauber thanks once again for being an upstander against discrimination and sexual harassment in our schools. Your commitment to stop discrimination in all its forms in our schools is more than just one week a year. Not in Our Schools Week should be Not In Our Schools Ever and let's follow Ken's lead on this. Campanile, take a lesson.

I am thrilled that this policy is being considered and hope it is adopted. Anything that increases the safety and health of our children - all our children - is good. Thanks to everyone who worked on it!

Grateful to read about this effort to create more inclusive schools that take into account the diverse student body.

I was at the district meeting where this was discussed. Thank you to everyone who spoke, including some brave moms. The district employees are very dedicated to this.

Dauber's statement in the story was in response to a few comments about having to respect or take account of the feelings of others. He said strong words about not balancing rights against discomfort. That led to a discussion of education as a response particularly for parents.

To me this is just like race. If we don't worry about the "comfort" or "feelings" of people who don't want to teach black children, why would we worry about it for these kids?

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to 'parent'
You said:
"Why should she (Wendy He) be against it immediately? What is there possibly to be against? How is more tolerance, awareness, and support for kids an objectionable thing??"

I want to commend Wendy He for being honest about what she believed would have been her likely first reaction. I, too, had a first response of something like: "What's the big deal?" and "This really seems like overkill again."

I suspect that there are many people like me who may have LBGT friends, or sincerely sympathize with their problems in our society, but who HAVE NO CLUE as to what life it like for a teen or pre-teen in such circumstances. Our immediate response is not racist or prejudiced or any other '-ist' except for ignorance. What is to be hoped is that we do not let our ignorance decide for us, but rather we pause, listen, and think.

So once again, thanks to Wendy for being honest, and allowing others of us who had a similar reaction not be embarrassed, but follow in her footsteps.

Great plan to make Palo Alto schools more inclusive.

Reading the comments on this page makes me feel so proud of Palo Alto. I'm so grateful for the efforts of the district to affirm the rights of all students and am also deeply appreciative of our community for being so supportive.

@Pondering - I agree. I think it was brave to be able to say that before learning the full context (the law, the lived experiences of kids in the district, etc) you might not have understood the need for this policy. I appreciate Wendy's honesty because it helps underscore the need for dialog and education around this issue.

Proud of PAUSD! Inspiring leadership and sensitivity. Well done.

As a parent of a teen who is struggling with their sense of gender identity, I really appreciate the open minds and open hearts of our community. My child's road to self acceptance will be made easier living in a community that works to accept all.

A HUGE thank you goes to all of those who are working to make important changes in the schools to allow students to be their authentic selves.

So grateful to live in such an open-minded and forward thinking community, and to the district for considering this new policy. Please adopt it.
Thanks to all those who work tirelessly to make sure ALL our children feel safe and included.

While I certainly agree that the intentions here are all good, I do worry about the nitty-gritty.
Uggh. I really feel for the quandary school staff and teachers will face when confronted with the following:

"The policy also instructs school personnel to not accidentally "out" students who might not be out in other settings or with their parents."

"Care must be taken to protect student privacy," the proposed policy reads. "School personnel should not assume that a student who is 'out' in some contexts (e.g. within a classroom) is 'out' everywhere (e.g. on a sports team). School personnel should also not assume that a student who is 'out' now (e.g. in middle school) would still want to be 'out' in the future (e.g. high school)."

Dear Devil is in the details:

Thanks for raising this question. Those two quotes are part of the section on Privacy, which is an important aspect of providing staff and administrators with context and guidance when working with trans* students. Taken out of the full context of that section, it might seem a little hard to imagine how to follow those guidelines.

It is actually pretty straightforward: a person's transgender status is private. Just like you wouldn't want someone sharing personal information about you, trans* students have a right to privacy. If a person trusts you with that private information, you should take care to respect their trust and should not assume that they are (or can be) "out" in all facets of their life. If in doubt, just ask the student (in a polite and discrete way). Pretty simple but incredibly important.

The reality is that for some of our trans* students, school is the only place they feel supported in living an authentic life, because their parents/caregivers have not yet accepted or embraced their true gender. This is a difficult journey for some families and can be incredibly isolating for a student who doesn't have support. And even with supportive families, students often fear that they will be ostracized by their peers if their status is shared. They just want to go to school and live "normal" lives and don't want to be poster children for trans* awareness.

This is not only an issue of privacy but also of safety. According to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey: "those who expressed a transgender identity or gender non-conformity while in grades K-12 reported alarming rates of harassment (78%), physical assault (35%) and sexual violence (12%); harassment was so severe that it led almost one-sixth (15%) to leave a school in K-12 settings or in higher education." (Web Link Indeed, the rates of suicide, harassment, violence, self harm, homelessness and substance abuse among trans* identified people are heartbreaking (Web Link But we can do something about those staggering statistics. Trans* students who have support and acceptance are highly resilient and can lead fulfilling, successful lives.

So, you are right: the details matter. Many of our staff don't have extensive experience working with trans* students. For some, this might be their first introduction to the terms and considerations of working with minority gender identities. So it is vital to provide that sensitive context so we can learn together as a community how to foster a safe and respectful environment in which these students can thrive.

---
trans* is a general, inclusive descriptor for all gender "minorities". Not all people identify as transgender and there are many other terms (gender queer, gender fluid, agender etc) that might be more comfortable for some. So I'm just using it as a shorthand here and not meaning to label anyone.

I am a parent of a transgender student in PALY. I and my child always had full support from PALY staff and teachers (and before that at JLS) and my child was always treated in the most sensitive manner. Policy is great but what really matters is the people whom we trust with our children and at PALY and JLS they are wonderful.

What an awesome example set by PAUSD for other communities! If anyone would like to learn more or find support for a LGBTQ teen, please check out thetrevorproject.org. They have hotline, text and chat support as well as social networking and FAQs.

I'm proud that our district is full of people with open hearts and open minds who will support transgender students in navigating these challenges. Every child deserves the right to feel safe and at home in their school. I'm glad to see the commitment to educating the community and teachers, as well. This is still pretty new territory for most people.

I am glad the district is moving to be more inclusive. It is good to see PAUSD being supportive and proactive in this area.

@Devil,
In addition to what "it's about privacy" said, not outing a student is also the law, so navigating these situations shouldn't be new to administrators and teachers.
From the ACLU:
"Even when a student appears to be open about his or her sexual orientation or gender identity at school, it is that student’s right to limit the extent to which, and with whom, the information is shared. C.N. v. Wolf, 410 F. Supp. 2d 894, 903 (C.D. Cal. 2005)" Web Link

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It has been a LONG time since we have been able to have something in this district

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